BackupPC 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.
BackupPC
High-performance backup system for PCs and servers
VS
Deja Dup
Simple backup tool for the GNOME desktop
| Feature | BackupPC | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,626 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2001 | 2008 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Time Machine | Time Machine, Backblaze |
What are BackupPC and Deja Dup?
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
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
BackupPC vs Deja Dup: key differences
BackupPC is written in Perl, while Deja Dup is built with Vala. Deja Dup is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for BackupPC. BackupPC is the more established project (first released 2001), while Deja Dup arrived in 2008. BackupPC has the considerably larger community, at 1,626 GitHub stars versus 600. BackupPC lists first-class Docker deployment; Deja Dup 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 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 BackupPC or Deja Dup better?
Neither is universally better. BackupPC has the larger community, while Deja Dup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are BackupPC and Deja Dup free and open-source?
Yes. BackupPC is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Deja Dup under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BackupPC and Deja Dup with Docker?
BackupPC: yes. Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, BackupPC or Deja Dup?
Deja Dup has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for BackupPC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.