BorgBackup file format
borg repository · deduplicating backup repository · introduced 2015 by Borg developers (fork of Attic)
What is a BorgBackup file?
Borg is not a single archive file but a deduplicating backup repository. It splits files into content-defined chunks and stores each unique chunk only once, so daily snapshots of large datasets cost almost nothing. AES-CTR encryption is built in.
Most readers reach this page after double-clicking a borg repository file and finding their operating system unsure what to do with it. The good news: BorgBackup is a well-understood format with mature tooling on every major platform. It is supported in one click by mainstream archivers on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
How to extract a BorgBackup file
Opening a borg repository file is straightforward on every modern operating system. The exact steps depend on which platform you are on:
On Windows
- Locate the
borg repositoryfile in File Explorer. - Right-click the file. If you have 7-Zip installed, choose 7-Zip → Extract Here. On Windows 11 the built-in extractor handles ZIP, 7z, RAR and several other formats directly through Extract All…
- If prompted, pick a destination folder and click Extract.
- The extracted files appear in a folder next to the original archive.
On macOS
- Find the
borg repositoryfile in Finder. - Install The Unarchiver from the Mac App Store, or Keka for both creating and extracting.
- Right-click the file → Open With → The Unarchiver (or just double-click after Unarchiver is set as the default).
- The extracted folder appears next to the archive.
On Linux
- Use your file manager: right-click the archive → Extract Here (file-roller on GNOME, Ark on KDE).
- On the command line, run one of:
7z x archiveborg repository # works for almost any format
- The files appear in the current directory.
How to create a BorgBackup file
To pack files into a borg repository archive, you typically need an archiver that supports writing this format. Not every tool can create every format — for example, only WinRAR can create real RAR files. The sidebar lists the software known to read and write BorgBackup.
On the command line, the canonical create command is:
# Use 7-Zip, PeaZip, or the format's reference tool to create borg repository files.
If you regularly create archives at scale, a dedicated archive automation suite can wrap this command in scheduled jobs, integrity checks, and offsite replication.
Strengths
- Deduplication
- Encryption
- Compression
- Mountable snapshots via FUSE
Weaknesses and limitations
- Repository — not a single file
- Pinned to specific Borg versions
Typical use cases
- Server backups
- Workstation snapshots
- Encrypted offsite backups
Technical details
BorgBackup uses the Content-defined chunking + lz4/zstd/lzma + AES algorithm and is identified on disk by the magic byte sequence BORG_SEG. The standard MIME type is application/x-borg. The format is an open specification and is free for any use.
Frequently asked questions
Is BorgBackup safe to open?
Archive files are containers — they are only as safe as what they contain. A borg repository from a trusted source is fine; one received from a stranger can hold malicious executables, scripts, or files engineered to exploit bugs in your archiver. Always keep your archiver updated, and never run unknown executables that come out of an archive. A safe workflow is to extract into a sandbox and scan the contents before opening anything.
What is the maximum file size?
Modern implementations support archives in the multi-terabyte range. The practical limit is your filesystem (FAT32 caps at 4 GB; ext4, NTFS, APFS, and exFAT all comfortably handle multi-TB files).
Can I password-protect a BorgBackup?
Some archivers can wrap BorgBackup files in an encrypted container, but the format itself does not always include built-in encryption. Check your archiver's documentation.
How does BorgBackup compare to other formats?
See our format comparison pages such as ZIP vs 7z, ZIP vs RAR, and tar.gz vs tar.xz for side-by-side feature tables.