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rdiff-backup vs rsnapshot: catalog facts
rdiff-backup	rsnapshot
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
The newest backup is a plain mirror you can read without the tool Reverse deltas keep history cheap while the current copy stays instant	Every snapshot is a browsable directory, so restoring is just copying a file Hard links make dozens of retained snapshots cheap in disk space
No client-side encryption Restoring very old versions means replaying many increments	No encryption or compression of its own Hard links mean the backup destination must be a filesystem that supports them
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.