Burp vs Vorta
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Burp | Vorta |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 502 | ★ 2,505 |
| First released | 2011 | 2018 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan | Time Machine, CrashPlan |
What are Burp and Vorta?
Burp
Burp is a backup and restore program that uses librsync to save network and disk usage, while protecting against corruption. It supports client-side encryption and Windows VSS.
- librsync-based deduplication
- Client-side encryption
- Windows VSS support
Vorta
Vorta is a graphical desktop client for the BorgBackup deduplicating backup tool. It provides scheduling, profiles, and an easy way to manage encrypted, compressed backups.
- GUI for BorgBackup
- Scheduled backup profiles
- Encrypted and deduplicated archives
Burp vs Vorta: key differences
Burp is written in C, while Vorta is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Burp versus GPL-3.0 for Vorta. Burp is the more established project (first released 2011), while Vorta arrived in 2018. Vorta has the considerably larger community, at 2,505 GitHub stars versus 502.
Why pick each one
Choose Burp if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Vorta if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Burp or Vorta better?
Vorta is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Burp if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Burp and Vorta free and open-source?
Yes. Burp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Vorta under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Burp and Vorta with Docker?
Burp: check the project docs for container support. Vorta: check the project docs for container support.