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.
Not the right match-up?
BackupPC
High-performance backup system for PCs and servers
VS
Deja Dup
Simple backup tool for the GNOME desktop
| Feature | BackupPC | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 1,621 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2001 | 2008 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Time Machine | Time Machine, Backblaze |
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.