bup 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.
| Feature | bup | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,355 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2010 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, Backblaze |
What are bup and Deja Dup?
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
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
bup vs Deja Dup: key differences
Bup is written in Python, while Deja Dup is built with Vala. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for bup versus GPL-3.0 for Deja Dup. Bup 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 bup arrived in 2010. Bup has the considerably larger community, at 7,355 GitHub stars versus 600.
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 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 bup or Deja Dup better?
Neither is universally better. bup 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 bup and Deja Dup free and open-source?
Yes. bup is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Deja Dup under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bup and Deja Dup with Docker?
bup: check the project docs for container support. Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, bup or Deja Dup?
bup 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.