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Borg Backup vs HYCU

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Backup

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HYCU logo

HYCU

Backup

Backup as a service spanning SaaS applications as well as infrastructure

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Borg Backup has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform; HYCU pricing is quoted with different billing units for different services, so an estate spanning virtual machines, cloud and SaaS is billed three ways and annual forecasting becomes guesswork.
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, HYCU covers R-Cloud platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Borg Backup and HYCU differ
AttributeBorg BackupHYCU
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacWeb, Linux, Windows
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup).

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
  • Deduplication
  • Compression
  • Authenticated encryption
  • Pruning
  • Mount archives
  • SSH
  • BorgBase

Only in HYCU

  • R-Cloud platform
  • SaaS application backup
  • Nutanix and VMware backup
  • Cloud infrastructure backup
  • R-Graph
  • Development kit
  • Immutable backup targets

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 HYCU
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot HYCU
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot HYCU
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot HYCU

HYCU

  • An organisation that has just realised its Okta, Jira and GitHub data is not covered by any backup product it ownsnot Borg Backup
  • A Nutanix environment needing agentless backup that understands the platform rather than treating it as generic virtual machinesnot Borg Backup
  • A mid-market IT team wanting one vendor across on premises virtual machines, cloud workloads and SaaS applicationsnot Borg Backup
  • Building an immutable off-site copy with object lock to satisfy a cyber insurance requirementnot 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

HYCU

  • Pricing is quoted with different billing units for different services, so an estate spanning virtual machines, cloud and SaaS is billed three ways and annual forecasting becomes guesswork.
  • Backup storage and cloud egress on restore are billed by your cloud provider rather than by HYCU, which means the recovery cost of a large incident appears on a different invoice and is rarely modelled in advance.
  • SaaS integration depth varies considerably by application, and a source appearing on the supported list does not guarantee that every object type within it is captured; verify the specific data you need.
  • Integrations built with the development kit may come from partners rather than HYCU, so the support path for a given source is worth establishing before you rely on it.
  • The product's Nutanix heritage still shows in feature depth, and organisations with predominantly VMware or physical estates often find the incumbent backup vendors more mature for those workloads.

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

HYCU

On request
  • HYCU R-Cloud$undefined/year
    • Consumption pricing by virtual machine, tebibyte or gibibyte depending on service
    • Different units for different data sources under one agreement
    • Cloud storage target costs billed separately by your provider

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 deduplication.
Borg Backup review

Choose HYCU if

  • You need r-cloud platform.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want saas application backup.
HYCU review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or HYCU better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and HYCU at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or HYCU?
Borg Backup has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Borg Backup and On request for HYCU.
Does Borg Backup or HYCU run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. HYCU runs on Web, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Yes. Borg Backup has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HYCU starts at On request.
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 HYCU is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that HYCU cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. HYCU covers R-Cloud platform, SaaS application backup, Nutanix and VMware backup, Cloud infrastructure backup.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Borg Backup: What is the cost of BorgBackup?

BorgBackup is completely free and open source under the BSD license with no mandatory costs for the core software.

Source
HYCU: Is pricing published?

No. It is consumption based by virtual machine, tebibyte or gibibyte depending on the service, and quoted. Ask specifically which unit applies to each data source in your estate.

Borg Backup: Are there paid services available for BorgBackup?

Yes, optional third-party services are available: BorgBase for specialized Borg repository hosting, Hetzner Storage Box with Borg support, and rsync.net cloud storage integration.

Source
HYCU: Does it really back up SaaS applications?

Yes, that is the main differentiator, with a long supported source list. Confirm the depth of coverage for the specific objects you need in each application.

Borg Backup: How can I support the BorgBackup project?

BorgBackup accepts voluntary contributions through Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors, Liberapay, and PayPal, though donations are optional.

Source
HYCU: Who holds the encryption keys?

Ask directly and get it in writing. Key custody differs by deployment model and it determines whether you can render backup copies unreadable independently of the vendor.

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