Kup vs Timeshift
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kup | Timeshift |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 4,286 |
| First released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, System Restore |
What are Kup and Timeshift?
Kup
Kup is a backup scheduler for the KDE desktop that helps users keep their personal files backed up. It supports synchronized folders and incremental backups using the bup format.
- Integrated with KDE Plasma
- bup-based incremental backups
- Automatic scheduling
Timeshift
Timeshift creates incremental snapshots of the Linux filesystem at regular intervals, allowing the system to be restored to an earlier state. It supports both rsync and Btrfs snapshot modes.
- Incremental system snapshots
- rsync and Btrfs modes
- Easy full-system restore
Kup vs Timeshift: key differences
Kup is written in C++, while Timeshift is built with Vala. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Kup versus GPL-3.0 for Timeshift. Kup is the more established project (first released 2012), while Timeshift arrived in 2014. Timeshift has the considerably larger community, at 4,286 GitHub stars versus 100.
Why pick each one
Choose Kup if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Timeshift if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Vala
Frequently asked questions
Is Kup or Timeshift better?
Neither is universally better. Timeshift has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kup and Timeshift free and open-source?
Yes. Kup is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Timeshift under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kup and Timeshift with Docker?
Kup: check the project docs for container support. Timeshift: check the project docs for container support.