SCM Backup review
A free, self-hosted way to keep Git and Mercurial repositories and wikis offline.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
SCM Backup is a free, open-source console application for creating offline copies of repositories hosted on Bitbucket, GitHub, and GitLab. It suits people and teams who want control over local backup files rather than relying only on their code host. The application runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS with .NET installed, and can be deployed on a desktop or self-hosted system. Its focus is repository content: it handles Git and Mercurial repositories and backs up wikis when available.
For teams with repositories spread across hosts or accounts, discovery through hoster APIs is a practical part of the workflow. SCM Backup can be configured for multiple users, organizations, groups, or workspaces on each hoster, with optional authentication for private repositories. It clones repositories and performs incremental pulls, while include and exclude lists help narrow what is copied. Backups can be placed in timestamped subfolders, and bare repositories can be restored by cloning them. Amazon S3 upload is also available, alongside local storage; email log output can be configured. This makes it a fit for buyers who want a focused, configurable copy of repository data across these hosts.
The scope is narrower than a full project-platform backup: issues and pull requests are not included. Scheduling is not built in, so recurring runs need an external scheduler, such as Windows Task Scheduler. Support channels are community and documentation. Choose SCM Backup if offline repository and wiki copies are the priority and external scheduling is acceptable. Teams that need issue or pull-request history in the same backup should choose a tool that covers those records too.
SCM Backup pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Backs up Git and Mercurial repositories from Bitbucket, GitHub, and GitLab
- Includes repository wikis and supports incremental pulls
- Stores local copies or uploads backups to Amazon S3
- Where it doesn't
- Does not back up issues or pull requests
- Scheduling relies on an external scheduler
- Requires .NET on Windows, Linux, or macOS
SCM Backup fact sheet, pricing and score →
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