Software · head to head
Duplicati vs IDrive
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Duplicati no managed service or commercial support; IDrive the advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward
- They diverge on capability: Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, IDrive covers Multiple device backup.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Duplicati and IDrive actually diverge.
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 Duplicati
- AES-256 encryption
- Incremental backup
- Deduplication
- Multiple cloud backends
- Compression
- Web interface
- AWS S3
- Azure
Only in IDrive
- Multiple device backup
- True archiving
- Continuous protection
- IDrive Express
- Snapshots
- File sharing
- iOS
- Android
Both cover
- Windows support
- Mac support
- Linux support
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Duplicati
- Data protectionnot IDrive
- Disaster recoverynot IDrive
- Business continuitynot IDrive
- Ransomware protectionnot IDrive
- Compliancenot IDrive
IDrive
- Online backup for computers, servers and mobile devicesnot Duplicati
- Backing up multiple machines under one accountnot Duplicati
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Duplicati
- No managed service or commercial support
- Relies on community support
- No enterprise features
IDrive
- The advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward
- The two year offer discounts only the first year, so the second year reverts to the full rate
- Team plans tie user and computer counts to the storage tier, so 10 TB means exactly 10 computers
- Business storage costs far more per terabyte than Personal, at $719.88 a year for 1.25 TB against $143.88 for 5 TB
Pricing, plan by plan
Duplicati
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Duplicati review.
IDrive
Free- Personal$4/month
- 5TB storage
- Unlimited devices
- IDrive Express
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose IDrive if
- You need multiple device backup.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web.
- You also want true archiving.
Questions people ask
- Is Duplicati or IDrive better?
- Neither clearly leads. Duplicati starts at Free and IDrive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Duplicati or IDrive?
- Duplicati starts at Free and IDrive at Free.
- Does Duplicati or IDrive run on more platforms?
- Duplicati runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. IDrive runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web.
- Can I use Duplicati for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Duplicati best used for?
- Duplicati is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what IDrive is typically brought in for.
- What can Duplicati do that IDrive cannot?
- Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, Incremental backup, Deduplication, Multiple cloud backends. IDrive covers Multiple device backup, True archiving, Continuous protection, IDrive Express. Both handle Windows support, Mac support, Linux support, Web 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.
SourceDuplicati: 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.
SourceDuplicati: 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