BackupNinja vs Rdiffweb
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | BackupNinja | Rdiffweb |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 68 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2004 | 2014 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan | CrashPlan |
What are BackupNinja and Rdiffweb?
BackupNinja
Backupninja lets you coordinate system backups through a central configuration directory of simple files. It supports many backends including rdiff-backup, rsync, duplicity, and database dumps.
- Central config directory
- Many backup backends
- Database dump handlers
Rdiffweb
Rdiffweb is a web application used to browse and restore data from rdiff-backup repositories. It provides email notifications, quota management, and multi-user access.
- Browse rdiff-backup repos
- Email notifications
- Per-user quotas
BackupNinja vs Rdiffweb: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: BackupNinja's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Rdiffweb is actively maintained. BackupNinja is written in Shell, while Rdiffweb is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for BackupNinja versus GPL-3.0 for Rdiffweb. BackupNinja is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Rdiffweb. BackupNinja is the more established project (first released 2004), while Rdiffweb arrived in 2014. Rdiffweb has the considerably larger community, at 200 GitHub stars versus 68. Rdiffweb lists first-class Docker deployment; BackupNinja does not.
Why pick each one
Choose BackupNinja if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Rdiffweb if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is BackupNinja or Rdiffweb better?
Neither is universally better. Rdiffweb has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BackupNinja and Rdiffweb free and open-source?
Yes. BackupNinja is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Rdiffweb under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BackupNinja and Rdiffweb with Docker?
BackupNinja: check the project docs for container support. Rdiffweb: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, BackupNinja or Rdiffweb?
BackupNinja has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Rdiffweb. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.