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Backup · head to head

Kopia vs Paragon Backup & Recovery

Kopia logo

Kopia

Backup

Open source deduplicating backup with client side encryption and a repository on almost any storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon Backup & Recovery logo

Paragon Backup & Recovery

Backup

Professional-grade backup for Windows

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kopia has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kopia space is only reclaimed when maintenance runs, and in a shared repository full maintenance is owned by one client, so if that machine goes away the repository grows for ever while every backup still reports success.; Paragon Backup & Recovery the free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • They diverge on capability: Kopia covers Content defined chunking, Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kopia and Paragon Backup & Recovery actually diverge.

Attributes where Kopia and Paragon Backup & Recovery differ
AttributeKopiaParagon Backup & Recovery
Starting priceFree$50/year
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, DockerWindows
FoundedUnknown1994

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

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 Kopia

  • Content defined chunking
  • Global deduplication
  • Pack blobs
  • Client side encryption
  • Desktop and command line
  • Repository verification

Only in Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk backup
  • File-level backup
  • Incremental/differential
  • Recovery media
  • Virtual disk mount
  • UEFI support
  • Windows
  • Network shares

What people use each for

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

Kopia

  • Backing up laptops and workstations to cheap object storage with a desktop interface rather than a cron jobnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Deduplicating backups of several similar machines into one repository so common content is stored oncenot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Replacing a chunk based tool whose per object charges made a cheap bucket expensivenot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Keeping an encrypted offsite copy where the storage provider must never be able to read the contentsnot Paragon Backup & Recovery

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk and partition backup on Windowsnot Kopia
  • Bare metal recovery from an imagenot Kopia
  • Scheduled incremental backups for a home machinenot Kopia
  • Migrating an installation to a new drive on the paid editionsnot Kopia

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Kopia

  • Space is only reclaimed when maintenance runs, and in a shared repository full maintenance is owned by one client, so if that machine goes away the repository grows for ever while every backup still reports success.
  • The repository format has changed across versions and mixing client versions against one repository is discouraged, so a fleet must be upgraded together rather than machine by machine.
  • There is no central orchestration or reporting for many machines, so monitoring a fleet means building your own alerting around exit codes.
  • Restoring many small files is slower than the backup was, because content must be reassembled from pack blobs, and this is rarely tested until the day it matters.
  • Encryption is client side with no escrow, so a lost repository password means the data is unrecoverable and there is no vendor to appeal to.

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • The free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • Windows only, and specifically Windows 10 x64 from 1809, Windows 11 x64 and Windows 11 Arm64
  • Volume and OS copying, partition management and email notifications need the Advanced edition
  • Windows Server support requires the Business edition
  • Paid edition prices are not shown on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

Kopia

Free
  • KopiaFree
    • Full functionality, no data limit
    • Desktop application included
    • Any supported storage back end

Paragon Backup & Recovery

$50/year
  • Community Edition$50/year
    • Full disk backup
    • File-level backup
    • Recovery media

Which should you pick?

Choose Kopia if

  • You need content defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
  • You also want global deduplication.
Kopia review

Choose Paragon Backup & Recovery if

  • You need full disk backup.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want file-level backup.
Paragon Backup & Recovery review

Questions people ask

Is Kopia or Paragon Backup & Recovery better?
Neither clearly leads. Kopia starts at Free and Paragon Backup & Recovery at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kopia or Paragon Backup & Recovery?
Kopia has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kopia and $50/year for Paragon Backup & Recovery.
Does Kopia or Paragon Backup & Recovery run on more platforms?
Kopia runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. Paragon Backup & Recovery runs on Windows.
Can I use Kopia for free?
Yes. Kopia has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon Backup & Recovery starts at $50/year.
What is Kopia best used for?
Kopia is most often used for backing up laptops and workstations to cheap object storage with a desktop interface rather than a cron job, deduplicating backups of several similar machines into one repository so common content is stored once, replacing a chunk based tool whose per object charges made a cheap bucket expensive, keeping an encrypted offsite copy where the storage provider must never be able to read the contents. Of those, backing up laptops and workstations to cheap object storage with a desktop interface rather than a cron job and deduplicating backups of several similar machines into one repository so common content is stored once are not what Paragon Backup & Recovery is typically brought in for.
What can Kopia do that Paragon Backup & Recovery cannot?
Kopia covers Content defined chunking, Global deduplication, Pack blobs, Client side encryption. Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, File-level backup, Incremental/differential, Recovery media.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kopia: Is a partly corrupt repository still restorable?

Partly. Deduplication means one damaged pack blob affects every snapshot referencing its contents, but unaffected files still restore. Run verification regularly rather than assuming.

Paragon Backup & Recovery: Is Paragon Backup & Recovery still available?

No, Paragon Backup & Recovery has been unavailable since October 8, 2025, and is marked as a legacy product. Business customers are directed to explore alternative products for business use.

Source
Kopia: How does it compare with restic?

Similar guarantees, with packing that behaves better on per operation billing, a desktop interface, and compression enabled by default.

Paragon Backup & Recovery: How much does Paragon Backup & Recovery cost?

No pricing information is published. The product is restricted to home use only and customers must contact Paragon's sales team directly for any inquiries.

Source
Kopia: Do I need to run maintenance manually?

It is scheduled automatically by default, but you must ensure the client that owns full maintenance keeps running, otherwise deleted snapshots never free space.

Paragon Backup & Recovery: What should business users do if they used Paragon Backup & Recovery?

Business customers are recommended to explore the company's other products designed for business use and contact the sales team for alternative solutions.

Source
Kopia: Can several machines share one repository?

Yes, and that is where deduplication pays off, but they should run compatible versions and only one owns full maintenance.

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