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Backup & Disaster Recovery · head to head

Borg Backup vs pCloud

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Backup & Disaster Recovery

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
pCloud logo

pCloud

File Storage & Backup

Prices are final. No setup fees or other hidden charges

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; pCloud headline lifetime prices are discounted promotional prices; the Premium 500GB lifetime plan is listed at $299 struck through down to $199, and Ultra 10TB at $1,890 down to $1,190, so the full non-promotional price is materially higher

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Borg Backup and pCloud differ
AttributeBorg BackuppCloud
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreeone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacWeb
CategoryBackup & Disaster RecoveryFile Storage & Backup
Founded2015Unknown

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

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 pCloud

Nothing recorded that Borg Backup does not also cover.

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

pCloud

No use cases recorded yet. See the pCloud review.

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

pCloud

  • Headline lifetime prices are discounted promotional prices; the Premium 500GB lifetime plan is listed at $299 struck through down to $199, and Ultra 10TB at $1,890 down to $1,190, so the full non-promotional price is materially higher
  • Ultra 10TB plan's download link traffic is capped at 2TB, the same limit as the much smaller Premium Plus 2TB plan, despite the 5x storage difference

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

pCloud

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the pCloud 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 deduplication.
Borg Backup review

Choose pCloud if

Nothing in the data separates pCloud from Borg Backup on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

pCloud review

Questions people ask

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