BackupKit vs Arq

Arq is, by reputation, one of the most polished backup apps ever made. It's been the go-to recommendation for Mac users who want serious backup without enterprise complexity. It also runs on Windows, but the Windows version has historically felt like a port.

BackupKit is built Windows-first, with the same philosophy: encrypted, client-side, any-destination backup. We're not trying to out-Arq Arq on macOS; we're trying to be the equivalent for Windows users.

If you're on macOS and reading this, honestly: pick Arq, you'll be happy. The rest is for Windows users.

Platform focus

Arq is a macOS app first and a Windows app second. The Mac version is what gets new features and design polish; the Windows version follows. That's not a knock on the Arq team — they're a small company focused on what their core users want — but it does mean the Windows experience is sometimes a half-step behind.

BackupKit is the opposite: Windows-only, with all design decisions optimized for the Windows desktop convention. The right tradeoff if you're on Windows; the wrong one if you ever switch to a Mac.

Storage destinations

Both tools support essentially the same set of cloud destinations: S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, plus SFTP and local/network drives. Arq adds a few more (Storj, Cloudflare R2 via S3-compatible endpoint, etc.).

BackupKit covers S3/GCS/Azure plus the consumer-grade clouds (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, pCloud, Box, MEGA) and FTP/FTPS/SFTP/WebDAV. Less object-storage focused than Arq, but broader on consumer cloud.

Encryption

Both encrypt client-side with AES-256 before upload. Both let you keep the password yourself (vendor can't decrypt). Functionally equivalent.

UI and workflow

Arq's UI is famously clean — minimal, fast, and gets out of your way. The configuration flow is wizard-like and the backup list is a single readable pane.

BackupKit's UI takes a similar approach: a three-step wizard for setup, a vertical backup list with health status per job, and a one-click restore. Different aesthetic (more Windows-native, less Mac-clean) but the same philosophy of “your eyes shouldn't need to work hard to use this.”

Price

Arq 7 is $50/year for Personal, with no lifetime option since v6. BackupKit is $6/month, $50/year, or $149 lifetime. The yearly prices line up; BackupKit's lifetime is the differentiator if you don't like subscriptions.

Bottom line

Pick Arq if you're on macOS (no question) or if you primarily use a Mac and occasionally touch Windows.

Pick BackupKit if Windows is your primary OS, you want a Windows-first design, or you'd rather pay once for a lifetime license than subscribe annually.