Tarsnap review
A focused archive service for technical users who manage backups from the command line.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Tarsnap is a command-line online backup service for technically capable individuals, developers, and organizations managing file and directory archives. It supports Linux, macOS, and Windows through Cygwin or Windows Subsystem for Linux. Archives are encrypted before transmission, with keys generated and retained by the customer. The service focuses on file-based computer backup rather than general cloud storage, making it a fit for users comfortable selecting files, managing archives, and restoring data through command-line workflows.
Pricing is prepaid and usage-based rather than organized into fixed monthly plans. Storage costs $0.25 per GB-month and applies to encoded data after deduplication, compression, and encryption. Bandwidth costs $0.25 per GB on encoded data transmitted. A dry-run option can estimate archive size and cost before an operation, which is useful when planning usage. The model suits workloads that benefit from deduplication and compression, but it requires customers to monitor both stored data and transmitted data instead of choosing a fixed allowance.
The strongest fit is its archive-oriented control: users can create and manage archives from the command line, select files and directories with include, exclude, and nodump options, list archives, and extract files for restores. Immutable archives and write-only keys add controls for preserving backup content, while customer-held encryption keys keep restore responsibility with the account holder. Tarsnap is less suitable for people who expect a graphical interface, mobile backup, or a broad consumer cloud-storage experience. Choose it for encrypted, scriptable file archives; choose an alternative if visual management or mobile coverage is central.
Tarsnap pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Client-side encryption with customer-held keys
- Deduplication and compression reduce encoded storage and transmission
- Immutable archives support controlled, write-only backup workflows
- Where it doesn't
- No graphical user interface
- Windows support requires Cygwin or Windows Subsystem for Linux
- No mobile backup and limited platform coverage
Tarsnap fact sheet, pricing and score →
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