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Borg Backup vs Duplicati

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Software

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Duplicati logo

Duplicati

Software

Free open-source backup with encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform; Duplicati no managed service or commercial support
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Borg Backup and Duplicati actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and Duplicati differ
AttributeBorg BackupDuplicati
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, MacWindows, macOS, Linux
Founded20152008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Borg Backup

  • Content-defined chunking
  • Authenticated encryption
  • Pruning
  • Mount archives
  • SSH
  • BorgBase
  • rsync.net
  • Hetzner Storage Box

Only in Duplicati

  • AES-256 encryption
  • Incremental backup
  • Multiple cloud backends
  • Web interface
  • AWS S3
  • Azure
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox

Both cover

  • Deduplication
  • Compression
  • Linux support
  • Mac support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Borg Backup

  • Deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensivenot Duplicati
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot Duplicati
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot Duplicati
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot Duplicati

Duplicati

  • Data protectionnot Borg Backup
  • Disaster recoverynot Borg Backup
  • Business continuitynot Borg Backup
  • Ransomware protectionnot Borg Backup
  • Compliancenot Borg Backup

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Borg Backup

  • Linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform
  • Command-line only, with no graphical interface in the project itself
  • Version 2.0 is still in beta, so production use means staying on the 1.4 line
  • Restoring requires the Borg tooling, since archives are a deduplicated chunk store rather than plain files

Duplicati

  • No managed service or commercial support
  • Relies on community support
  • No enterprise features

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Duplicati

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Duplicati review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Borg Backup if

  • You need content-defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac.
  • You also want authenticated encryption.
Borg Backup review

Choose Duplicati if

  • You need aes-256 encryption.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want incremental backup.
Duplicati review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Duplicati better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Duplicati at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Duplicati?
Borg Backup starts at Free and Duplicati at Free.
Does Borg Backup or Duplicati run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Duplicati runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Borg Backup best used for?
Borg Backup is most often used for deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive, encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext, browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over fuse, scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to run. Of those, deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive and encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext are not what Duplicati is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Duplicati cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Authenticated encryption, Pruning, Mount archives. Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, Incremental backup, Multiple cloud backends, Web interface. Both handle Deduplication, Compression, Linux support, Mac support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Duplicati: Is Duplicati free?

Yes. Duplicati is completely free and open-source under the LGPL license. There are no premium tiers, trials, or limitations.

Source
Duplicati: What does Duplicati support?

Duplicati supports zero-trust, fully encrypted backups to local storage, network drives, and cloud services. It includes deduplication and incremental backups.

Source
Duplicati: What are the platforms?

Duplicati runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can back up data to local storage, network drives, or cloud providers.

Source
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Related pages

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