Duplicity vs resticprofile
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Duplicity | resticprofile |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 300 | ★ 1,425 |
| First released | 2002 | 2019 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Backblaze | Backblaze |
What are Duplicity and resticprofile?
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
resticprofile
Resticprofile is a configuration profiles manager for Restic that simplifies running scheduled backups. It lets you define complex backup workflows in YAML, TOML, or JSON files.
- Profile-based Restic config
- Scheduling integration
- Multiple config formats
Duplicity vs resticprofile: key differences
Duplicity is written in Python, while resticprofile is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Duplicity versus GPL-3.0 for resticprofile. Resticprofile 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 resticprofile arrived in 2019. Resticprofile has the considerably larger community, at 1,425 GitHub stars versus 300.
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 resticprofile if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Duplicity or resticprofile better?
Neither is universally better. resticprofile has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Duplicity and resticprofile free and open-source?
Yes. Duplicity is licensed under GPL-2.0 and resticprofile under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Duplicity and resticprofile with Docker?
Duplicity: check the project docs for container support. resticprofile: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Duplicity or resticprofile?
resticprofile 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.