K8up

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What K8up is

K8up is an open-source Kubernetes Operator for managing backups and restores on OpenShift and plain Kubernetes. It is distributed as a Helm chart and supports self-service operations in multi-tenant environments. Backup jobs can run on demand or on a schedule and can cover persistent volume claims marked ReadWriteMany or ReadWriteOnce, as well as claims selected by a specific label. Application-aware backups can include output from tools that write to stdout. Built on Restic, K8up supports S3-compatible storage such as Amazon S3 and Minio, as well as S3, SFTP, REST, local storage, and other targets. It can schedule longer-interval archival, check repository integrity, prune old backups, and restore backups with the K8up CLI. Prometheus metrics support monitoring and alerting for backup behavior; operator and backup-job metrics are sent to a Prometheus Pushgateway. The project identifies itself as a CNCF Sandbox project and describes the software as stable and production ready since 2019. K8up is free and open source. Official support covers recent stable Kubernetes versions with WebSocket support in the API server, version 1.31 or later. Linux x64 is supported; arm64 images are provided on a best-effort basis without further testing or support.

Who it suits

K8up suits teams running Kubernetes or OpenShift that need scheduled or on-demand backups, restore workflows, and retention controls for persistent volume claims. Its multi-tenancy, storage targets, and Prometheus metrics also suit environments that need self-service backup operations and monitoring.

What it does well

Supports scheduled and on-demand backups for persistent volume claims.
Multi-tenant backup and restore operations are supported.
Restic-based storage options include S3, SFTP, REST, and local targets.
Can check repository integrity and prune old backups.
Prometheus metrics cover operator and backup-job activity.

What to know first

Official support requires Kubernetes 1.31 or later with API server WebSocket support.
Linux x64 is supported; arm64 images are best-effort and unsupported.
Restores use the K8up CLI tool.

Limits

K8up's official support is for recent stable Kubernetes versions with API server WebSocket support, version 1.31 or later. Linux x64 is supported; arm64 images are best-effort and do not receive further testing or support.

Getting started

Visit https://k8up.io/ for the project documentation.
Install K8up on a Kubernetes cluster with Helm.
Use a recent stable Kubernetes version with API server WebSocket support, version 1.31 or later.
Select persistent volume claims by access mode or label for backups.
Download the K8up CLI from GitHub Releases to restore backups.

Verdict

Choose K8up if your environment meets its Kubernetes requirements and you want a free operator for scheduled and on-demand backups, archival, and restores. Look elsewhere if you need official arm64 support or run a Kubernetes version below 1.31.

Questions

Is K8up free?

Yes. K8up is free and open source.

Which Kubernetes versions does K8up officially support?

K8up v2 or later officially supports recent stable Kubernetes versions with API server WebSocket support, version 1.31 or later.

What storage targets can it use?

K8up uses Restic and supports S3, SFTP, REST, local storage, and other targets.

Can K8up back up persistent volumes?

Yes. It can back up claims marked ReadWriteMany or ReadWriteOnce, or selected by label.

How are restores performed?

Backups can be restored with the K8up CLI, which is downloadable from GitHub Releases.

Where can users get community support?

The project points users to the #k8up channel in the CNCF Slack workspace and GitHub Discussions. It currently has no community meetings.

Facts from K8up's own pages

Application-aware backups: Application-aware backups can include output from any tool capable of writing to stdout. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Architecture limit: K8up is built, tested, and supported on Linux x64; arm64 images are provided on a best-effort basis without further testing or support. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Archival and retention: K8up can schedule longer-interval archival, check repository integrity, and prune old backups. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Backup and restore: K8up supports scheduled and on-demand backups, archival, repository integrity checks, pruning, and restores using its CLI. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Backups: It can back up PVCs marked ReadWriteMany or ReadWriteOnce, or PVCs selected by a specific label, and supports on-demand and scheduled backups. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Community support: The project provides a #k8up channel in the CNCF Slack workspace and GitHub discussions; it currently has no community meetings. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Founded: 2019 · k8up.io, 28 Sept 2026
Installation: The documentation recommends installing K8up on a Kubernetes cluster with Helm and provides a CLI downloadable from GitHub Releases. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Metrics: K8up includes metrics for monitoring backup behavior and alerting on misbehaviour. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Monitoring: K8up exposes Prometheus metrics for monitoring backup operations, with operator metrics and backup job metrics sent to a Prometheus Pushgateway. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Multi-tenancy: K8up supports multi-tenant backup and restore operations. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Product: K8up is a Kubernetes Operator for backups, distributed via a Helm chart and compatible with OpenShift and plain Kubernetes. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Project and maturity: K8up is an open source CNCF Sandbox project that its documentation describes as stable and production ready since 2019. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Project status: K8up describes itself as a CNCF Sandbox open source project and says it has been stable and production ready since 2019. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Restore: Backups can be restored with the K8up CLI tool. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Security: K8up’s vulnerability reporting page directs reporters to submit issues through the repository’s GitHub Security Advisories and says receipt is typically acknowledged within 24 hours. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Security reporting: The project asks vulnerability reporters to submit reports through the repository’s GitHub security advisories and says receipt is typically acknowledged within 24 hours. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Self-service: K8up provides user self-service for backup and restore operations. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Sponsor: K8up is sponsored by VSHN AG. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Storage: K8up uses Restic and supports S3, SFTP, REST, local storage, and other targets. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Storage integrations: Built on Restic, K8up supports S3-compatible storage such as Amazon S3 and Minio; the product page also lists S3, SFTP, Rest, and Local targets. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Support and community: The project uses the CNCF Slack workspace in the #k8up channel and has GitHub Discussions; it says it does not currently host community meetings. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Supported platform: K8up v2 or later officially supports recent stable Kubernetes versions with WebSocket support in the API server, version 1.31 or later. · docs.k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026
Volume coverage: K8up can back up PVCs marked ReadWriteMany or ReadWriteOnce, or selected with a label. · k8up.io, 9 Oct 2026

Where K8up stands on Freedom251

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