Home Assistant Backup Plan Generator

Q: What is the difference between HA OS and Docker backups?

HA OS ships a built-in Backup feature that takes a full snapshot, add-ons, config, and database included, and restores in one command - the least effort. A Docker or container install has no built-in snapshot, so you back up the config directory, the add-on volumes, and the database yourself. The tool gives commands for both.

Q: Does a backup on the same disk count?

It only guards against accidental deletion, not disaster. If the disk dies, the backup dies with it. You need at least one copy off the host machine, on object storage, or on an offline disk to satisfy the one-offsite requirement of 3-2-1.

Q: Should I back up the database separately?

Yes. The recorder database can be large, and bundling it with the config makes the backup slow and bulky. The tool backs it up on its own command path with its own frequency, which can be lower than the config one - for example, config daily and the database weekly.

Q: Does this tool really run the backup on my machine?

No. It is a pure frontend static template. It only turns the parameters you pick into a plan and a command list. Nothing leaves the browser, it cannot reach your server, and it never executes any backup for you. You adjust the commands to your actual paths and run them manually.

Q: How often should I run a restore drill?

At least once a quarter, or after every major upgrade. A backup that exists is not a backup that restores; only after you have actually restored onto a clean environment do you know it works. The checklist in this tool walks the clean-restore flow.

Pure frontend: pick the install type, add-on count, backup destination, and frequency, and the tool returns a layered backup plan (config, add-ons, database, snapshots / volumes, offsite copy) plus a copyable restore-drill checklist and a 3-2-1 rule check. No data leaves the browser, it never reaches your instance, and it never runs a backup for you.

The biggest lie about backups is "I have one" - the real question is "can I restore if it breaks". This tool breaks a Home Assistant backup into five layers along the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite): the config directory, the add-on data, the database, snapshots / volumes, and an offsite copy. Pick your install type and the options and it returns a plan you can act on, plus a restore-drill checklist you can run through, so "I can restore" gets genuinely proven.

Generate a backup plan

Install type HA OS / managed container (has built-in snapshots) Docker / container / custom install

Add-on count (estimate): 4

Backup destinations (multi-select; pick at least one offsite) Same disk directory Offsite / another machine Object storage / offline disk

Config backup frequency

3-2-1 rule check

3 copies: the current one, the most recent one, and one older - do not keep a single overwriting copy.
2 media types: a disk plus something else (object storage, offline disk, or another machine) - do not keep two copies on the same disk.
1 offsite: at least one copy lives outside the host - an outage, a power cut, or a dead disk should not take every backup at once.
Restore drill: once a quarter, or after every major upgrade, restore onto a clean environment. Do not wait for a real incident to find out the flow has a trap.

Honest note

This is a static template based on common best practice: it only turns the parameters you pick into a plan and a command list. It does not reach your instance, does not run any backup for you, and does not connect to the internet; nothing leaves the browser. Adjust the commands to your actual paths, service names, and environment, and check the Home Assistant documentation.

Backup and restore - the full backup-layer and restore-drill approach
Eight deployment decisions - where the data disk and backups sit
Data migration - moving data when you switch hosts or disks
HAOS upgrade and rollback - back up before a big upgrade, roll back if it breaks

Home Assistant Backup Plan Generator

Generate a backup plan

3-2-1 rule check

Honest note

Related guides