Minarca Backup vs Rdiffweb
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted backup & recovery options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Minarca Backup | Rdiffweb |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 263 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan, Veeam | CrashPlan |
What are Minarca Backup and Rdiffweb?
Minarca Backup
Minarca is a centralized backup solution built on rdiff-backup that lets users back up multiple machines and restore their own files through a web interface. It is designed for organizations protecting many endpoints.
- Centralized endpoint backup
- Self-service restore
- rdiff-backup engine
- Web management
Rdiffweb
Rdiffweb is a web application used to browse and restore data from rdiff-backup repositories. It provides email notifications, quota management, and multi-user access.
- Browse rdiff-backup repos
- Email notifications
- Per-user quotas
Minarca Backup vs Rdiffweb: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Minarca Backup versus GPL-3.0 for Rdiffweb. Rdiffweb is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Minarca Backup. Rdiffweb is the more established project (first released 2014), while Minarca Backup arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose Minarca Backup if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Rdiffweb if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Minarca Backup or Rdiffweb better?
Neither is universally better. Minarca Backup has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Minarca Backup and Rdiffweb free and open-source?
Yes. Minarca Backup is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Rdiffweb under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Minarca Backup and Rdiffweb with Docker?
Minarca Backup: yes. Rdiffweb: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Minarca Backup or Rdiffweb?
Rdiffweb has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Minarca Backup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.