borgmatic 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?
borgmatic
Simple configuration-driven frontend for BorgBackup
VS
Deja Dup
Simple backup tool for the GNOME desktop
| Feature | borgmatic | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,000 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2013 | 2008 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Backblaze | Time Machine, Backblaze |
Why pick each one
Choose borgmatic if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
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 borgmatic or Deja Dup better?
Neither is universally better. borgmatic 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 borgmatic and Deja Dup free and open-source?
Yes. borgmatic 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 borgmatic and Deja Dup with Docker?
borgmatic: yes. Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support.