Back In Time vs Deja Dup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Back In Time | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,669 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2008 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, Backblaze |
What are Back In Time and Deja Dup?
Back In Time
Back In Time is a simple backup tool for Linux inspired by Time Machine and rsnapshot. It takes snapshots of specified folders using rsync and hard links to save disk space.
- Time Machine-style snapshots
- Hard-link deduplication
- GUI and command-line modes
Deja Dup
Deja Dup is a simple backup tool that hides the complexity of doing backups properly. It supports local, network, and cloud storage with encryption and incremental backups powered by Restic.
- Beginner-friendly GUI
- Encrypted incremental backups
- Local and cloud targets
Back In Time vs Deja Dup: key differences
Back In Time is written in Python, while Deja Dup is built with Vala. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Back In Time versus GPL-3.0 for Deja Dup. Back In Time is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Deja Dup. Back In Time has the considerably larger community, at 2,669 GitHub stars versus 600.
Why pick each one
Choose Back In Time if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Choose Deja Dup if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vala
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Back In Time or Deja Dup 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 Deja Dup free and open-source?
Yes. Back In Time is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Deja Dup under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Back In Time and Deja Dup with Docker?
Back In Time: check the project docs for container support. Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Back In Time or Deja Dup?
Back In Time has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Deja Dup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.