# Kopia: free Acronis alternative, tested > Kopia is a free alternative to Acronis True Image, also for business use. What it can do, what is missing and how mature it is. Source: https://1x1it.de/en/freeware/kopia/ Kopia is a free, open-source backup program. It encrypts data on your computer, stores identical content only once and keeps older states. The target can be a NAS, your own server or cloud storage. [Kopia at the vendor](https://kopia.io/) [All freeware recommendations](https://1x1it.de/en/freeware/) Kopia Freeware - **Type:** Backup - **Cost:** free, also for business - **Licence:** Apache 2.0 - **Systems:** Windows, macOS, Linux - **Version:** 0.23.1 of 16 Jun 2026 Maturity Stable Development Alpha Beta Stable ## How it helps day to day - A colleague accidentally deletes a folder: You restore the folder from yesterday’s snapshot without restoring the whole backup. - The backup should be off-site: Kopia backs up encrypted to a server or cloud storage. The provider there only sees encrypted data. - Several computers in the office: Identical files are stored only once across all computers, saving space and transfer time. ## What is inside Kopia Storage targets: local disks and network drives, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3 and S3-compatible storage, Azure Blob Storage, Backblaze B2, Google Cloud Storage and more via Rclone. - **Encrypted before data leaves the computer:** AES-256 or ChaCha20. Whoever runs the storage cannot read the backup. - **Space-saving:** Identical data is stored only once, even across several computers. Plus compression with zstd, s2 or pgzip. - **Versions and policies:** Each backup is a snapshot. Policies set when backups run and how long old states are kept. - **Protection against bit errors:** Optional Reed-Solomon error correction guards against silent data corruption on storage. - **GUI and command line:** A graphical interface for workstations, the command line for servers. An optional repository server manages several computers centrally. ## Kopia compared with Acronis True Image Kopia backs up files and folders, encrypted and versioned, to storage of your choice. Commercial programs such as Acronis True Image also offer full system images and their own cloud storage by subscription. As of 25 Oct 2026, according to the vendors | | Kopia | Acronis True Image | | Cost | free, also for business | paid subscription, prices from the vendor [Source](https://www.acronis.com/de/products/true-image/) | | Licence | open source (Apache 2.0) | commercial software | | Systems | Windows, macOS, Linux | see vendor | | Shared files | backup to local disks, network drives and cloud storage | | Maturity | stable, version 0.23.1 | on the market for years | Acronis True Image is a trademark of Acronis International GmbH. It is named for orientation only; there is no connection between Acronis International GmbH and the maker of Kopia. ## Our assessment Kopia is well suited to file backups in a business: free, encrypted and flexible about the storage location. The version number is still below 1.0, but releases are marked stable. As with any backup, only a tested restore makes it reliable. ### Already useful for - Backing up workstations and laptops - Encrypted backup to a NAS, your own server or cloud storage - Restoring specific older states ### Better wait for now - Full system restore including the operating system (Kopia backs up files) - Backups without regular restore tests - Setups without monitoring whether backups actually run ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between sync and backup? Sync mirrors the current state, including deletions and encrypted files. A backup such as Kopia keeps older states, so you can go back to yesterday or last week. ### Can Kopia replace Acronis? Kopia is well suited to file backups in a business: free, encrypted and flexible about the storage location. The version number is still below 1.0, but releases are marked stable. As with any backup, only a tested restore makes it reliable. ### May I use Kopia commercially? Yes. The Apache 2.0 licence allows business use without a licence fee. It does not require you to publish your own files or data. Licence notices only apply if you redistribute or modify the program itself. ### What does Kopia cost? Nothing. Kopia is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence and may also be used in a business free of charge. ### How do I install it? The vendor’s page offers installers for Windows, macOS and Linux. In businesses with several workstations, new programs should be approved and monitored centrally; we can help with that. ## Related [Syncthing File sync](https://1x1it.de/en/freeware/syncthing/) [All freeware recommendations Programs at a glance](https://1x1it.de/en/freeware/) Sources: [vendor page](https://kopia.io/) and [source code on GitHub](https://github.com/kopia/kopia), accessed 25 Oct 2026. We have tested the program ourselves and rated it worth a look. We have no business relationship with the vendor. ## Introducing new software in your business Want to use a free program and not sure whether it fits your workflows and files? We will look at it with you. [0173 644 22 17](tel:+491736442217) [Request an initial consultation](https://1x1it.de/en/kontakt/#anfrage)