bup vs Sanoid
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | bup | Sanoid |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,355 | ★ 3,861 |
| First released | 2010 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine |
What are bup and Sanoid?
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
Sanoid
Sanoid is a policy-driven snapshot management tool for ZFS filesystems, bundled with Syncoid for snapshot replication. Together they automate ZFS snapshots and offsite backup replication.
- Policy-based ZFS snapshots
- Syncoid replication included
- Automated pruning
bup vs Sanoid: key differences
Bup is written in Python, while Sanoid is built with Perl. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for bup versus GPL-3.0 for Sanoid. Bup is the more established project (first released 2010), while Sanoid arrived in 2014.
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 Sanoid if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (3.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Perl
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is bup or Sanoid better?
bup is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Sanoid if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are bup and Sanoid free and open-source?
Yes. bup is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Sanoid under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bup and Sanoid with Docker?
bup: check the project docs for container support. Sanoid: check the project docs for container support.