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File Storage · head to head

Duplicati vs Thanos

Duplicati logo

Duplicati

File Storage

Free open-source backup with encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thanos logo

Thanos

Cloud

Highly available Prometheus with long-term object storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Duplicati no managed service or commercial support; Thanos several components — sidecar, store, querier, compactor, ruler — each with its own configuration and failure modes
  • They diverge on capability: Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, Thanos covers Global query.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Duplicati and Thanos actually diverge.

Attributes where Duplicati and Thanos differ
AttributeDuplicatiThanos
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxKubernetes, Linux, Docker
CategoryFile StorageCloud
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Duplicati

  • AES-256 encryption
  • Incremental backup
  • Multiple cloud backends
  • Compression
  • Web interface
  • AWS S3
  • Azure
  • Google Drive

Only in Thanos

  • Global query
  • Object storage retention
  • Downsampling

Both cover

  • Deduplication

What people use each for

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

Duplicati

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

Thanos

  • Querying metrics across many clusters or regions from one placenot Duplicati
  • Retaining metrics for years without local disk growthnot Duplicati
  • Removing the gap that appears when a single Prometheus instance restartsnot 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

Thanos

  • Several components — sidecar, store, querier, compactor, ruler — each with its own configuration and failure modes
  • The compactor is a common source of operational trouble and must not run twice against the same bucket
  • Query latency over object storage is meaningfully higher than local Prometheus
  • Object storage costs and API request charges become real at high volume

Pricing, plan by plan

Duplicati

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Duplicati review.

Thanos

Free
  • ThanosFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

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 Thanos if

  • You need global query.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want object storage retention.
Thanos review

Questions people ask

Is Duplicati or Thanos better?
Neither clearly leads. Duplicati starts at Free and Thanos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Duplicati or Thanos?
Duplicati starts at Free and Thanos at Free.
Does Duplicati or Thanos run on more platforms?
Duplicati runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Thanos runs on Kubernetes, Linux, Docker.
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 Thanos is typically brought in for.
What can Duplicati do that Thanos cannot?
Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, Incremental backup, Multiple cloud backends, Compression. Thanos covers Global query, Object storage retention, Downsampling. 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
Thanos: Is Thanos free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-incubating. Costs are the object storage it uses.

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
Thanos: Does Thanos replace Prometheus?

No. It runs alongside existing Prometheus servers, adding global query, deduplication and long-term storage.

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
Thanos: Thanos or VictoriaMetrics?

Thanos layers onto Prometheus using object storage and is the more established multi-cluster answer. VictoriaMetrics is a separate store aiming at lower resource use and fewer moving parts.

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