Custom Backup vs Kopia
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Custom Backup
Backup extra paths not already managed by YunoHost backup feature
VS
Kopia
Fast, encrypted backup with a clean interface
| Feature | Custom Backup | Kopia |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0-only | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4 | ★ 13,798 |
| First released | 2024 | 2019 |
| Replaces | — | Backblaze, Carbonite |
Why pick each one
Choose Custom Backup if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Shell
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Custom Backup or Kopia better?
Neither is universally better. Kopia has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Custom Backup and Kopia free and open-source?
Yes. Custom Backup is licensed under AGPL-3.0-only and Kopia under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Custom Backup and Kopia with Docker?
Custom Backup: check the project docs for container support. Kopia: yes.