BorgBackup vs Docker Volume Backup
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?
BorgBackup
Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption
VS
Docker Volume Backup
Backup tool for Docker volumes to local or remote storage
| Feature | BorgBackup | Docker Volume Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,588 | ★ 3,944 |
| First released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Carbonite, Backblaze | Veeam |
Why pick each one
Choose Docker Volume Backup if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.9k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is BorgBackup or Docker Volume Backup better?
Neither is universally better. BorgBackup has the larger community, while Docker Volume Backup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are BorgBackup and Docker Volume Backup free and open-source?
Yes. BorgBackup is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Docker Volume Backup under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BorgBackup and Docker Volume Backup with Docker?
BorgBackup: check the project docs for container support. Docker Volume Backup: yes.