Bnkr
Bnkr is a Kubernetes backup and migration application focused on valuable data inside a cluster, rather than a whole-cluster backup.
What Bnkr is
Bnkr is a Kubernetes backup and migration application focused on valuable data inside a cluster, rather than a whole-cluster backup. It can back up files in Pods, Deployments and StatefulSets, as well as MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL and MongoDB databases. Schedules can be set hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or with a cron formula; manual backup and restore are also supported. Bnkr can send email notices for successful or failed backups and migrations, with multiple recipients. Its bidirectional migration feature moves files and supported databases between Kubernetes, servers and S3. The project is a single-binary web server that can run as a Kubernetes deployment with a service account able to access the data being backed up. The README recommends the official image because some backup dependencies are external tools. Bnkr is available on the web and for self-hosting, is licensed under MIT, and has a free plan at no cost with no usage limit stated. The site credits Mohammed Al-Mahdawi as creator and lists more than 20 themes.
Good
- Supports four named database systems
- Flexible scheduled backups and manual restore
- Email notifications support multiple recipients
- Free plan with no stated usage limit
Watch out
- Targets cluster data, not whole-cluster backup
- Some backup dependencies are external tools
Who it suits
Bnkr suits users who need to back up selected files or supported databases in Kubernetes, or migrate that data between Kubernetes, servers and S3. It is not aimed at backing up an entire cluster.
Verdict
Bnkr combines scheduled and manual backups with migration options for selected Kubernetes data. Its scope and external-tool dependencies are important considerations when planning deployment.
Plans and prices
From Bnkr's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free & open source | Free | no limit stated |
The facts
Each one read from Bnkr's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Creator
- The official site credits Mohammed Al-Mahdawi as creator.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Database backups
- It supports backups for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The README says Bnkr can run as a Kubernetes deployment with a service account that has sufficient access to the data being backed up.checked 9 Oct 2026
- File backups
- It backs up files in Pods, Deployments, and StatefulSets.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Implementation
- The project README describes Bnkr as a single binary application that runs as a web server and recommends its official image because some backup dependencies are external tools.checked 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The project README states that Bnkr is licensed under the MIT license.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Migration
- Bnkr describes bidirectional migration of files and supported databases between Kubernetes, servers, and S3.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Notifications
- It sends email notifications for successful or failed backups and migrations, with support for multiple recipients.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Bnkr is a Kubernetes backup and migration application.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Restore
- The site says Bnkr supports manual backup and restore.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Scheduling
- Backups can run hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or on a cron formula.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Scope
- The README says Bnkr targets valuable data inside a Kubernetes cluster rather than backing up the whole cluster.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Themes
- The site says users can choose from more than 20 themes.checked 9 Oct 2026
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