Bareos vs bup
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?
Bareos
Backup Archiving Recovery Open Sourced
VS
bup
Efficient backup system based on the git packfile format
| Feature | Bareos | bup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,232 | ★ 7,337 |
| First released | 2010 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Veeam, CommVault | Time Machine |
Why pick each one
Choose Bareos if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose bup if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Mature project with 7.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bareos or bup better?
bup is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Bareos if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Bareos and bup free and open-source?
Yes. Bareos is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and bup under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bareos and bup with Docker?
Bareos: yes. bup: check the project docs for container support.