# Restic: REST server or SFTP for backups to a storage VPS?

> Restic: REST server or SFTP for backups to a VPS? rest-server adds --append-only and --private-repos; SFTP needs only SSH. 1 TB $1.66, crypto, no ID.

- URL: https://coffervale.com/restic-rest-server-vs-sftp/
- Last updated: 2026-11-02
- Publisher: Coffervale (https://coffervale.com)

Both backends store the same encrypted repository in the same folder layout. The difference is who may delete what, how many people share the server, and how much the protocol costs on the wire.

**Quick answer — Restic: REST server or SFTP for backups to a VPS?**

For restic backups to a VPS, use rest-server when clients must not delete snapshots: its `--append-only` mode refuses deletions and `--private-repos` keeps each user in their own folder. Use SFTP when one trusted machine backs up and you want nothing but SSH. On a **Coffervale** storage VPS, 1 TB costs $1.66 a month on 12 months (2 November 2026).

## What is the difference between restic's REST server and SFTP backends?

| Feature | SFTP | rest-server |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Software on the VPS | OpenSSH, already installed | rest-server (Debian 13 package `restic-rest-server`, or the `restic/rest-server` Docker image) |
| Transport | SSH | HTTP or HTTPS, port 8000 by default |
| Login | SSH keys per Unix account | HTTP user and password from an htpasswd file (bcrypt or SHA) |
| Client can delete old snapshots | Yes | No, with `--append-only` |
| Users kept apart | Unix accounts and folder permissions | `--private-repos`: each user only under `/<user>/` |
| Repository layout on disk | Same as a local repository | Same as a local repository |
| Repository encryption | restic, always on | restic, always on |

## Is rest-server faster than SFTP?

**The rest-server project says yes: compared with SFTP, the REST backend performs better and scales further.** Its README gives the reason: SFTP moves data in chunks of at most 32 KiB and the server acknowledges every packet, while REST sends whole files over HTTP. Plain HTTP removes the TLS overhead too, since restic already encrypts everything it sends; the README adds that HTTPS then mostly serves to protect the login. That is the project's own claim, not a benchmark we ran. On a storage VPS with hard disks, the disks and your uplink often set the pace before the protocol does.

On the client side, SFTP has one known annoyance: restic's documentation notes that SFTP servers close connections when they receive nothing for a while, which long scans of unchanged files can trigger.

## When is plain SFTP the better choice?

**When one machine you trust backs up to its own account and you want no extra service, no extra port and nothing new to patch.** restic needs only `restic -r sftp:user@host:/path init` and an SSH key without a passphrase prompt, since an automatic backup cannot stop to ask for one. The weakness is the one that matters most against ransomware: whoever controls the client can also run `restic forget --prune` and delete every snapshot, because SFTP has no append-only mode.

To keep each SFTP account from browsing the rest of the server, OpenSSH can lock it into its own folder with no shell:

*/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/restic-sftp.conf, then sshd -t && systemctl reload ssh*

```text
Match User restic-laptop
    ForceCommand internal-sftp
    ChrootDirectory /srv/restic-sftp/%u
    AllowTcpForwarding no
    X11Forwarding no
```

*Account, chroot and repository, as root on the VPS; the client then uses sftp:restic-laptop@203.0.113.10:/repo*

```bash
useradd --no-create-home --home-dir /srv/restic-sftp/restic-laptop --shell /usr/sbin/nologin restic-laptop
install -d -m 755 -o root -g root /srv/restic-sftp/restic-laptop
install -d -m 700 -o restic-laptop -g restic-laptop /srv/restic-sftp/restic-laptop/repo
install -d -m 700 -o restic-laptop -g restic-laptop /srv/restic-sftp/restic-laptop/.ssh
echo 'ssh-ed25519 AAAA...client-key... laptop' > /srv/restic-sftp/restic-laptop/.ssh/authorized_keys
chown restic-laptop:restic-laptop /srv/restic-sftp/restic-laptop/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 /srv/restic-sftp/restic-laptop/.ssh/authorized_keys
```

## How do I run rest-server with append-only and private repositories?

**On Debian 13, install `restic-rest-server`, point it at a data folder outside `/home`, and pass `--append-only --private-repos` plus TLS in its defaults file.** The packaged service runs as the `restic-rest-server` user, reads `BACKUP_DIR`, `LISTEN` and `ARGS` from `/etc/default/restic-rest-server`, refuses to start until `BACKUP_DIR` is set, and hides `/home` from the daemon. With `--private-repos`, the user `laptop` may only open repositories under `/laptop/`, so several people can share one storage VPS without seeing each other's snapshots. A self-signed certificate is enough, because the client pins it with `--cacert`.

*On the storage VPS, as root (Debian 13)*

```bash
apt install restic-rest-server apache2-utils openssl
install -d -m 750 -o restic-rest-server -g restic-rest-server /srv/restic

openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:3072 -nodes -days 3650 \
    -keyout /etc/restic-rest-server/key.pem -out /etc/restic-rest-server/cert.pem \
    -subj '/CN=coffer-backup' -addext 'subjectAltName=IP:203.0.113.10'
chown root:restic-rest-server /etc/restic-rest-server/key.pem
chmod 640 /etc/restic-rest-server/key.pem

cat > /etc/default/restic-rest-server <<'EOF'
BACKUP_DIR=/srv/restic
LISTEN=:8000
ARGS="--htpasswd-file /etc/restic-rest-server/users.htpasswd --append-only --private-repos --tls --tls-cert /etc/restic-rest-server/cert.pem --tls-key /etc/restic-rest-server/key.pem"
EOF

htpasswd -B /etc/restic-rest-server/users.htpasswd laptop
chown root:restic-rest-server /etc/restic-rest-server/users.htpasswd
chmod 640 /etc/restic-rest-server/users.htpasswd
systemctl enable restic-rest-server
systemctl restart restic-rest-server
```

*On the client: credentials in a private file, not in the URL*

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.config/restic
scp root@203.0.113.10:/etc/restic-rest-server/cert.pem ~/.config/restic/coffer.pem

cat > ~/.config/restic/coffer.env <<'EOF'
RESTIC_REPOSITORY=rest:https://203.0.113.10:8000/laptop/
RESTIC_REST_USERNAME=laptop
RESTIC_REST_PASSWORD=the-htpasswd-password
RESTIC_PASSWORD_FILE=/home/me/.config/restic/repo-password
RESTIC_CACERT=/home/me/.config/restic/coffer.pem
EOF
chmod 600 ~/.config/restic/coffer.env

set -a; . ~/.config/restic/coffer.env; set +a
restic init
restic backup ~/Documents ~/Pictures
```

## How do I prune snapshots when rest-server is append-only?

**Run `forget --prune` from a trusted admin machine over a path that is not append-only, and write the policy with `--keep-within`.** rest-server keeps the repository in the same layout as a local repository, so SFTP as root reaches the very same folder, and the repository password never has to be typed on the VPS.

The `--keep-within` part matters. restic's documentation describes an attacker who adds empty snapshots to an append-only repository so that a policy such as one snapshot per week drops the real ones; a time-based policy keeps both the junk and the genuine snapshots. It only helps while the system clock is right when `forget` runs, and it is no reason to skip a look at `restic snapshots` first.

*From the admin machine, never from the client*

```bash
restic -r sftp:root@203.0.113.10:/srv/restic/laptop snapshots
restic -r sftp:root@203.0.113.10:/srv/restic/laptop forget --keep-within 90d --prune
restic -r sftp:root@203.0.113.10:/srv/restic/laptop check --read-data-subset=5%
```

## Which backend should I pick?

**Pick rest-server whenever the machine being backed up faces the internet; pick SFTP for a single, well-kept machine where simplicity wins.** An append-only target cannot be emptied by the attacker who encrypts your server, and that one property outweighs the extra daemon.

| Your situation | Backend | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One laptop or desktop, one account | SFTP | Nothing to install, no new port |
| Public servers that could be hacked | rest-server `--append-only` | A stolen client cannot delete history |
| Several people or machines on one VPS | rest-server `--private-repos` | Each login sees its own folder only |
| Only HTTP or HTTPS allowed out of the network | rest-server | Works where SSH is blocked |
| Both: clients append-only, admin prunes | rest-server for clients, SFTP as root for the admin | Same folder, two levels of access |

## What does a restic target cost per TB?

**According to Coffervale's survey of 2 November 2026, Backblaze B2, an object store restic supports natively, cost $6.95 per TB a month, while storage VPS plans from hosts that take crypto without an ID document had a median of $4.00 per TB.** An object store needs no server to maintain but offers neither of the two backends discussed here; a storage VPS runs both. We take no backup of your server and keep no copy of your data anywhere else, so what sits on a Coffervale storage VPS should be one of your copies, never the only one: the VPS is your off-site copy, as [How do I use a VPS for off-site backups?](https://coffervale.com/backup-vps/ "Off-site backups and the 3-2-1 rule") explains. If you would rather use Borg, follow [How do I set up a Borg backup server on a VPS?](https://coffervale.com/borg-backup-server-on-a-vps/ "Borg server with append-only keys"); to encrypt the disk underneath, see [How do I mount and format the storage disk on a Linux VPS?](https://coffervale.com/mount-storage-disk-on-a-vps/ "Format, mount and encrypt the data disk"). Plans and terms are on [How much does a storage VPS cost per month?](https://coffervale.com/pricing/ "Coffervale storage VPS prices").

## Questions about restic on a VPS

### Is restic over SFTP encrypted?

Twice. restic encrypts every file it stores with AES-256 and authenticates it with Poly1305-AES before upload, and SSH encrypts the connection. The VPS only ever holds ciphertext.

### Does rest-server need HTTPS if restic already encrypts the data?

Yes, for the login. Without TLS, the HTTP user and password cross the network in clear text, and anyone who captures them can write to your repository. Use `--tls`, or keep rest-server on localhost and reach it through an SSH tunnel.

### Can rest-server and SFTP serve the same repository?

Yes. Both use the same folder layout as a local repository, so clients can write through an append-only rest-server while an admin prunes the same folder over SFTP.

### Which port does rest-server listen on?

Port 8000 on all addresses by default. Open it in the firewall only to the addresses that back up, or bind it to a private address such as a WireGuard interface.

### Which restic version should I run?

The latest release on 2 November 2026 was restic 0.19.1, of 5 July 2026; Debian 13 ships 0.18.0. Repository format version 2, the current default, needs restic 0.14.0 or newer on every machine that opens it.

## Sources

1. [Rest Server README: why use it, append-only mode, private repos, htpasswd, TLS](https://github.com/restic/rest-server) — restic project (read 2026-11-02)
2. [restic documentation: Preparing a new repository (SFTP, REST Server, B2)](https://restic.readthedocs.io/en/stable/030_preparing_a_new_repo.html) — restic project (read 2026-11-02)
3. [restic documentation: Removing backup snapshots, security considerations in append-only mode](https://restic.readthedocs.io/en/stable/060_forget.html) — restic project (read 2026-11-02)
4. [restic documentation: Scripting, environment variables](https://restic.readthedocs.io/en/stable/075_scripting.html) — restic project (read 2026-11-02)
5. [restic documentation: References, repository encryption](https://restic.readthedocs.io/en/stable/100_references.html) — restic project (read 2026-11-02)
6. [restic releases (0.19.1 of 5 July 2026)](https://github.com/restic/restic/releases) — restic project on GitHub (read 2026-11-02)
7. [Debian trixie package restic-rest-server 0.13.0-2: service unit and defaults](https://sources.debian.org/src/restic-rest-server/0.13.0-2/debian/) — Debian (read 2026-11-02)
8. [Debian trixie package search: restic 0.18.0](https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=restic&searchon=names&suite=trixie&section=all) — Debian (read 2026-11-02)
9. [sshd_config(5): Match, ChrootDirectory, ForceCommand](https://man.openbsd.org/sshd_config) — OpenBSD project (OpenSSH) (read 2026-11-02)
10. [B2 Cloud Storage pricing](https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-storage/pricing) — Backblaze (read 2026-11-02)

---

Coffervale: Coffervale sells storage VPS in Europe: KVM servers with 500 GB to 8 TB of HDD storage for off-site backups, Nextcloud, Seafile, Syncthing and archives, paid in crypto with no ID at signup. The servers run in Amsterdam, Bucharest and Chișinău, and the operator is DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama. On the 12-month term, every plan is priced at least 25% a month under a named comparable storage VPS, picked from 10 no-KYC crypto hosts whose prices were read on 2 November 2026.