Back In Time vs bup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Back In Time
Simple backup tool inspired by Apple Time Machine
VS
bup
Efficient backup system based on the git packfile format
| Feature | Back In Time | bup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,641 | ★ 7,337 |
| First released | 2008 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine |
Why pick each one
Choose Back In Time if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Choose bup if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Mature project with 7.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Back In Time or bup better?
Neither is universally better. bup has the larger community, while Back In Time is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Back In Time and bup free and open-source?
Yes. Back In Time is licensed under GPL-2.0 and bup under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Back In Time and bup with Docker?
Back In Time: check the project docs for container support. bup: check the project docs for container support.