Always Own Your Data
Safrove uses the open-source restic repository format. Your backups are not locked into proprietary software. Even without Safrove, you can read, verify, and restore all data with standard restic tools.
Why the restic Repository Format
Open Standard
restic is a mature open-source backup tool whose repository format is fully documented and has been reviewed by the community and tested in production for years. Safrove repositories follow the same format specification.
Software Independence
Data recoverability does not depend on any specific backup application. Even if Safrove stops updating, your OS changes, or a license expires, you can always recover data with open-source tools.
Transparent & Verifiable
All encryption algorithms, data formats, and repository structures are public standards. Security researchers and the community can independently audit privacy protections and data integrity.
Repository Format Comparison
Here is how Safrove and restic match on every technical dimension:
| Feature | Safrove | restic 0.17 |
|---|---|---|
| Repository Version | v2 | v2 |
| Encryption | AES-256-CTR | AES-256-CTR |
| Integrity (MAC) | Poly1305 | Poly1305 |
| Key Derivation | scrypt (N=32768, r=8) | scrypt (N=32768, r=8) |
| Chunking | CDC (多项式 0x3abfc7bafe3629) | CDC (polynomial 0x3abfc7bafe3629) |
| Compression | auto (zstd) | auto (zstd) |
| Directory Layout | Identical | Identical |
| Pack Files | Identical | Identical |
| Snapshot Format | Identical | Identical |
| Config File | Plain JSON | Plain JSON |
| Compatibility | Format Compatible | Format Compatible |
How to Read Your Data with restic
Two simple steps are all it takes to open a Safrove repository with standard restic CLI or any restic-compatible third-party tool.
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Use Plain-Text Config
Starting from a recent update, newly created Safrove repositories store config as plain JSON (same as restic). For older repositories, use the provided tool to convert config to plain text.
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Add a Compatible Key
Use Safrove's key export tool to re-wrap the repository master keys with restic-compatible scrypt parameters (N=32768, r=8, p=1). This generates a new key file only — no backup data is modified.
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Use restic Directly
Once the above steps are done, you can use standard restic commands to list snapshots, check data integrity, restore files, and mount repositories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if Safrove is discontinued? Will I lose my backups?
No. Even if Safrove stops updating or its license service goes offline, downloaded license files verify offline. Even without a valid license, the app still allows browsing, mounting, and restoring backups. As a last resort, you can recover everything with any restic-compatible tool.
Will Safrove repositories work after restic updates?
Yes. restic's repository v2 format is backward-compatible. Safrove uses identical encryption, chunking, and pack formats as standard restic. The restic project has maintained format stability and documentation over many releases; format changes go through version migrations.
Do I need to install restic separately?
No. Safrove includes a full restic-compatible engine. Daily use does not require restic at all. The fallback path described here is purely a data sovereignty guarantee — you always retain the final option.