The 10 Best Linux Backup Tools in 2023

Linux is a well-regarded operating system that boasts stability, security, and adaptability. It equips users with various tools and features to manage and safeguard data. Backing up your data is crucial to ensure it is secure and can be recovered in case of unexpected events. 

In this article, we’ve curated a collection of the top 10 Linux backup tools based on efficiency, functionality, user-friendliness, and cost factors.

1. rsync

rsync is a popular Linux backup tool used to synchronize files and directories between two locations. Some key features are mentioned below:

Features of rsync

  • It is a fast and versatile file synchronization tool that can be used for backing up data.
  • It uses a delta-transfer algorithm, ensures that only the changed portions of files are transferred, making it an effective solution for large backups
  • It can be run locally or over a network and can be used to synchronize files between different computers or to create backups on remote servers.

Install rsync on Linux

You can install rsync by typing the following commands with respect to the distribution you are using:

$ sudo apt install rsync  # For Debian
$ sudo yum install rsync  # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install rsync  # For Fedora

You can get the basic help of this by typing the following command in the terminal:

$ man rsync

2. BorgBackup 

BorgBackup, also known as Borg, is a popular Linux backup tool designed for efficient and secure backups. Its key features are listed below:

Features of BorgBackup

  • It uses deduplication and compression techniques to minimize the backup size and supports incremental backups. 
  • It also offers features such as encryption, snapshot support, and data integrity checks to ensure the safety and reliability of your backups.
  • It supports incremental backups and can restore individual files or entire backups

Install Borgbackup on Linux

You can install borgbackup by typing the following commands with respect to the distribution you are using:

$ sudo apt install borgbackup  # For Debian
$ sudo yum install borgbackup  # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install borgbackup  # For Fedora

You can get the detailed guidance about this tool by using the following command in the terminal:

$ borgbackup

3. LuckyBackup 

LuckyBackup is a graphical Linux backup tool that is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use its main features that are explained below: 

Features of LuckyBackup

  • It also offers features such as scheduling, synchronization, and email notifications to help you automate the backup process:
  • It uses the rsync algorithm to perform incremental backups, which means that only changes made to files and folders are backed up.
  • It supports local and remote backups, allowing you to store backups on external hard drives, networked storage devices, or cloud services such as Amazon S3 and Dropbox.

Install LuckyBackup on Linux

You can install LuckyBackup using the below commands in the terminal:

$ sudo apt install luckybackup  # For Debian
$ sudo yum install luckybackup  # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install luckybackup  # For Fedora

4. Back In Time 

Back In Time is another open-source, cross-platform backup tool for Linux and other operating systems. Some of its main features are listed below:

Features of Back In Time

  • It is a backup tool that allows users to create snapshots of their system at any point in time and can run from CLI and GUI both.
  • This tool uses the rsync and hardlink methods to efficiently save space and reduce the amount of data that needs to be stored.
  • The tool can be configured to automatically create snapshots at regular intervals or manually initiated by the user.

Install Back In Time on Linux

Get this tool up and running on your system by executing one of the following commands:

$ sudo apt install backintime-common  # For Debian
$ sudo yum install backintime-common  # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install backintime-common  # For Fedora

5. Timeshift 

Timeshift” is a powerful backup tool for Linux that is designed to simplify the process of creating and restoring system snapshots with its main features mentioned below:

Features of Timeshift

  • It uses the rsync and cpio utilities to create incremental backups, meaning that only changes made to the system since the last snapshot are saved.
  • It allows users to restore their system to a previous snapshot, effectively rolling back any changes made since it was taken.
  • The tool also allows users to exclude certain files or directories from being backed up, as well as specify different backup locations.

Install Timeshift on Linux

Based on your distribution; you can install it using the below commands:

$ sudo apt install timeshift   # For Debian 
$ sudo yum install timeshift   # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install timeshift   # For Fedora

6. Grsync 

Grsync is a graphical Linux backup tool based on the rsync utility. The main features are listed below:

Features of Grsync

  • It allows users to easily create and manage backup jobs with a simple and intuitive interface.
  • It supports various options and settings, including scheduling backups, setting file and folder exclusions, and choosing different synchronization modes.
  • The tool also includes a built-in file comparison feature, which allows users to see the differences between the source and destination files before performing a backup.

Install Grsync on Linux

Based on your distribution; you can install it using the below commands:

$ sudo apt install grsync   # For Debian 
$ sudo yum install grsync   # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install grsync   # For Fedora

7. Restic

Restic is an open-source backup tool that is designed to be fast, efficient, and easy to use and has some key features mentioned below: 

Features of Restic

  • An important aspect of restic is its incremental backup capability, where only files that have been altered since the last backup are saved, thus decreasing the amount of data that needs to be transferred and stored.
  • It also supports multiple storage backend options, including local and remote storage, such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Backblaze B2.
  • It also includes the ability to encrypt backups, which enables users to secure their backups with either a password or key file, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access them.

Install Restic on Linux

Depending on your distribution; you can install it by typing any of the following commands:

$ sudo apt install restic   # For Debian 
$ sudo yum install restic   # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install restic   # For Fedora

8. Deja Dup 

Deja Dup is a simple and user-friendly backup tool for Linux systems and comes with some promising features mentioned below:

Features of Deja Dup

  • It allows users to set up automatic backups on a schedule, ensuring that their files are regularly backed up without the need for manual intervention.
  • It uses an incremental backup system, which means that only changes made to files since the last backup are saved, reducing the amount of data that needs to be transferred.
  • It keeps multiple versions of files, allowing users to revert to an older version if necessary easily.

Install Deja Dup on Linux

The Deja Dup application can be installed on various Linux distributions as follows:

$ sudo apt install deja-dup   # For Debian 
$ sudo yum install deja-dup   # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install deja-dup   # For Fedora

9. Kbackup

Kbackup is a free and open-source backup tool designed for use on the KDE desktop environment.

Features of Kbackup

  • The tool features a user-friendly interface with a simple and intuitive layout, making it easy to navigate and use.
  • It allows users to create and manage backups of their files and directories, with the option to schedule backups to run automatically at regular intervals.
  • Kbackup also allows for creating multiple backup profiles, each with its own settings, making it easy to manage multiple backup tasks.

Install Kbackup on Linux

Based on your distribution; you can install it using the below commands:

$ sudo apt install kbackup   # For Debian 
$ sudo yum install kbackup   # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install kbackup   # For Fedora

10. Clonezilla

Clonezilla is a powerful open-source tool that can create backups of your files, directories, and entire system on a Linux machine.

Features of Clonezilla

  • It is a free and open-source backup and cloning tool that can create and restore backups of entire hard drives or partitions.
  • One of the key features of Clonezilla is its ability to clone entire hard drives or partitions, including all data, settings, and configurations. This makes it ideal for creating exact copies of a system for disaster recovery or transferring data between machines.
  • The tool also supports various backup options, including disk-to-disk, disk-to-image, and image-to-disk, which allows users to back up and restore data in various ways.

Install Clonezilla on Linux

Based on your distribution; you can install by using any of the following commands:

$ sudo apt install clonezilla  # For Debian
$ sudo yum install clonezilla  # For CentOS
$ sudo dnf install clonezilla  # For Fedora

Conclusion

The 10 best Linux backup tools are, rsync, BorgBackup, LuckyBackup, Back In Time, Timeshift, Grsync, Restic, Deja Dup, Kbackup, and Clonezilla. To find a suitable backup solution, consider your specific needs and preferences. This post has briefly explained the basics, features, and installation of the 10 best Linux backup tools on Linux.