Data protection of source code is crucial to the safety of any IT project. Even though we often perceive some tools or platforms as infallible, the accidents happen – and then, it’s better to be prepared. If you want to protect your GitHub repository against all potential dangers, check our tips.
The open-source, community-driven nature of GitHub draws more and more developers every year. For those who develop IT projects from different categories, the platform offers an opportunity to use its resources and learn for free. At the same time, they can store their work in GitHub repositories and share the source code with co-workers and other friends passionate about programming.

Should you back up your GitHub repository?
Using Git repositories is relatively safe and the git-clone command is a safe move as well but it does not replace professional backup. Why? In the end, losing your project is possible – it would be enough that the website suddenly went down or got hacked. You won’t predict this kind of events – but there is a way to prevent their negative consequences. Using well-adjusted software for the git repository backup is one of them.
How to do a GitHub repository backup?
How to backup Git repository? Forget about self-written scripts and git-clone commands. Now it couldn’t be any easier – just find a suitable vendor and get your backup ready in 5 minutes. You only need to subscribe to a fully managed backup service. Then, through its management panel, choose the data to be backed up. The configuration of the backups takes only a while – you just choose data to be protected, backup execution manner, schedule, and storage options (local, cloud, hybrid, multi-cloud). It’s a simple way that takes only a few minutes to come up with a complete backup plan.
How to choose a Git repository backup vendor?
When searching for a secure backup tool among those available on the market, take these aspects into account.
Storage variants
Some companies are fine with the cloud, while others prefer to store their files locally. For extra protection, the best is to combine these two (backup 3-2-1 rule). Choose the Git repository backup that supports both storage options – you may always change your needs and preferences. In the case of cloud storage, broad integration is the key. Search for products that allow for storing repositories in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Alibaba, and more. And when it comes to local infrastructure, find the one that covers your local storage so you won’t have to invest in additional hardware.
Flexibility of deployment
Whether you decide to store copies locally or in the cloud, you should be able to choose the service deployment model. You may want to use the git backup software as a SaaS service what means that you don’t need any hardware to install the service itself – it’s all cloud-native. All you should do in this model is to connect your SaaS backup with your GitHub organization to be able to protect your GitHub data. But you may also want to install the service on your local server – then you should have some on-premise deployment model in place. In short: consider the software that gives you freedom when it comes to deployment, whether you want to store copies locally or in the cloud (please note that the deployment model is something different than storage here). Also, please bear in mind to protect your both cloud and local GitHub or Bitbucket data.
Restoration options
Most available free backup scripts won’t help you when the event of failure occurs. In such a situation, you will need to write another script for data restoration. And without a restore option, your backup may be useless. So while searching for a trusted git repository backup vendor, take a look at restore and disaster recovery features. Fast, point-in-time, and granular restore to another repository or even cross-over to another hosting platform (f.ex. from Bitbucket to GitHub) are a must! It’s super useful when you need to migrate from GitHub to Bitbucket or conversely.
For those who use Git, a complex git backup service – like, for example, GitProtect – may be a great option for the backup since it fulfills all the criteria listed above.