Burp vs Minarca Backup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Burp | Minarca Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 31 · At risk |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 502 | ★ 263 |
| First released | 2011 | 2016 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan | CrashPlan, Veeam |
What are Burp and Minarca Backup?
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
Minarca Backup
Minarca is a centralized backup solution built on rdiff-backup that lets users back up multiple machines and restore their own files through a web interface. It is designed for organizations protecting many endpoints.
- Centralized endpoint backup
- Self-service restore
- rdiff-backup engine
- Web management
Burp vs Minarca Backup: key differences
Burp is written in C, while Minarca Backup is built with Python. Burp is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Minarca Backup. Burp is the more established project (first released 2011), while Minarca Backup arrived in 2016. Minarca Backup lists first-class Docker deployment; Burp does not.
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 Minarca Backup if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Burp or Minarca Backup better?
Neither is universally better. Burp has the larger community, while Minarca Backup is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Burp and Minarca Backup free and open-source?
Yes. Burp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Minarca Backup under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Burp and Minarca Backup with Docker?
Burp: check the project docs for container support. Minarca Backup: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Burp or Minarca Backup?
Burp has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Minarca Backup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.