Bupstash vs Rdiffweb
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bupstash | Rdiffweb |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 924 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Backblaze, CrashPlan | CrashPlan |
What are Bupstash and Rdiffweb?
Bupstash
Bupstash is a tool for encrypted, deduplicated, and compressed backups. It is designed to be simple, secure, and efficient, storing backups locally or over SSH.
- Encrypted deduplicated backups
- Works over SSH
- Simple command-line interface
Rdiffweb
Rdiffweb is a web application used to browse and restore data from rdiff-backup repositories. It provides email notifications, quota management, and multi-user access.
- Browse rdiff-backup repos
- Email notifications
- Per-user quotas
Bupstash vs Rdiffweb: key differences
Bupstash is written in Rust, while Rdiffweb is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Bupstash versus GPL-3.0 for Rdiffweb. Bupstash is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Rdiffweb. Rdiffweb is the more established project (first released 2014), while Bupstash arrived in 2020. Bupstash has the considerably larger community, at 924 GitHub stars versus 200. Rdiffweb lists first-class Docker deployment; Bupstash does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Bupstash if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Rdiffweb if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bupstash or Rdiffweb better?
Neither is universally better. Bupstash has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Bupstash and Rdiffweb free and open-source?
Yes. Bupstash is licensed under MIT and Rdiffweb under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bupstash and Rdiffweb with Docker?
Bupstash: check the project docs for container support. Rdiffweb: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bupstash or Rdiffweb?
Bupstash has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Rdiffweb. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.