bup vs ZnapZend
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | bup | ZnapZend |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 76 · 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 | ★ 669 |
| First released | 2010 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine |
What are bup and ZnapZend?
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
ZnapZend
ZnapZend is a ZFS backup tool that automates the creation, retention, and replication of ZFS snapshots. It runs as a daemon and supports compressed transfers over SSH.
- Automated ZFS snapshot retention
- SSH replication
- Runs as a background daemon
bup vs ZnapZend: key differences
Bup is written in Python, while ZnapZend is built with Perl. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for bup versus GPL-3.0 for ZnapZend. Bup is the more established project (first released 2010), while ZnapZend arrived in 2014. Bup has the considerably larger community, at 7,355 GitHub stars versus 669.
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 ZnapZend if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Perl
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is bup or ZnapZend better?
bup is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider ZnapZend if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are bup and ZnapZend free and open-source?
Yes. bup is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and ZnapZend under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run bup and ZnapZend with Docker?
bup: check the project docs for container support. ZnapZend: check the project docs for container support.