Duplicity vs Kopia
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Kopia
Fast, encrypted backup with a clean interface
| Feature | Duplicity | Kopia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 14,188 |
| First released | 2002 | 2019 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Backblaze | Backblaze, Carbonite |
What are Duplicity and Kopia?
Duplicity
Duplicity backs up directories by producing encrypted, signed tar-format volumes and uploading them to a remote or local file server. It uses the rsync algorithm for incremental archives.
- GPG-encrypted archives
- Many remote storage backends
- Incremental rsync deltas
Kopia
Kopia is a fast and secure backup tool that creates encrypted, deduplicated snapshots and offers both a CLI and a desktop GUI. It targets users who want modern backups with a clean interface. It is deployed as a binary or via Docker.
- Encrypted deduplicated snapshots
- Both CLI and desktop GUI
- Many storage backends
- Compression and policies
Duplicity vs Kopia: key differences
Duplicity is written in Python, while Kopia is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Duplicity versus Apache-2.0 for Kopia. Duplicity is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Kopia. Duplicity is the more established project (first released 2002), while Kopia arrived in 2019. Kopia has the considerably larger community, at 14,188 GitHub stars versus 300. Kopia lists first-class Docker deployment; Duplicity does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Duplicity if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Kopia if…
- GUI and CLI both available
- Fast and efficient
- Modern design
Watch out for
- Younger than Restic
- Advanced options can confuse
Frequently asked questions
Is Duplicity or Kopia better?
Kopia is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Duplicity if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Duplicity and Kopia free and open-source?
Yes. Duplicity is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Kopia under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Duplicity and Kopia with Docker?
Duplicity: check the project docs for container support. Kopia: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Duplicity or Kopia?
Duplicity has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Kopia. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.