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Docker Volume Backup vs zrepl

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?
Docker Volume Backup Backup tool for Docker volumes to local or remote storage VS ZR zrepl Automated ZFS snapshot replication and pruning
FeatureDocker Volume Backupzrepl
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score89 · Excellent70 · Good
CategoryBackup & RecoveryBackup & Recovery
LicenseMPL-2.0MIT
LanguageGoGo
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM64 MB128 MB
Deploymentdockerbinary, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 4,017★ 1,159
First released20212017
ReplacesVeeamVeeam

What are Docker Volume Backup and zrepl?

Docker Volume Backup

Docker Volume Backup is a small companion container that periodically archives Docker volumes and uploads them to local, S3, or WebDAV destinations. It can stop and restart containers cleanly during backup.

  • Docker volume archiving
  • S3 and WebDAV targets
  • Container stop hooks
  • Encryption support

zrepl

zrepl is a one-stop solution for automated ZFS snapshot management and replication. It handles taking snapshots, pruning them per policy, and replicating datasets between machines with a simple daemon and configuration.

  • Automatic ZFS snapshots
  • Push and pull replication
  • Flexible pruning policies
  • Single daemon

Docker Volume Backup vs zrepl: key differences

Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Docker Volume Backup versus MIT for zrepl. Docker Volume Backup is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for zrepl. Zrepl is the more established project (first released 2017), while Docker Volume Backup arrived in 2021. Docker Volume Backup has the considerably larger community, at 4,017 GitHub stars versus 1,159. Docker Volume Backup lists first-class Docker deployment; zrepl does not.

Why pick each one

Choose Docker Volume Backup if…

  • Released under the MPL-2.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (4k GitHub stars)
Docker Volume Backup details

Choose zrepl if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Go
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM

Watch out for

  • ZFS required
  • YAML configuration
zrepl details

Frequently asked questions

Is Docker Volume Backup or zrepl better?

Docker Volume Backup is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider zrepl if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Docker Volume Backup and zrepl free and open-source?

Yes. Docker Volume Backup is licensed under MPL-2.0 and zrepl under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Docker Volume Backup and zrepl with Docker?

Docker Volume Backup: yes. zrepl: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Docker Volume Backup or zrepl?

Docker Volume Backup has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for zrepl. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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