bup vs Vorta
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | bup | Vorta |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,355 | ★ 2,505 |
| First released | 2010 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, CrashPlan |
What are bup and Vorta?
bup
bup is a backup tool that stores data using the git packfile format with rolling-checksum deduplication. It can back up enormous datasets efficiently and incrementally.
- Git-packfile storage format
- Rolling-checksum deduplication
- Handles very large datasets
Vorta
Vorta is a graphical desktop client for the BorgBackup deduplicating backup tool. It provides scheduling, profiles, and an easy way to manage encrypted, compressed backups.
- GUI for BorgBackup
- Scheduled backup profiles
- Encrypted and deduplicated archives
bup vs Vorta: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for bup versus GPL-3.0 for Vorta. Bup is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Vorta. Bup is the more established project (first released 2010), while Vorta arrived in 2018. Bup has the considerably larger community, at 7,355 GitHub stars versus 2,505.
Why pick each one
Choose bup if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Mature project with 7.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Vorta if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is bup or Vorta better?
Neither is universally better. bup has the larger community, while Vorta is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are bup and Vorta free and open-source?
Yes. bup is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Vorta under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bup and Vorta with Docker?
bup: check the project docs for container support. Vorta: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, bup or Vorta?
bup has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Vorta. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.