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FTB Backups 2 is the safest general recommendation for a modded server that must support Forge, Fabric, or NeoForge through Minecraft 1.21.5. It has configurable schedules, retention, extra-directory backups, metadata, and disk-space checks. For newer NeoForge 1.21.1+ servers, evaluate FTB Backups 3. FastBack is the better choice when Git-based incremental history can save storage and you are comfortable installing native Git and Git LFS. Simple Backups favors a low-complexity Forge or NeoForge setup, while Textile Backup is the most feature-rich Fabric-only alternative.
A backup mod is only one part of recovery. Match the mod to the exact loader and Minecraft build, test a restore on a copy of the world, keep enough historical versions, and replicate important archives away from the machine running the server.
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Quick recommendations
| Situation | Best starting point | Why | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge and Fabric compatibility through Minecraft 1.21.5 | FTB Backups 2 | Established cross-loader coverage, schedules, retention, metadata, extra directories, and disk-space checks | The project is in long-term support and does not target versions beyond 1.21.5 |
| NeoForge on Minecraft 1.21.1 or newer | FTB Backups 3 | Newer FTB line with progress display, commands, configurable timing, and a ZIP plug-in system | The current listing is NeoForge-focused; verify the exact release before using it on another loader |
| Incremental history and reduced duplicate storage | FastBack | Git snapshots store only changed world parts | Native Git and Git LFS are required, so installation is less simple |
| Simple scheduled backups on Forge or NeoForge | Simple Backups | Retention can be set by count and storage, with automatic deletion of the oldest files | It is intentionally a straightforward server-side utility rather than a broad recovery platform |
| Fabric-only server needing compression and detailed pruning | Textile Backup | Multithreaded compression, several formats, age/number/size deletion, access controls, and restore support | Restore requires a server restart and the mod is Fabric-only |
| Another lightweight option with idle-server behavior | Simple Backup (spoorn) | Asynchronous archives, optional pauses when no players are online, ZIP or tar.lz4 output, retention limits, and disk guards | Confirm exact Minecraft support because the project page is less version-specific |
Why the loader and Minecraft version come first
Minecraft mods are built for a particular combination of game version and mod loader. A file that is correct for Forge 1.20.1 may not load on Fabric 1.20.1, and a NeoForge build for 1.21.1 is not automatically valid for 1.21.5. A backup utility can appear in a download search yet fail during startup, be ignored by the server, or produce an unusable restore if its format is not compatible with the rest of the installation.
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Check these four values before downloading
- Record the exact Minecraft version shown by the server startup log or launcher.
- Record the loader and its version: Forge, Fabric, or NeoForge.
- Check whether the backup project labels the file for a dedicated server rather than a client-only installation.
- Read the project’s release notes for that exact game build, including migration or restore limitations.
Do not infer support from a project’s name or from another mod in the pack. Keep the selected backup version alongside the server’s modpack manifest so a future rebuild can reproduce the same environment.
FTB Backups 2: broadest established coverage
FTB Backups 2 is the broadest established option in this group. Its listings include Forge, Fabric, and NeoForge builds through Minecraft 1.21.5. The project notice states: "FTB Backups (2) is only available for Minecraft version up to 1.21.5 and is now on LTS." Long-term support means it remains a sensible choice for the versions it covers, but it should not be treated as the forward path for every future Minecraft release.
What it provides
- Configurable backup timers for scheduled runs.
- Retention controls so older archives can be removed automatically.
- Selection of extra directories in addition to the world data.
- JSON metadata that helps identify a backup and its associated information.
- Disk-space checks intended to prevent a backup run from consuming all available storage.
The CurseForge listing showed 30,449,365 downloads in 2025. That figure is a listing snapshot, not a guarantee of quality or compatibility, but it indicates a mature and widely deployed project.
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Choose FTB Backups 2 when a pack needs one conventional workflow across Forge and Fabric, or when a server remains on a supported version no later than 1.21.5. It is also a reasonable default when administrators want retention and safety checks without introducing an external version-control tool.
What to verify
- Use the build matching the server’s loader, not merely the Minecraft number.
- Confirm that the project’s LTS coverage includes your exact patch release.
- Check whether the directories you need, such as custom configuration or scripted content, are included in the selected backup settings.
- Test that the disk-space threshold leaves room for the running server, logs, and a temporary restore copy.
FTB Backups 3: newer FTB line for current releases
FTB describes Backups 3 as "Our simple but powerful backups solution for Minecraft 1.21.1+!" It adds an in-game progress display, command-triggered backups, configurable timing, and a ZIP plug-in system.
The loader caveat matters
The current project listing shows NeoForge releases. That makes it a candidate for a current NeoForge server, but it is not evidence of Forge or Fabric support. Check the release file and its dependency metadata for your exact loader before recommending it to a mixed-loader community.
Restore and deletion scope
The documented restore and delete workflow is singleplayer-only. In practical terms, do not assume that an administrator can restore or remove a server backup from the same in-game interface. Plan to stop the server, work on a copy of its files, and follow the project’s documented server procedure instead.
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FTB Backups 3 fits a NeoForge 1.21.1+ installation that values visible progress and on-demand commands and does not require the server-side restore interface described for singleplayer. Keep FTB Backups 2 in consideration when cross-loader coverage is more important than using the newer FTB line.
FastBack: incremental Git snapshots
FastBack describes itself as "Fast, incremental Minecraft world backups powered by Git." Rather than writing a complete duplicate of the world for every point in time, it saves only the world parts that changed in each snapshot. That can make a long history substantially more storage-efficient when changes between snapshots are relatively small.
Loader coverage
FastBack supports Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge. As with every mod here, match both the Minecraft release and the loader-specific file before installing.
Required software
The usage guide states: "FastBack requires that you have native git and git-lfs installed." Native Git and Git LFS must be available to the server process, not just to an administrator’s desktop. Verify that the service account can execute them and that the backup location permits the repository operations FastBack needs.
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Trade-offs
- Storage: incremental snapshots avoid repeatedly storing unchanged world data.
- History: Git’s snapshot model is useful when you need to inspect or return to several earlier points.
- Installation: Git and Git LFS add prerequisites that ordinary archive-based mods do not have.
- Operations: repository health, permissions, and available space become part of backup maintenance.
Pick FastBack when the storage savings and incremental history justify the additional setup. Pick an archive-oriented mod when another administrator must be able to install and operate the system with minimal dependencies.
Simple Backups: low-complexity Forge and NeoForge scheduling
Simple Backups is described as a mod for creating scheduled backups. Administrators can define how many backups and how much storage to keep; when limits are reached, it deletes the oldest files. It runs server-side and includes the manual command /simplebackups backup start.
Why it is attractive
- The mental model is easy: schedule a run, retain a chosen count or storage amount, and prune the oldest archives.
- A manual command lets an administrator create a backup before a risky mod change or maintenance window.
- Its Forge and NeoForge focus makes it a practical fit for packs that do not need Fabric support.
Operational limits to consider
Simple Backups is a backup utility, not an off-site replication service. The retention settings only protect data that remains on the server’s storage. Configure a second copy elsewhere and confirm that pruning does not remove the only known-good version.
Textile Backup: feature-rich Fabric alternative
Textile Backup is a Fabric server-side utility that automatically creates compressed world archives and can restore them later. It is the strongest Fabric-only alternative in this comparison when administrators need more detailed compression and deletion controls.
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Documented capabilities
- Multithreaded compression to use more than one CPU thread during archive creation.
- Multiple compression formats, allowing a trade-off between speed, size, and compatibility.
- Deletion rules based on archive age, number of files, and total size.
- Configurable access controls for backup-related operations.
- Restore support that requires a server restart.
When it fits
Use Textile Backup for a Fabric server where archive controls matter more than cross-loader portability. Schedule restores during a maintenance window because the required restart interrupts players and any services connected to the server.
Compression is not a substitute for testing
A smaller archive is useful only if it can be read and restored. After changing the compression format or retention rules, create a test archive, restore it to a separate directory, and start a disposable server with the restored files.
Simple Backup (spoorn): asynchronous archives with safeguards
The Simple Backup project by spoorn documents configurable intervals, asynchronous backup work, an option to pause when no players are online, ZIP or tar.lz4 output, retention limits, and disk-space guards.
Useful behaviors
- Asynchronous operation: backup work is designed to reduce the amount of time the main server thread is occupied.
- Idle-server pause: administrators can avoid scheduled work while nobody is connected, depending on the chosen configuration.
- Format choice: ZIP is familiar and broadly accessible; tar.lz4 can favor speed and compact storage where the surrounding tools support it.
- Disk guards: limits can stop backup activity before free space becomes critically low.
Version verification is essential
The repository description is less version-specific than the Modrinth and CurseForge listings for the other projects in this guide. Confirm the exact Minecraft release, loader, and server-side status from the project’s current release metadata before deploying it to a production world.
Comparison by the decisions administrators actually make
| Mod | Loader and version position | Scheduling and retention | Storage method | Restore notes | Dependencies or lifecycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTB Backups 2 | Forge, Fabric, and NeoForge; through 1.21.5 | Configurable timers and retention; extra directories and JSON metadata | Conventional archives with disk-space checks | Use the documented server workflow and test on a copy | Long-term support; not for versions beyond 1.21.5 |
| FTB Backups 3 | Current listing shows NeoForge releases for 1.21.1+ | Configurable timing and command-triggered runs | ZIP plug-in system | Documented restore/delete is singleplayer-only | Newer FTB line; verify exact loader release |
| FastBack | Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge | Snapshot history rather than ordinary archive rotation | Incremental Git snapshots of changed world parts | Plan repository-aware recovery and test a complete checkout/restore | Requires native Git and Git LFS |
| Simple Backups | Forge and NeoForge | Set backup count and storage; oldest files are deleted | Scheduled archive files | Manual and scheduled backups; validate the project’s restore procedure | Server-side, low complexity |
| Textile Backup | Fabric | Age-, number-, and size-based deletion | Multithreaded compression with multiple formats | Restore requires a server restart | Fabric-only |
| Simple Backup (spoorn) | Exact release support must be confirmed | Configurable intervals and retention limits | ZIP or tar.lz4; asynchronous operation | Test the project’s current restore instructions | Disk-space guards; less version-specific project page |
How to select a mod for your server
Step 1: write down the server identity
Make a short record containing Minecraft version, loader version, modpack version, world directory, and the account that runs the server. This prevents an apparently compatible download from being installed against the wrong instance.
Step 2: choose the required coverage
- Need both Forge and Fabric through 1.21.5? Start with FTB Backups 2.
- Running current NeoForge 1.21.1+? Evaluate FTB Backups 3, then verify its release metadata.
- Need Fabric only with advanced pruning? Evaluate Textile Backup.
- Need Forge or NeoForge with minimal setup? Evaluate Simple Backups.
- Need incremental history and have Git administration experience? Evaluate FastBack.
- Need idle-server behavior or a choice between ZIP and tar.lz4? Evaluate Simple Backup (spoorn), after confirming version support.
Step 3: calculate retention from real storage
Measure the current world and the directories you plan to include. Leave free space for the live server, logs, temporary files, and at least one restore copy. A rule that keeps 30 archives is unsafe if the disk can hold only 10 complete archives. For incremental Git snapshots, also reserve space for repository metadata and Git LFS objects.
Step 4: decide how much downtime is acceptable
If a restore requires a restart, schedule it for a maintenance window. If your community expects near-continuous availability, practice the stop, replace, and start sequence in advance so the actual incident does not become an improvisation.
Step 5: test before trusting automation
Run one manual backup, inspect its timestamp and contents, restore it to a disposable server, and connect with a test account. Check inventories, player data, dimensions, claims, scripts, configurations, and any directories you selected as extras.
Installation and scheduling workflow
- Back up the current installation manually. Copy the world and server configuration to a separate location before adding a new mod.
- Stop the server cleanly. A clean shutdown reduces the chance of copying partially written region or player files.
- Install the loader-matched mod file. Place it in the server’s mod directory and include any documented dependency. Do not install a client-only build on a dedicated server.
- Start the server and read the complete log. Resolve loader, dependency, or version errors before allowing players back in.
- Open the generated configuration. Set the interval, retention count or size, destination, compression choice, and any extra directories supported by the mod.
- Set a conservative first schedule. Use a short interval during testing, then change to a production interval after confirming that archive creation finishes before the next run.
- Trigger a manual run when supported. For Simple Backups, use
/simplebackups backup startfrom the appropriate server command context. - Inspect the result. Confirm that the archive or snapshot contains the current world, has the expected size, and is not being written to the same directory that retention will prune unexpectedly.
- Copy a completed backup away from the server. Use another disk, host, or administrator-controlled storage location. The projects listed here do not establish a complete off-server service.
Restore procedure and disaster-recovery practice
Use a copy first
Never experiment with the only live world. Stop the production server, duplicate the backup and required configuration, and restore into a separate test instance. Preserve the original files until the test has passed.
Verify more than startup
- The server reaches the expected game version without registry or missing-mod errors.
- Player inventories, locations, advancements, and permissions are present.
- Dimensions, region files, structures, and mod-specific data load correctly.
- Scripts, datapacks, configuration files, and custom directories are present when they were part of the backup plan.
- Recent changes that should not be in the selected restore point are absent, confirming that the chosen timestamp is the one you intended.
Account for mod and version drift
A world backup does not necessarily contain the mod binaries or the exact loader. Keep a copy of the server’s modpack manifest and configuration with the backup record. Restoring world data into a server with different mods can cause missing content, registry conflicts, or irreversible conversions.
Promote the tested copy
After the disposable restore starts and passes gameplay checks, stop both instances, make one final copy of the current production data, replace the production world according to the mod’s documented procedure, and restart during the announced maintenance window. Keep the pre-restore copy until players have confirmed that the recovered world is correct.
Retention, disk space, and off-server copies
Use more than one time horizon
A practical policy commonly separates frequent short-term snapshots from less frequent long-term points. For example, retain recent daily history for accidental deletions and a smaller set of older weekly or milestone archives. The exact counts should follow the world’s size, change rate, and available storage rather than a universal number.
Prune by both age and capacity
Count-only retention can fill a disk when worlds grow. Size-only retention can remove history faster than expected after a large map expansion. Where a mod offers both, set both limits and monitor the resulting free space. Textile Backup explicitly supports age, number, and size deletion; FTB Backups 2 and Simple Backups provide their own retention and disk safeguards.
Keep a second location
A failed disk, accidental deletion, ransomware, or a damaged host can destroy every local archive. Copy completed backups to a separate storage location and periodically verify that the copied file or repository can be read. Off-server replication remains an administrator responsibility for all of the projects covered here.
Troubleshooting common failures
The server refuses to start after installation
Remove the newly added file from the server’s mod directory, restore the pre-install copy, and read the first error in the log rather than the final cascade of messages. Check Minecraft version, loader, dependency, and whether the file is a server-compatible build.
Backups are created but are empty or incomplete
Check the configured world path and permissions of the service account. Confirm that the backup starts after the world has finished loading, and include extra directories explicitly when the mod supports that option. A successful command or progress message alone does not prove that every required directory was captured.
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Review whether the policy is based on age, count, total size, or a combination. Check the destination for other files that match the mod’s pruning pattern, and lower the deletion scope before the next scheduled run. Keep an independently copied archive while correcting the settings.
The backup makes the server lag
Increase the interval, reduce unnecessary directories, choose a less CPU-intensive compression setting when available, or schedule backups during quiet periods. FastBack’s incremental model may reduce repeated storage work, while Textile Backup’s multithreaded compression can shift more load onto CPU resources.
FastBack cannot initialize
Verify that native Git and Git LFS are installed for the account running the server, that both executables are on its path, and that the destination permits repository and LFS object operations. Test those commands under the same service account rather than only in an administrator shell.
A restore requires downtime
That is expected for Textile Backup, whose documented restore requires a server restart, and may be required by other server-side workflows. Announce a maintenance window, stop the server cleanly, restore to a separate location first, and keep the pre-restore copy until verification is complete.
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For a mixed Forge/Fabric requirement on a supported release through Minecraft 1.21.5, choose FTB Backups 2 and treat its LTS status as a version boundary. For current NeoForge 1.21.1+ servers, inspect FTB Backups 3 first but confirm that its release matches your loader and that its singleplayer-only restore documentation meets your operational needs. Choose FastBack when incremental Git history is worth installing Git and Git LFS. Choose Simple Backups for a straightforward Forge or NeoForge schedule, Textile Backup for detailed Fabric compression and pruning, and Simple Backup (spoorn) when its asynchronous and idle-server options fit after version verification. Whatever the mod, a tested restore and a second storage location matter more than the brand of backup utility.
Quick Recap
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