rdiff-backup 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.
| Feature | rdiff-backup | Deja Dup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,267 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2001 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Time Machine | Time Machine, Backblaze |
What are rdiff-backup and Deja Dup?
rdiff-backup
rdiff-backup backs up one directory to another, keeping the latest copy plus reverse diffs for older versions. It preserves permissions, ownership, and special files while working over SSH.
- Reverse-incremental storage
- Preserves file metadata
- Works over SSH
Deja Dup
Deja Dup is a simple backup tool that hides the complexity of doing backups properly. It supports local, network, and cloud storage with encryption and incremental backups powered by Restic.
- Beginner-friendly GUI
- Encrypted incremental backups
- Local and cloud targets
rdiff-backup vs Deja Dup: key differences
Rdiff-backup is written in Python, while Deja Dup is built with Vala. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for rdiff-backup versus GPL-3.0 for Deja Dup. Rdiff-backup is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Deja Dup. Rdiff-backup is the more established project (first released 2001), while Deja Dup arrived in 2008. Rdiff-backup has the considerably larger community, at 1,267 GitHub stars versus 600.
Why pick each one
Choose rdiff-backup if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- 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 rdiff-backup or Deja Dup better?
Neither is universally better. rdiff-backup 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 rdiff-backup and Deja Dup free and open-source?
Yes. rdiff-backup 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 rdiff-backup and Deja Dup with Docker?
rdiff-backup: check the project docs for container support. Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, rdiff-backup or Deja Dup?
rdiff-backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Deja Dup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.