Deja Dup vs Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup

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? Compare Deja Dup with Compare Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with

DE Deja Dup Simple backup tool for the GNOME desktop VS BA Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup Time Machine-style backups for Linux and macOS using rsync

Feature	Deja Dup	Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup
Deploy effort	Read-the-docs project	Read-the-docs project
Category	Backup & Recovery	Backup & Recovery
License	GPL-3.0	MIT
Language	Vala	Shell
Setup difficulty	Easy	Easy
Min. RAM	256 MB	32 MB
Deployment	binary	binary
GitHub stars	★ 600	★ 3,609
First released	2008	2014
Replaces	Time Machine, Backblaze	Time Machine

What are Deja Dup and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup?

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

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup

rsync-time-backup is a script that provides Time Machine-style incremental backups using rsync. It creates hard-linked snapshots so each backup appears as a full copy while saving disk space.

Time Machine-style snapshots
Hard-link deduplication
Single portable script

Deja Dup vs Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup: key differences

Deja Dup is written in Vala, while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Deja Dup versus MIT for Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Deja Dup. Deja Dup is the more established project (first released 2008), while Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup arrived in 2014. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the considerably larger community, at 3,609 GitHub stars versus 600.

Why pick each one

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

Deja Dup details

Choose Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup if…

Released under the MIT license
Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
Active community (3.6k GitHub stars)
Written in Shell

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup details

Frequently asked questions

Is Deja Dup or Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup better?

Neither is universally better. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Deja Dup and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup free and open-source?

Yes. Deja Dup is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Deja Dup and Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup with Docker?

Deja Dup: check the project docs for container support. Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Deja Dup or Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup?

Backup wrapper nono Backup-rsync-time-backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Deja Dup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.