Burp vs Minarca
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Minarca
Cross-platform backup software with a central server
| Feature | Burp | Minarca |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 502 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2011 | 2015 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan | CrashPlan |
What are Burp and Minarca?
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
Minarca is a free and open-source backup software with a centralized web-based server and cross-platform clients. It is built on rdiff-backup for efficient incremental backups.
- Central backup server
- Cross-platform clients
- rdiff-backup engine
Burp vs Minarca: key differences
Burp is written in C, while Minarca is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Burp versus GPL-3.0 for Minarca. Burp is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Minarca. Burp is the more established project (first released 2011), while Minarca arrived in 2015. Burp has the considerably larger community, at 502 GitHub stars versus 100. Minarca 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 if…
- Released under the GPL-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 better?
Neither is universally better. Burp has the larger community, while Minarca is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Burp and Minarca free and open-source?
Yes. Burp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Minarca under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Burp and Minarca with Docker?
Burp: check the project docs for container support. Minarca: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Burp or Minarca?
Burp has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Minarca. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.