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File Storage · head to head

Duplicati vs VAST Data

Duplicati logo

Duplicati

File Storage

Free open-source backup with encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VAST Data logo

VAST Data

File Storage

All-flash storage designed to make hard disk tiers unnecessary

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; VAST Data data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • They diverge on capability: Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Duplicati and VAST Data actually diverge.

Attributes where Duplicati and VAST Data differ
AttributeDuplicatiVAST Data
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxLinux
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
  • Deduplication
  • Multiple cloud backends
  • Compression
  • Web interface
  • AWS S3
  • Azure

Only in VAST Data

  • Disaggregated architecture
  • Similarity-based reduction
  • All-flash single tier
  • Multi-protocol access
  • Wide erasure coding
  • GPU-oriented throughput
  • Snapshots and replication

What people use each for

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

Duplicati

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

VAST Data

  • A GPU training cluster where storage throughput, not compute, is the bottleneck on job completionnot Duplicati
  • A genomics group holding petabytes of sequencing output that must stay immediately readable rather than archived to tapenot Duplicati
  • A quantitative finance team running backtests over historical market data that a disk tier cannot serve fast enoughnot Duplicati
  • An organisation consolidating a fast tier and an archive tier into one system to reduce rack space and power drawnot 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

VAST Data

  • Data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • There is a minimum viable cluster size, so the entry cost is high and the platform is not sensible for a small footprint however attractive the architecture is.
  • Pricing is quoted against effective capacity after reduction, which means the price you signed depends on an assumption about your own data that only becomes measurable after deployment.
  • The platform has expanded into database and data catalogue functions, which broadens the roadmap but means buyers evaluating it as a file system must be careful not to be sold an adjacent product they will not use.
  • As a relatively young vendor in a market of long-lived incumbents, buyers with ten year retention requirements should press on long term support commitments and hardware availability rather than assume them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Duplicati

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Duplicati review.

VAST Data

On request
  • VAST Data Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced per usable capacity after data reduction
    • Hardware and software sold together or via certified partners
    • Subscription and capital purchase options

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 VAST Data if

  • You need disaggregated architecture.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want similarity-based reduction.
VAST Data review

Questions people ask

Is Duplicati or VAST Data better?
Neither clearly leads. Duplicati starts at Free and VAST Data at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Duplicati or VAST Data?
Duplicati has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Duplicati and On request for VAST Data.
Does Duplicati or VAST Data run on more platforms?
Duplicati runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. VAST Data runs on Linux.
Can I use Duplicati for free?
Yes. Duplicati has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. VAST Data 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 VAST Data is typically brought in for.
What can Duplicati do that VAST Data cannot?
Duplicati covers AES-256 encryption, Incremental backup, Deduplication, Multiple cloud backends. VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture, Similarity-based reduction, All-flash single tier, Multi-protocol access.

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
VAST Data: Do we still need an archive tier?

That is the central claim, and it holds when your data reduces well. Run a reduction assessment on your actual dataset before accepting the economics.

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
VAST Data: How is capacity priced?

On usable capacity after data reduction, quoted rather than published. That makes the reduction ratio assumption the most important number in the contract.

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
VAST Data: Is it suitable for a small deployment?

No. There is a minimum cluster size and the entry cost reflects it. Small footprints are better served elsewhere.

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