FOG Project review
A deployment-focused imaging system for organizations with a dedicated server.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
FOG Project is a free, open-source, self-hosted computer imaging and cloning system for organizations managing Windows, macOS, and Linux computers. It is designed for environments with a dedicated imaging server and uses a PHP web interface for administration. Its primary audience is IT teams that need to capture and deploy images across multiple computers, rather than individuals seeking a standalone recovery application.
Its strongest area is network-based deployment. PXE and iPXE booting support lets administrators start managed computers over the network, while unicast and multicast deployment cover both individual and broader rollout scenarios. FOG supports disk, partition, multi-disk, resizable, and raw imaging, along with hardware-independent image deployment. Host inventory and web-based management add administrative visibility, while snapins provide software deployment. Printer management, domain joining, disk wiping, deleted-file recovery, and bad-block scanning extend the system beyond basic cloning.
The trade-off is infrastructure and scope. FOG uses a self-hosted server and network booting rather than boot disks or CDs, so it fits organizations prepared to operate an imaging environment. The published positioning emphasizes deployment, inventory, and management; encryption and incremental imaging are not verified capabilities. The official documentation is under active migration, and supported operating-system versions vary between pages. Choose FOG when free network imaging, mass deployment, and open-source control are priorities. Consider another product when standalone bootable recovery media, verified encryption, or incremental imaging matters more than network deployment.
FOG Project pros and cons
- Where it wins
- PXE/iPXE booting with unicast and multicast deployment
- Hardware-independent disk, partition, multi-disk, and raw imaging
- Web management with inventory, snapins, printer management, and domain joining
- Where it doesn't
- Requires a self-hosted, Linux-based imaging server
- Uses network booting instead of boot disks or CDs
- Lacks verified encryption and incremental imaging
FOG Project fact sheet, pricing and score →
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