Back In Time vs Kup
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
Kup
KDE backup scheduler for personal files
| Feature | Back In Time | Kup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,641 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2008 | 2012 |
| 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 Kup if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Back In Time or Kup better?
Neither is universally better. Back In Time has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Back In Time and Kup free and open-source?
Yes. Back In Time is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Kup under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Back In Time and Kup with Docker?
Back In Time: check the project docs for container support. Kup: check the project docs for container support.