ElkarBackup alt Snapper 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?
ElkarBackup alt Snapper
Btrfs snapshot management tool with rollback
VS
Deja Dup
Simple backup tool for the GNOME desktop
| Feature | ElkarBackup alt Snapper | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,158 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2011 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, Backblaze |
Why pick each one
Choose ElkarBackup alt Snapper if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 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 ElkarBackup alt Snapper or Deja Dup better?
Neither is universally better. ElkarBackup alt Snapper has the larger community, while Deja Dup is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ElkarBackup alt Snapper and Deja Dup free and open-source?
Yes. ElkarBackup alt Snapper 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 ElkarBackup alt Snapper and Deja Dup with Docker?
ElkarBackup alt Snapper: check the project docs for container support. Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support.