Backrest vs Duplicity
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Backrest
Web UI and orchestrator for Restic backups
VS
Duplicity
Encrypted bandwidth-efficient backup using rsync
| Feature | Backrest | Duplicity |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,389 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2024 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Backblaze | CrashPlan, Backblaze |
What are Backrest and Duplicity?
Backrest
Backrest is a web-based backup orchestrator built on top of Restic, adding scheduling, monitoring, and a friendly interface. It targets users who want Restic's power with a GUI. It is deployed via Docker or a binary.
- Web UI for Restic
- Scheduling and retention policies
- Backup health monitoring
- Notifications
Duplicity
Duplicity backs up directories by producing encrypted, signed tar-format volumes and uploading them to a remote or local file server. It uses the rsync algorithm for incremental archives.
- GPG-encrypted archives
- Many remote storage backends
- Incremental rsync deltas
Backrest vs Duplicity: key differences
Backrest is written in TypeScript, while Duplicity is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Backrest versus GPL-2.0 for Duplicity. Duplicity is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Backrest. Duplicity is the more established project (first released 2002), while Backrest arrived in 2024. Backrest has the considerably larger community, at 7,389 GitHub stars versus 300. Backrest lists first-class Docker deployment; Duplicity does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Backrest if…
- Makes Restic approachable
- Good scheduling
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Young project
- Depends on Restic underneath
Choose Duplicity if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Backrest or Duplicity better?
Backrest is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Duplicity if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Backrest and Duplicity free and open-source?
Yes. Backrest is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Duplicity under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Backrest and Duplicity with Docker?
Backrest: yes. Duplicity: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Backrest or Duplicity?
Duplicity has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Backrest. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.