bup vs Custom 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?
bup
Efficient backup system based on the git packfile format
VS
Custom Backup
Backup extra paths not already managed by YunoHost backup feature
| Feature | bup | Custom Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | AGPL-3.0-only |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,337 | ★ 4 |
| First released | 2010 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | — |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Custom Backup if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Shell
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is bup or Custom Backup better?
Neither is universally better. bup has the larger community, while Custom Backup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are bup and Custom Backup free and open-source?
Yes. bup is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Custom Backup under AGPL-3.0-only. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bup and Custom Backup with Docker?
bup: check the project docs for container support. Custom Backup: check the project docs for container support.