{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "arq-backup",
            "name": "Arq Backup",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.arqbackup.com/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/arq-backup",
            "tagline": "Paid backup software for Mac and Windows with many cloud providers",
            "summary": "Arq Backup is paid backup software for Mac and Windows. It backs up to local drives, network locations and many cloud providers, and a 30-day free trial is available.",
            "platforms": [
                "macos",
                "windows"
            ],
            "pricing": "paid",
            "price_note": "Paid license with a 30-day free trial; cloud storage billed separately",
            "free_to_use": false,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Backs up to many cloud providers and local drives",
                "Multiple versions with point-in-time recovery"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Paid license after a 30-day trial",
                "Cloud storage add-on is billed per gigabyte"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Arq backs up files on Mac and Windows PCs to USB drives, network locations and cloud providers. It keeps multiple versions of files, which lets you restore an earlier state, and the site describes point-in-time recovery as protection against ransomware. Arq works with many cloud providers, so you can keep your storage account where you prefer.\n\nArq is a paid product sold on its own site, with a 30-day free trial. Its pricing page lists additional cloud storage billed per gigabyte per month. The company says it has been self-funded and profitable since 2009. Support and documentation come from the vendor."
        },
        {
            "slug": "restic",
            "name": "restic",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://restic.net/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/restic",
            "tagline": "Free open-source command-line backup program for Linux, macOS and Windows",
            "summary": "restic is a free, open-source command-line backup program for Linux, BSD, macOS and Windows. It backs up to many storage back ends and is licensed under the BSD 2-Clause License.",
            "platforms": [
                "linux",
                "macos",
                "windows",
                "cli"
            ],
            "pricing": "open-source",
            "price_note": "Free and open source under the BSD 2-Clause License",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": true,
            "license": "BSD-2-Clause",
            "source": "https://github.com/restic/restic",
            "strengths": [
                "Free and open source under BSD-2-Clause",
                "Runs on Linux, BSD, macOS and Windows"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Command-line program in this entry",
                "Scheduling and setup are left to the user"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "restic is a command-line backup program that backs up files from Linux, BSD, macOS and Windows to many different storage back ends. The project's site states that it is licensed under the BSD 2-Clause License, and it lists releases such as restic 0.19.0 from June 2026. Its code is hosted on GitHub, where bugs and feature requests go.\n\nrestic suits people who are comfortable in a terminal and want scripted, repeatable backups. This entry covers the program itself and does not rate third-party graphical front ends. Because it is free software with no paid edition listed on its site, the main cost is the storage you choose to back up to."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [
        "Only restic runs on Linux.",
        "restic is open source; Arq Backup is not.",
        "restic has a free plan or free version; Arq Backup does not.",
        "Arq Backup: paid. restic: free and open source."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "backup-software",
            "name": "Backup software",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/backup-software",
            "of": 10,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "arq-backup",
                    "rank": 1,
                    "score": 91.5,
                    "verdict": "The strongest paid option for Mac and Windows here, with many cloud destinations, multiple file versions and point-in-time recovery. It needs a paid license after a 30-day trial, and additional cloud storage is billed separately.",
                    "best_for": "Mac and Windows users who want versioned backups",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "macOS, Windows",
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Paid license, 30-day trial"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "restic",
                    "rank": 4,
                    "score": 86.5,
                    "verdict": "A free, open-source command-line tool under BSD-2-Clause that covers Linux, macOS and Windows and many storage back ends. It needs a terminal and scripting, so it suits technical users rather than people who want a point-and-click app.",
                    "best_for": "Scripted backups from the command line on major systems",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "Linux, macOS, Windows, command line",
                        "open_source": true,
                        "cost": "Free"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "arq-backup",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/arq-backup-vs-restic",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/arq-backup-vs-restic.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}