Chronos Backups
Chronos Backups is a free, server-side utility for backing up Minecraft Java worlds across multiple loaders and game versions.
What Chronos Backups is
Chronos Backups is a free, server-side utility for backing up Minecraft Java worlds across multiple loaders and game versions. It filters world data to keep backups smaller and lets users exclude chosen files and folders with a configurable blacklist. Backups can be scheduled or run and canceled with in-game `/chronos` commands; the required permission level defaults to 4. The README says default backups commonly shrink to about 1–15% of the original world size. Google Drive is the currently supported cloud sync provider, and sync can upload completed backups, resume missing uploads after a failure or restart, and optionally remove local copies after a successful upload. Retention settings cap backups per world locally and in enabled cloud destinations, removing the oldest first. Supported loaders include Fabric, NeoForge, Forge, Bukkit, Spigot, Paper, Purpur, and Folia, with availability depending on Minecraft version. Configuration is stored in an automatically created TOML file, and no configuration GUI is available. One restore caveat is that chunks not considered old enough may be omitted, potentially losing recent changes there.
Good
- Supports several Minecraft server loaders.
- Can schedule or manually run backups.
- Google Drive sync can recover missed uploads.
- Configurable exclusions and retention limits.
- Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Watch out
- Only Google Drive is currently supported for cloud sync.
- No configuration GUI is available.
- Recent changes in omitted chunks may be lost on restore.
Who it suits
Chronos Backups suits Minecraft Java server administrators who want scheduled world backups with local storage or Google Drive sync. It supports multiple loaders, though availability varies by game version.
Verdict
Chronos Backups offers scheduling, filtering, and Google Drive sync for Minecraft Java worlds. Administrators should account for the chunk-omission restore caveat and configure it through the TOML file.
The facts
Each one read from Chronos Backups's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Backup controls
- Users can schedule backups or run and cancel them with in-game `/chronos` commands; the required permission level defaults to 4.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Backup size
- The README says default backups typically shrink to about 1–15% of the original world size, and can often be under 7% of the world-plus-LOD footprint when Distant Horizons or Voxy data is filtered out.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Cloud integration
- Google Drive is the currently supported cloud sync provider; OneDrive and Dropbox are described as planned but unavailable.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Cloud sync behavior
- Cloud sync can upload finished backups, catch up on missing uploads after a failure or restart, and optionally delete local copies after successful upload.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Cloud token access
- The README says anyone with access to the stored Google Drive token can upload and delete backups in that Drive, but cannot access other Drive files.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Configuration
- Configuration is stored in an automatically created `config/chronos.toml` file, and the README says no configuration GUI is available for the foreseeable future.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Downloads
- Stable releases are available through Modrinth, CurseForge, and GitHub Releases; GitHub Actions also publishes nightly builds that the project says should not be assumed stable.checked 30 Sep 2026
- File exclusions
- A configurable copy blacklist can exclude files and folders from backups and comes prefilled with common server-related entries.checked 30 Sep 2026
- License
- The project is published under the MIT license.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Minecraft compatibility
- The project lists support across Minecraft versions 1.7.x through 26.x, with loader availability varying by version.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Pruning and filtering
- Backups can prune and filter world data, and a configurable blacklist can exclude specified files and folders.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Chronos Backups is a multi-loader, multi-version Minecraft backup utility that keeps backups smaller by saving the most important parts of a world.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Release channels
- The README says nightly GitHub Actions builds are not the same as stable releases and should not be assumed stable.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Restore limitation
- The README warns that chunks not yet considered old enough may be omitted, so recent changes in those chunks can be missing from a backup and lost on restore.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Retention
- The `maxStoredBackups` setting caps retained backups per world locally and on each enabled cloud destination, removing the oldest first; the README recommends 5.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Server use
- The project describes Chronos as a server-side utility, and its Modrinth listing also lists server-side as a supported environment.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Supported loaders
- The README lists Fabric, NeoForge, Forge, Bukkit, Spigot, Paper, Purpur, and Folia support, with availability varying by Minecraft version.checked 30 Sep 2026
The company
- Maker
- The GitHub profile identifies MagicJinn as the creator of Chronos Backups and lists the Netherlands as their location.checked 30 Sep 2026
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