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.
borgmatic
Simple configuration-driven frontend for BorgBackup
VS
Deja Dup
Simple backup tool for the GNOME desktop
| Feature | borgmatic | 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 | 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 |
What are borgmatic and Deja Dup?
borgmatic
borgmatic is a command-line tool that wraps BorgBackup to make it easy to schedule and configure backups. It adds features like database dumps, monitoring hooks, and consistency checks.
- Declarative YAML configuration
- Database backup integration
- Monitoring service hooks
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
borgmatic vs Deja Dup: key differences
Borgmatic is written in Python, while Deja Dup is built with Vala. Borgmatic is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Deja Dup. Deja Dup is the more established project (first released 2008), while borgmatic arrived in 2013. Borgmatic has the considerably larger community, at 2,000 GitHub stars versus 600. Borgmatic lists first-class Docker deployment; Deja Dup does not.
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.
Which is lighter on resources, borgmatic or Deja Dup?
borgmatic has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Deja Dup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.