Amanda vs Docker Volume Backup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Docker Volume Backup
Backup tool for Docker volumes to local or remote storage
| Feature | Amanda | Docker Volume Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 8 · At risk | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 272 | ★ 4,017 |
| First released | 1991 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Veeam, CommVault | Veeam |
What are Amanda and Docker Volume Backup?
Amanda
Amanda is a mature backup solution that allows an administrator to set up a single backup server to back up multiple hosts to tape, disk, or cloud storage. It is widely used in enterprise environments.
- Centralized network backups
- Tape, disk, and cloud targets
- Mature enterprise tooling
Docker Volume Backup
Docker Volume Backup is a small companion container that periodically archives Docker volumes and uploads them to local, S3, or WebDAV destinations. It can stop and restart containers cleanly during backup.
- Docker volume archiving
- S3 and WebDAV targets
- Container stop hooks
- Encryption support
Amanda vs Docker Volume Backup: key differences
Amanda is written in C, while Docker Volume Backup is built with Go. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Amanda versus MPL-2.0 for Docker Volume Backup. Docker Volume Backup is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Amanda. Amanda is the more established project (first released 1991), while Docker Volume Backup arrived in 2021. Docker Volume Backup has the considerably larger community, at 4,017 GitHub stars versus 272. Docker Volume Backup lists first-class Docker deployment; Amanda does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Amanda if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Written in C
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Docker Volume Backup if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Amanda or Docker Volume Backup better?
Docker Volume Backup is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Amanda if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Amanda and Docker Volume Backup free and open-source?
Yes. Amanda is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Docker Volume Backup under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Amanda and Docker Volume Backup with Docker?
Amanda: check the project docs for container support. Docker Volume Backup: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Amanda or Docker Volume Backup?
Docker Volume Backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Amanda. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.