Raspberry Pi Backup – Main Features
With pibackup, you can create a reliable Raspberry Pi backup on SD card, SSD, or HDD. Supports live backup of running systems including the first two partitions (/boot and /root).
For a complete step-by-step guide, see the Raspberry Pi Backup & Restore Guide.
- Simple graphical user interface – no installation required
- 64-bit Linux application – runs directly
- Automatic backup of the first two partitions (
/bootand/root) including MBR - Live backup support – backup running systems
- Exclude file support for removing unwanted data
- Optional removal of SSH and DHCP configs
- Image shrinking with
resize2fsand compression with zstd - Backups saved as
.img.zst(optional) - Empty sectors filled with
0xFFfor better compression & security - Compatible with SD cards, SSDs, HDDs, USB drives and NAS
Raspberry Pi Backup – Restore Options
Use pibackup to restore /boot and /root completely, including the MBR (sector 0). The backup always covers from sector 0 to the end of the second partition. The final size of the /root partition can be adjusted via the live GUI before writing.
- Restore from
.imgor.img.zstdirectly - Target device selection via dropdown
- Adjust
/rootpartition size via slider - Live preview of partition layout
- Optional deletion of existing partitions on the target device
- Filesystem auto-resized to fit
Raspberry Pi Backup – Screenshot
Download & Source Code
GitHub ProjectFAQ
How can I back up my Raspberry Pi SD card?
You can create a full Raspberry Pi SD card backup with pibackup. The tool supports live backup of running systems, so you don’t need to shut down your Raspberry Pi.
How do I create a Raspberry Pi image backup?
With pibackup you can generate a compressed .img.zst image file of your Raspberry Pi. This backup can later be restored to the same SD card, to a bigger or smaller card, or even to an SSD/HDD.
Can I save my Raspberry Pi backup to USB or NAS?
Yes, you can store backups on an external USB drive, SSD, HDD, or directly on a network attached storage (NAS). This is the safest way to keep your Raspberry Pi backups.
Is pibackup an alternative to raspiBackup?
Yes. pibackup is a portable alternative to raspiBackup, offering a graphical interface, live backup capability, and modern compression with zstd.
What is always backed up by pibackup?
pibackup always backs up /boot and /root including the MBR. The backup covers everything from sector 0 to the end of the second partition.
How does restore work?
During restore, the backup is restored completely from sector 0 to the end of the second partition, including the MBR, /boot and /root. The final size of the /root partition can be adjusted via the live GUI before writing.
Can I adjust the root partition size during restore?
Yes, you can set the size of the /root partition during the restore process. The live GUI shows a slider and a preview of the partition layout, so you can adjust sizes before writing the backup.