BackupPC vs Kup
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
Kup
KDE backup scheduler for personal files
| Feature | BackupPC | Kup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,626 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2001 | 2012 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Time Machine | Time Machine |
What are BackupPC and Kup?
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
Kup
Kup is a backup scheduler for the KDE desktop that helps users keep their personal files backed up. It supports synchronized folders and incremental backups using the bup format.
- Integrated with KDE Plasma
- bup-based incremental backups
- Automatic scheduling
BackupPC vs Kup: key differences
BackupPC is written in Perl, while Kup is built with C++. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for BackupPC versus GPL-2.0 for Kup. Kup 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 Kup arrived in 2012. BackupPC has the considerably larger community, at 1,626 GitHub stars versus 100. BackupPC lists first-class Docker deployment; Kup 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 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 BackupPC or Kup better?
Neither is universally better. BackupPC has the larger community, while Kup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are BackupPC and Kup free and open-source?
Yes. BackupPC is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Kup under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BackupPC and Kup with Docker?
BackupPC: yes. Kup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, BackupPC or Kup?
Kup 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.