Bareos is a free, open-source network backup and recovery tool forked from Bacula, with cloud storage support and an optional paid support subscription.
Category
File Management
Pricing
Free (open source) + paid subscription support, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2010
Headquarters
Cologne, Germany
WindowsOpen SourceFreemiumSelf-HostedMac
Overview
Bareos is a free, open-source network backup and recovery project forked from Bacula in 2010 by former Bacula developers. It is maintained by Bareos GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Cologne, Germany, which also offers paid support subscriptions.
Key Features
Bareos backs up and restores data across Linux, Windows, and Mac clients from a centralized director, with data deduplication, TLS-PSK encrypted communications, and support for both tape and disk-based storage, including cloud/S3-compatible backends.
A plugin architecture supports backing up databases like PostgreSQL and MySQL/MariaDB, and Bareos WebUI provides a web-based administration interface.
Pricing
The core Bareos software is free and open source under the AGPL v3 license. Bareos GmbH & Co. KG offers a paid Bareos Subscription with SLA-backed support, additional enterprise-focused modules, and professional services for organizations that want commercial assistance.
Key Features
Cross-platform backup — Backs up and restores data across Linux, Windows, and Mac clients from a central director.
Data deduplication — Reduces storage usage by eliminating redundant backup data.
Cloud storage support — Backs up to S3-compatible object storage and other cloud backends.
Database backup plugins — Dedicated plugins for backing up PostgreSQL and MySQL/MariaDB.
Bareos WebUI — Web-based administration interface for managing backup jobs.
TLS-PSK Encryption — Encrypts communications between backup clients, director, and storage.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Free and open source under the AGPL v3 license
Actively maintained fork with regular releases and updates
Optional paid subscription provides commercial support and SLAs
Supports cloud storage backends alongside traditional tape/disk
Cons
Requires self-hosting and backup infrastructure knowledge to configure
Full enterprise-grade support requires the paid subscription
Interface complexity is comparable to other traditional enterprise backup tools
Pricing
Subscription (binaries) From €480/year annual
Basic Support €1,080/year annual
Standard Support €2,850/year annual
Advanced Support €5,700/year annual
Premier Support €11,800/year annual
Global Support €42,900/year annual
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bareos free?
Yes, the core Bareos software is free and open source under the AGPL v3 license; a paid support subscription is optional.
Is Bareos related to Bacula?
Yes, Bareos was forked from Bacula in 2010 by a group of former Bacula developers.
Who maintains Bareos?
Bareos GmbH & Co. KG, a company headquartered in Cologne, Germany, maintains the open-source project and offers paid support.
Does Bareos support cloud storage?
Yes, Bareos supports backing up to cloud and S3-compatible object storage backends.