UrBackup
UrBackup is backup software for computers, mobile devices, and servers, with clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
What UrBackup is
UrBackup is backup software for computers, mobile devices, and servers, with clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Its listed backup scope combines file and image backups, and its restore modes are also described as mixed. Ransomware protection is included in the listed capabilities. The core plan is AGPLv3+ open-source software that provides file and image backups through a self-hosted server; no price is listed for that plan. A free plan is available, and one paid option costs €15.50 a month, billed per client excluding VAT. That change block tracking option is for the UrBackup Client on Windows and speeds up incremental file and image backups. A separate client for Microsoft Hyper-V 2016 or later backs up VM disks as images and restores images to VHD or VHDX. The maker, UrBackup, is based in Ulm, Germany.
Good
- Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
- File and image backups are listed
- Ransomware protection is listed
- Free plan available
Watch out
- Core plan requires a self-hosted server
- Change block tracking costs €15.50 a month per client, excluding VAT
- Hyper-V client support is listed for 2016 or later
Who it suits
UrBackup may suit people or organizations seeking file and image backup across computers, mobile devices, and servers. The self-hosted core plan may appeal to those who want to run the server themselves.
Verdict
UrBackup covers mixed file and image backup, with clients for several desktop and mobile platforms and a self-hosted core plan. Note that the listed paid change block tracking charge is per client and excludes VAT.
Plans and prices
From UrBackup's own pricing page, checked 20 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| UrBackup core | — | AGPLv3+ open-source software · File and image backups · Self-hosted server |
| Change block tracking for UrBackup Client on Windows | €15.50 a month | Speeds up incremental image and file backups · Includes 2.x updates · Works with UrBackup Server 2.x · 15.50€ excl. VAT per Client |
| UrBackup Client for Microsoft Hyper-V 2.x | — | Supports Microsoft Hyper-V 2016 or later · Backs up VM disks as images · Restores images to VHD/VHDX |
| Infscape virtual appliance community edition | Free | maximum 10 clients · maximum 20TB storage · commercial use allowed |
| UrBackup open-source server and clients | Free | file and image backups · unlimited clients · self-hosted |
| Infscape AWS/Azure appliance storage | $0.01 a month | AWS or Azure appliance · S3 or Azure Blob storage · one-month appliance trial · about $0.012-$0.023 per GB/month after deduplication and compression |
| Change block tracking for Windows client | €15.50, paid once | per-client license · includes UrBackup 2.x updates · 15.50€ excl. VAT per client |
The facts
Each one read from UrBackup's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Alerts
- Email notifications can warn users or administrators when a machine has missed backups for a configured period.checked 21 Oct 2026
- API authentication
- The Python API supports UrBackup credentials and optional HTTP basic authentication, with legacy dictionary and typed dataclass interfaces.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Backup modes
- It supports both full and incremental file and image backups for whole partitions or selected directories.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Backup scope
- mixedchecked 20 Sep 2026
- Changed sectors
- Incremental image jobs send only used disk sectors that changed since the prior image.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Commercial CBT
- The Windows change-block-tracking driver is separate from the AGPL client and requires a per-client purchase.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Commercial Hyper-V
- A paid Hyper-V client supports Hyper-V 2016 or later, VM disk image backups and VHD or VHDX restores.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Computer backup
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Contributor terms
- Mainline contributors must sign a CLA that keeps AGPLv3+ licensing while allowing additional licensing by the project.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Deduplication
- Identical files on different computers are stored once through file-level deduplication.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Deployment scale
- The official site reports more than 21,000 running server instances with automatic updates enabled.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Developer API
- A community Python package exposes authenticated methods for status, usage, settings, users, backups, actions and installer downloads.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- Official documentation includes an administration manual, FAQ, system-support guide, database backup guides and Hyper-V instructions.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Image formats
- Images can be written as Microsoft VHD or VHDX files and as raw images on btrfs, ZFS, ReFS and XFS.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Image limitation
- Windows image backups require NTFS and primary MBR or GPT partitions; dynamic volumes are not officially supported.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Incremental efficiency
- Incremental file jobs calculate directory differences and transmit only changed files.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Limit: configuration
- Reviewers report that initial server setup can be daunting and that first image backups can consume substantial time and resources.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Limit: encryption and support
- TechRadar says built-in encryption is absent and support choices are limited, making the product better suited to technically experienced users.checked 21 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Appliance capabilities
- The Infscape appliance adds cloud or S3 archival, cached RAID, encryption, compression, replication and CBT support.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Client platforms
- Official clients are provided for Windows, Linux and macOS, with additional FreeBSD client support listed in the feature documentation.checked 21 Oct 2026
The company
- Company
- Infscape UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is identified as the commercial entity behind UrBackup and is based in Germany.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Founded
- An independent company profile states that Martin Raiber founded UrBackup in 2011.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Ulm, Germanychecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
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