Magic Wormhole vs Velero
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Magic Wormhole
Get things from one computer to another, safely
VS
Velero
Backup and migrate Kubernetes cluster resources
| Feature | Magic Wormhole | Velero |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | Backup & Recovery |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,792 | ★ 10,187 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | Kasten K10 |
Why pick each one
Choose Magic Wormhole if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 22.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose Velero if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 10.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Magic Wormhole or Velero better?
Magic Wormhole is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Velero if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Magic Wormhole and Velero free and open-source?
Yes. Magic Wormhole is licensed under MIT and Velero under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Magic Wormhole and Velero with Docker?
Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support. Velero: check the project docs for container support.