Kopia: File Snapshots with Storage You Choose

What it is for

Kopia is an open-source backup and restore tool for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It does not create a complete machine image. Instead, users select important files and directories and create snapshots that can later be restored. Both a graphical user interface and a command-line interface are available, making the project relevant to desktop users as well as people who need scripting or repeatable operational workflows.

Known capabilities

Snapshots can be stored locally, on network-attached storage, or on a self-managed server. The README also lists Amazon S3 and S3-compatible services, Azure Blob Storage, Backblaze B2, Google Cloud Storage, and remote locations exposed through WebDAV or SFTP. Kopia also includes a Repository Server option for hosting a repository on a user’s own server.

The project describes incremental backups, compression, data deduplication, user-controlled client-side end-to-end encryption, and error correction. Deduplication can reduce repeated data, but actual storage use still depends on the backup set, retention policy, and provider. Multiple machines can use the same storage location, while the user remains responsible for provisioning and paying for that storage.

Who it may suit

Kopia may suit individuals, small teams, and self-hosting users who want control over where backup data is stored. The GUI can make initial administration more approachable, while the CLI is useful for automation, remote systems, and existing operations workflows. Users specifically seeking a full-disk image and bare-metal recovery workflow should note that Kopia’s documented model is file and directory snapshots rather than whole-machine imaging.

Limits and deployment considerations

Encryption makes key, credential, and recovery-data management an operational responsibility. The supplied sources do not confirm a particular key-management design or what recovery options exist after key loss, so those details should be validated before production use. Cloud storage also brings separate provider costs; Kopia does not supply the storage itself.

Using additional cloud products through Rclone requires a separate Rclone setup, and the project labels this integration experimental. The README specifically identifies testing with Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive, but that should not be treated as validation of every Rclone backend. Before adoption, test the intended provider with representative writes, snapshots, verification, and restores.

The v0.23.1 release notes describe a fix for a rare race condition that could lead to data loss and recommend upgrading. Teams should consult the official release information and documentation when selecting a version, planning upgrades, and defining recovery procedures. Kopia is licensed under Apache License 2.0. The supplied sources do not confirm required system resources, complete compatibility boundaries, or performance figures, so those should be established in the target environment rather than assumed.

Sources

• GitHub repository metadata
• Project README
• Official release
• Official project page

Sources checked: 2026-09-11

For deployment help, see the straw-dog service shop and check the scope and server requirements before purchasing.