bup vs Kup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | bup | Kup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,355 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2010 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine |
What are bup and Kup?
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
Kup
Kup is a backup scheduler for the KDE desktop that helps users keep their personal files backed up. It supports synchronized folders and incremental backups using the bup format.
- Integrated with KDE Plasma
- bup-based incremental backups
- Automatic scheduling
bup vs Kup: key differences
Bup is written in Python, while Kup is built with C++. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for bup versus GPL-2.0 for Kup. Bup is the more established project (first released 2010), while Kup arrived in 2012. Bup has the considerably larger community, at 7,355 GitHub stars versus 100.
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 Kup if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is bup or Kup better?
Neither is universally better. bup has the larger community, while Kup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are bup and Kup free and open-source?
Yes. bup is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Kup under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bup and Kup with Docker?
bup: check the project docs for container support. Kup: check the project docs for container support.