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File Storage · head to head

Duplicati vs Panzura

Duplicati logo

Duplicati

File Storage

Free open-source backup with encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Panzura logo

Panzura

File Storage

Global file system putting one namespace over object storage across sites

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Duplicati has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Duplicati no managed service or commercial support; Panzura cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
  • They diverge on capability: Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, Panzura covers Global file system.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Duplicati and Panzura actually diverge.

Attributes where Duplicati and Panzura differ
AttributeDuplicatiPanzura
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxLinux, Windows, Web
Founded2008Unknown

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

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
  • Multiple cloud backends
  • Compression
  • Web interface
  • AWS S3
  • Azure
  • Google Drive

Only in Panzura

  • Global file system
  • Global file locking
  • Local caching filers
  • Immutable snapshots
  • Cloud mirroring
  • Symphony data services

Both cover

  • Deduplication

What people use each for

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

Duplicati

  • Data protectionnot Panzura
  • Disaster recoverynot Panzura
  • Business continuitynot Panzura
  • Ransomware protectionnot Panzura
  • Compliancenot Panzura

Panzura

  • An architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same Revit models without copy conflictsnot Duplicati
  • A media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal SMB sharenot Duplicati
  • A manufacturer replacing per-site NAS filers and the backup estate that came with themnot Duplicati
  • An organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery positionnot 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

Panzura

  • Cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
  • Performance depends entirely on cache hit rates, so a team that works across the whole dataset rather than a hot subset sees latency that a local NAS would not have produced.
  • Licence cost is only part of total cost; object storage capacity, per-site filer nodes and egress all sit outside the vendor quote and can exceed it.
  • Recovery of a very large dataset is bounded by your internet link and by egress cost, so the practical recovery time after a site loss is often much longer than the snapshot policy implies.
  • Encryption keys can be held by the customer, but organisations that accept vendor-managed defaults give up the ability to render the object store unreadable independently, which some regulators now ask about explicitly.

Pricing, plan by plan

Duplicati

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Duplicati review.

Panzura

On request
  • Panzura CloudFS$undefined/year
    • Priced by usable capacity under management
    • Filer nodes licensed per site, physical or virtual
    • Object storage and cloud egress billed by your cloud provider separately

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.
Duplicati review

Choose Panzura if

  • You need global file system.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Web.
  • You also want global file locking.
Panzura review

Questions people ask

Is Duplicati or Panzura better?
Neither clearly leads. Duplicati starts at Free and Panzura at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Duplicati or Panzura?
Duplicati has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Duplicati and On request for Panzura.
Does Duplicati or Panzura run on more platforms?
Duplicati runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Panzura runs on Linux, Windows, Web.
Can I use Duplicati for free?
Yes. Duplicati has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Panzura starts at On request.
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 Panzura is typically brought in for.
What can Duplicati do that Panzura cannot?
Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, Incremental backup, Multiple cloud backends, Compression. Panzura covers Global file system, Global file locking, Local caching filers, Immutable snapshots. Both handle Deduplication.

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
Panzura: Who holds the encryption keys?

Customer-managed keys are supported. Insist on them if you need the ability to revoke access to the object store independently of the vendor, and confirm the key custody model in writing.

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
Panzura: What does it actually cost to run?

Model three things: the Panzura subscription, the object storage capacity, and cloud egress. The third is the one that catches buyers out during restores and site bring-ups.

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
Panzura: Does it replace backup?

Immutable snapshots cover many recovery scenarios, but confirm your retention and compliance requirements before removing an existing backup product.

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