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.
Not the right match-up?
bup
Efficient backup system based on the git packfile format
VS
Sanoid
Policy-driven ZFS snapshot management and replication
| Feature | bup | Sanoid |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 7,337 | ★ 3,830 |
| First released | 2010 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | 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 Sanoid if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (3.8k 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.