BackupPC vs bup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
BackupPC
High-performance backup system for PCs and servers
VS
bup
Efficient backup system based on the git packfile format
| Feature | BackupPC | bup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Perl | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,626 | ★ 7,355 |
| First released | 2001 | 2010 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Time Machine | Time Machine |
What are BackupPC and bup?
BackupPC
BackupPC is a high-performance system for backing up Linux, Windows, and macOS PCs to a server's disk. It uses pooling and compression to minimize disk usage, with a full web interface.
- File pooling deduplication
- Web management interface
- No client software required
bup
bup is a backup tool that stores data using the git packfile format with rolling-checksum deduplication. It can back up enormous datasets efficiently and incrementally.
- Git-packfile storage format
- Rolling-checksum deduplication
- Handles very large datasets
BackupPC vs bup: key differences
BackupPC is written in Perl, while bup is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for BackupPC versus LGPL-2.1 for bup. Bup is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for BackupPC. BackupPC is the more established project (first released 2001), while bup arrived in 2010. Bup has the considerably larger community, at 7,355 GitHub stars versus 1,626. BackupPC lists first-class Docker deployment; bup does not.
Why pick each one
Choose BackupPC if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
Choose bup if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Mature project with 7.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is BackupPC or bup better?
bup is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider BackupPC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are BackupPC and bup free and open-source?
Yes. BackupPC is licensed under GPL-3.0 and bup under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BackupPC and bup with Docker?
BackupPC: yes. bup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, BackupPC or bup?
bup has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for BackupPC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.