Duplicity vs Deja Dup
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?
Duplicity
Encrypted bandwidth-efficient backup using rsync
VS
Deja Dup
Simple backup tool for the GNOME desktop
| Feature | Duplicity | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2002 | 2008 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Backblaze | Time Machine, Backblaze |
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 Deja Dup if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vala
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Duplicity or Deja Dup better?
Deja Dup 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 Deja Dup free and open-source?
Yes. Duplicity is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Deja Dup under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Duplicity and Deja Dup with Docker?
Duplicity: check the project docs for container support. Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support.