Updated
Yes, ServerCrate can back up a Windows or Mac computer without the command line. Install the free Backrest desktop app, paste one connection line from your vault page, and pick folders and a schedule with the mouse. If you would rather install nothing, ServerCrate Backup encrypts files in your browser before they upload.
Backrest is a free, open-source app from an independent project. ServerCrate provides the encrypted vault it backs up to.
Windows and Mac users have two point-and-click options; Linux machines get a single pasted line. All three encrypt on your device, so we store data we cannot read.
| Option | Who it is for | Setup time | What you install | Encryption | Restores |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backrest desktop app | Windows and Mac users who want folders backed up automatically every day | About 10 minutes | Backrest, a free open-source app that runs restic for you | restic, on your computer, with a password only you hold | Browse any snapshot in Backrest; restore files or folders to a folder you choose |
| ServerCrate Backup in the browser | Anyone who wants drag-and-drop storage with nothing to install | About 2 minutes | Nothing; a modern browser | In your browser before upload; 24-word recovery key | Download any file, or an earlier version, from any device |
| Linux one-line installer | Linux servers, desktops and VPSs | About 1 minute | restic, from your distribution's packages | restic, on the machine; password generated there and shown once | restic restore, or our restore guide |
Setup times are typical for a first run and exclude the time the first upload takes, which depends on how much you back up and your connection.
This is the same flow as the guide on every vault page in the portal. You need a ServerCrate account (the free tier works) and about ten minutes.
BackrestSetup-x86_64.exe on Windows, or the Darwin_arm64 (Apple Silicon) or Darwin_x86_64 (Intel) file on a Mac. The project's README also documents a Homebrew install for macOS. Backrest opens in your browser at http://localhost:9898 and, the first time, asks you to create a local username and password. That login only protects the Backrest screen on your computer; it is not your backup password.rest:https:// and tells Backrest where your vault is and how to sign in to it.rest:https://vaultuser:<token>@<id>.vault.servercrate.net/Initialize
Open your plan in Backrest and pick a snapshot from its history; each one is a complete picture of your folders on that date. Browse into it like a file manager, select the file or folder you want, and choose to restore it to a folder on your computer. Restore to a new folder rather than over the original, then compare before you replace anything. Backrest can also download a single file straight from a snapshot. For a full walkthrough of restore options, see our restic restore guide; Backrest runs the same restic restore underneath.
Zero-knowledge means we hold your backups but have no way to read them. Backrest, through restic, encrypts every file with AES-256 on your computer, using a key derived from the password you set in step 3, before anything is uploaded. Your vault receives encrypted chunks. The connection line only lets a machine reach your vault and add snapshots; it cannot decrypt them. Our security page covers the rest of the model, including append-only vaults.
We cannot recover it, and neither can anyone else. That is the cost of real client-side encryption: we never receive the password, so there is no reset link and no support override. Without it, every snapshot in your vault stays encrypted for good. Store it in a password manager and keep a second copy somewhere offline, such as a sealed envelope with your important papers. ServerCrate Backup works the same way with its 24-word recovery key.
If you do not want an app at all, ServerCrate Backup is drag-and-drop cloud storage that encrypts each file in your browser before it uploads. You get a 24-word recovery key when you set up the account; it is the master key to your files, and we do not keep a copy. Changed files keep earlier versions, so an accidental overwrite is a restore rather than a loss. Plans are Personal at $2 a month for 100 GB (10 versions per file), Plus at $5 for 500 GB (30 versions) and Family at $12 for 2 TB (60 versions). It does not run on a schedule: you choose what to upload.
On Linux, our installer installs restic from your distribution's packages, connects to your vault, takes the first snapshot and sets up a daily systemd timer. It generates the encryption password on the machine and shows it once. Add the cleanup key from your vault page if you want old snapshots trimmed weekly. Paste the connection line from your vault page after --repo:
curl -fsSL https://servercrate.net/install.sh | sudo sh -s -- \
--repo "rest:https://vaultuser:TOKEN@SHORTID.vault.servercrate.net/"You can read the script before running it at servercrate.net/install.sh. Prefer to do it by hand? The setup guide lists every command, and downloads has our signing keys.
Backrest connects to any ServerCrate vault plan, including the free one. The free tier is 10 GB with no card and never expires. Prices are per month, with no egress or restore fees.
| Plan | Storage | Devices | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 10 GB | 2 | $0 |
| Lite | 100 GB | 3 | $2/mo |
| Starter | 250 GB | 10 | $3/mo |
| Standard | 1 TB | 25 | $9/mo |
| Pro | 2 TB | 50 | $17/mo |
Full details, including snapshot history per plan, are on the pricing page. ServerCrate Backup (browser) plans are listed above and on the same page.
Our team answers setup questions by ticket and live chat in the portal. If Backrest will not connect, the first backup looks stuck, or you are not sure which folders to pick, open a ticket or start a chat from your dashboard and a person will walk you through it.
Yes. Connect the free Backrest desktop app to a ServerCrate vault and you set up folders, a schedule and restores in a graphical interface, or use ServerCrate Backup, which encrypts files in your browser before upload and needs nothing installed.
No. Backrest is a free, open-source app (GPL-3.0) developed independently on GitHub. It is a graphical front end for restic, and ServerCrate vaults are restic repositories, so the two work together. We support connecting it to your vault; Backrest itself is maintained by its own project.
The current release, v1.14.1 from July 2026, ships a 64-bit Windows installer and macOS builds for both Apple Silicon (arm64) and Intel (x86_64). Check the Backrest releases page for the latest version and the files for your machine.
No. The password encrypts your files on your computer before upload, and we never receive it. Without it, the snapshots in your vault cannot be decrypted by anyone, including us. Keep it in a password manager and a second copy offline.
Use Backrest if you want a whole folder backed up automatically every day. Use ServerCrate Backup if you would rather drag files into a browser tab and install nothing. Both encrypt on your device before upload.
Scheduled backups run while the computer is on and Backrest is running. On Windows the installer adds a tray app that starts Backrest when you log in. If a backup is missed, click Backup Now or wait for the next scheduled run.
Backrest facts checked October 2026 against the project's own pages. Related reading: Kopia vs Backrest and where to host a restic repository.