Duplicity vs Restic Mailer
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Duplicity | Restic Mailer |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 663 |
| First released | 2002 | 2018 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Backblaze | Backblaze |
What are Duplicity and Restic Mailer?
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
Restic Mailer
A wrapper around restic that runs backups on schedule and emails detailed success or failure reports. It adds visibility to unattended restic deployments.
- Scheduled restic runs
- Email job reports
- systemd integration
- Unattended backups
Duplicity vs Restic Mailer: key differences
Duplicity is written in Python, while Restic Mailer is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Duplicity versus MIT for Restic Mailer. Restic Mailer is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Duplicity. Duplicity is the more established project (first released 2002), while Restic Mailer arrived in 2018. Restic Mailer has the considerably larger community, at 663 GitHub stars versus 300. Restic Mailer 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 Restic Mailer if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is Duplicity or Restic Mailer better?
Restic Mailer 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 Restic Mailer free and open-source?
Yes. Duplicity is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Restic Mailer under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Duplicity and Restic Mailer with Docker?
Duplicity: check the project docs for container support. Restic Mailer: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Duplicity or Restic Mailer?
Restic Mailer has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Duplicity. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.