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Backup · head to head

Borg Backup vs Vault

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Backup

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vault logo

Vault

Cloud

Manage Secrets and Protect Sensitive Data

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; Vault vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • They diverge on capability: Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Vault covers Secrets management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Borg Backup and Vault differ
AttributeBorg BackupVault
Pricing modelfreeopen-source
PlatformsLinux, MacLinux, Windows, Mac, Cloud
CategoryBackupCloud

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2015).

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 Vault

  • Secrets management
  • Encryption
  • Authentication
  • Authorization
  • Audit logging
  • API access
  • High availability
  • Replication

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

Vault

  • Centrally storing and rotating secrets, API keys and database credentialsnot Borg Backup
  • Issuing short-lived dynamic credentials to applications instead of static passwordsnot Borg Backup
  • Encryption as a service and PKI certificate issuancenot 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

Vault

  • Vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Vault to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Vault
  • Each version only converts to MPL 2.0 four years after that version is published, and the Change Date is tracked per version
  • Replication, HSM support, namespaces, performance standby nodes, FIPS builds, control group authorisation, multi-factor authentication, secrets sync and lease count quotas all require a Vault Enterprise licence
  • A Vault Enterprise licence must be applied to the cluster before any Enterprise feature can be used

Pricing, plan by plan

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

Vault

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Secrets management
    • Encryption as a service
    • Identity management
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced features
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated updates

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 Vault if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want encryption.
Vault review

Questions people ask

Is Borg Backup or Vault better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and Vault at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or Vault?
Borg Backup starts at Free and Vault at Free.
Does Borg Backup or Vault run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
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 Vault is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that Vault cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption. Vault covers Secrets management, Encryption, Authentication, Authorization.

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
Vault: Is HashiCorp Vault free to use?

Yes, Vault is available as a free, open-source project. The community version includes secrets management, certificate generation and rotation, encryption services, and credential management. Vault Enterprise is a commercial offering with additional features.

Source
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
Vault: What are the differences between open-source Vault and Vault Enterprise?

Open-source Vault is free and self-hosted. Vault Enterprise includes additional features and commercial support. HashiCorp also offers Vault Dedicated on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform as a fully managed cloud option.

Source
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
Vault: Can I try HashiCorp Cloud Platform Vault without payment?

Yes, HashiCorp offers a free trial option for HCP Vault Dedicated. New users also receive a $500 credit to use across HashiCorp Cloud Platform services.

Source
Vault: What does Vault manage and protect?

Vault provides identity-based secrets management for users, machines, services, and AI agents. It automates authentication and authorization for access to secrets, passwords, certificates, encryption keys, and other sensitive data across your infrastructure.

Source
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