Rdiffweb vs BackupNinja
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?
Rdiffweb
Web interface to browse and restore rdiff-backup repositories
VS
BackupNinja
Lightweight backup configuration and scheduling system
| Feature | Rdiffweb | BackupNinja |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup & Recovery | Backup & Recovery |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 68 |
| First released | 2014 | 2004 |
| Replaces | CrashPlan | CrashPlan |
Why pick each one
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
Choose BackupNinja if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Shell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Rdiffweb or BackupNinja better?
Neither is universally better. Rdiffweb has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Rdiffweb and BackupNinja free and open-source?
Yes. Rdiffweb is licensed under GPL-3.0 and BackupNinja under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Rdiffweb and BackupNinja with Docker?
Rdiffweb: yes. BackupNinja: check the project docs for container support.