Vorta vs Velero
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?
Vorta
Desktop backup client built on BorgBackup
VS
Velero
Backup and migrate Kubernetes cluster resources
| Feature | Vorta | Velero |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,490 | ★ 10,187 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Time Machine, CrashPlan | Kasten K10 |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Velero if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 10.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Vorta or Velero better?
Neither is universally better. Velero has the larger community, while Vorta is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Vorta and Velero free and open-source?
Yes. Vorta is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Velero under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Vorta and Velero with Docker?
Vorta: check the project docs for container support. Velero: check the project docs for container support.