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Back In Time VS Duplicity

Compare Back In Time VS Duplicity and see what are their differences

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Back In Time logo Back In Time

Back In Time is a simple backup tool for Linux inspired from ...

Duplicity logo Duplicity

Duplicity backs directories by producing encrypted tar-format volumes and uploading them to a remote or local file server.
  • Back In Time Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-11
  • Duplicity Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

Back In Time features and specs

  • Open Source
    Back In Time is an open-source software project, allowing anyone to view, modify, and contribute to its source code, which promotes transparency and community-driven development.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application features a straightforward and intuitive interface that makes it accessible for users of different skill levels to configure and manage their backups efficiently.
  • Incremental Backups
    Back In Time supports incremental backups, meaning that only changes made since the last backup are saved, which saves time and storage space.
  • Scheduling
    The software offers detailed scheduling options, allowing users to automate their backup processes at specified intervals, which enhances convenience and ensures data is regularly backed up.
  • Configurable
    Back In Time allows for extensive configuration options to suit individual needs, such as setting up multiple backup profiles, filtering files and directories, and defining backup interval details.

Possible disadvantages of Back In Time

  • Limited Platform Support
    Back In Time is primarily designed for Linux, which might limit its usability for users on other operating systems like Windows or macOS.
  • Dependency on rsync
    The tool relies on rsync for data transfer, which may not be available or may require additional configuration on some systems, potentially posing a barrier for users less familiar with command-line tools.
  • Lack of Cloud Integration
    While it supports local and external drive backups, Back In Time does not offer direct integration with popular cloud storage services, which may be a drawback for those looking for cloud-based backup solutions.
  • Potential Performance Overhead
    Depending on system resources and the size of data being backed up, Back In Time could introduce performance overhead during backup processes, which might be noticeable for users with limited hardware capabilities.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic use is straightforward, some of the more advanced features and configurations may have a steep learning curve for users not familiar with backup solutions, requiring a deeper understanding to implement effectively.

Duplicity features and specs

  • Encrypted Backups
    Duplicity uses GnuPG to encrypt and sign backups, ensuring that data is secure and protected from unauthorized access.
  • Incremental Backups
    Supports incremental backups which only save the changes made since the last backup, reducing storage requirements and speeding up the backup process.
  • Storage Flexibility
    Supports various backends for backup storage including local files, FTP, SCP, Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, and others, giving users flexible storage options.
  • Bandwidth Efficiency
    Uploads bandwidth-efficient tar-format volumes using rsync or ssh+rsync, optimizing network usage.
  • Open Source
    Duplicity is open source software, meaning it is free to use and the codebase can be reviewed and modified by the community.
  • Cross-Platform
    Available on various operating systems including Unix-like systems (Linux, macOS) and Windows, making it versatile for different user environments.

Possible disadvantages of Duplicity

  • Complex Configuration
    Has a steep learning curve and complex configuration setup which may be challenging for non-technical users or those new to backup management.
  • Dependency on External Libraries
    Relies on several external libraries such as GnuPG and Python, which may complicate installation and maintenance.
  • Command Line Interface
    Lacks a graphical user interface (GUI), requiring users to operate through a command line, potentially limiting its usability for those unfamiliar with command-line operations.
  • Backup Speed
    Incremental backups can still be relatively slow, especially for large datasets or when using certain storage backends.
  • Restoration Time
    Restoring data can be time-consuming, particularly if multiple incremental backups need to be reassembled to recover the most recent version of files.
  • Limited Community Support
    Though it is open source, the community around Duplicity is smaller compared to more mainstream backup solutions, potentially leading to slower support and fewer third-party resources.

Analysis of Back In Time

Overall verdict

  • Back In Time is generally considered a good option for users who need a simple and effective backup solution on Linux. It is well-suited for both beginners and experienced users who want a no-fuss application to secure their files.

Why this product is good

  • Back In Time is a simple, easy-to-use backup application for Linux systems. It provides a straightforward graphical user interface, and its use of rsync and hard links makes it efficient in terms of storage. The tool allows for automated backups at regular intervals, making it a reliable option for safeguarding data.

Recommended for

  • Linux users looking for a simple backup solution
  • Individuals who want automated, scheduled backups
  • Users who prefer a graphical user interface
  • People with storage constraints who need an efficient backup tool

Analysis of Duplicity

Overall verdict

  • Duplicity is considered a highly capable backup software, especially appreciated for its encryption and compatibility with multiple storage solutions. However, its command-line nature might present a learning curve for those unfamiliar with terminal operations. Overall, it is well-regarded in tech communities for its flexibility and security features.

Why this product is good

  • Duplicity is a reliable and versatile backup solution that supports encrypted, versioned, and incremental backups. It utilizes the rsync algorithm and supports a wide range of backends, offering secure and confidential data storage over various protocols like FTP, SSH, and cloud services. Its robust encryption ensures data security during transfer and storage. Additionally, it provides command-line functionality, allowing advanced users to automate and customize their backup operations effectively.

Recommended for

  • Tech-savvy users comfortable with command-line interfaces
  • Individuals or organizations needing encrypted backups
  • Users requiring incremental backups and version control
  • Linux users seeking open-source backup solutions

Back In Time videos

+ Add

Back to the Future: Back in Time Review - with Tom Vasel

More videos:

  • Review - Back in Time Review - App Reviews
  • Review - Solareyn's Review - Sonic Back in Time

Duplicity videos

+ Add

Duplicity Movie Review: Beyond The Trailer

More videos:

  • Review - "Duplicity" (Funny Movie Review)
  • Review - Duplicity Spill Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Back In Time and Duplicity)

Back In Time

Duplicity

File Sharing And Backup
57 57%
File Sharing And Backup
43% 43
Cloud Storage
27 27%
Cloud Storage
73% 73
File Sharing
50 50%
File Sharing
50% 50
Backup & Restore
100 100%
Backup & Restore
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Back In Time and Duplicity

Back In Time Reviews

Linux File Backup - 5 Best Softeware for Linux Desktop and Server
As the name indicates, Back in Time(secured URL: https://github.com/bit-team/backintime) lets you transfer directory, system, and file data back in time. Just like Timeshift, it captures the snapshots and records in the directory as a backup. Though the tool is written in Python3 and QT, it saves your backups in simple text.
Source: www.easeus.com
The Top 17 Free and Open Source Backup Solutions
Back In Time is backup software designed for Linux, inspired by “flyback project”. The solution offers a command line client as well as a GUI, both written in Python. In order to perform backups, users specify where to store snapshots, what folders to back up, and the frequency of the backups. In addition to this, the solution is licensed with GPLv2.
Source: solutionsreview.com
Top 5 System Backup Tools for the Linux Desktop (Updated 2020)
Back In Time is a backup tool for the Linux desktop that creates system snapshots of specific directories that the user sets in the settings. By doing this, it allows users to keep a custom backup system that is more tailored to their needs, rather than a large backup filled with things they do not want.
Source: zcom.tech
11 Best Linux Backup Solutions
Back In Time is a simple and easy to use backup tool for the Linux operating system and works by taking snapshots of predefined directories. It comes with a very simple but useful user interface. You can configure specific directories for automatic backups or backup manually.
Source: www.linuxandubuntu.com

Duplicity Reviews

25 Outstanding Backup Utilities for Linux Systems in 2020
Duplicity is a free open source, secure and bandwidth-efficient backup tool based on rsync. It creates encrypted backups of directories in tar-format archives and backs them on the local or remote machine over SSH. When launched for the first time, it performs a full backup, and in subsequent backups in the future, it only records parts of files that have changed.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Back In Time should be more popular than Duplicity. It has been mentiond 24 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Back In Time mentions (24)

  • Opportunity for beginners: Some code cleaning in "Back In Time"
    It is often asked by beginners how and where starting to contribute. As member of the maintenance team of Back In Time (Backup software using rsync in the back, written with Python and Qt) I would like to introduce one of our "good first issues" (#1578). Source: over 1 year ago
  • Free software project "Back In Time" requests for translation
    I'm member of the upstream maintenance team of Back In Time a rsync-based backup software. No one gets payed. No company behind hit. Even the maintainers and developers are volunteers. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Why is contributing soo hard
    Back In Time is a round about 15 years old backup software using rsync in the back. I'm part of the 3rd generation maintenance team there. A lot of work in investigating and fixing issues, understanding, documenting and refactoring old code. Source: over 1 year ago
  • [English -> Portuguese EU / Brazil] Text about attracting translators to a FOSS project
    This request is related to an Open Source project named Back In Time. Everyone there works voluntarily and unpaid. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Is it normal practice in Github for a valid issue to be closed if the Dev can't work on it at the moment?
    In my own project we do it more transparent. We close if there is a good reason for it. We don't close just because no one is working on something. If there are no resources to work in it now but it seems important we keep it open until it is fixed. We do use milestones and priority labels to give the users an idea about our plans. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

Duplicity mentions (12)

  • Restic: Backups Done Right
    Other popular choices include borg, duplicity, and duplicati. After evaluating these and others mentioned in the comments, I ended up using borg with borgmatic to define homelab backups with yaml files that are version controlled in gitea and deployed using ansible. I also use duplicity to back up my sister in laws storefront website to backblaze. I've been quite happy with both.... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Are small ceph clusters viable?
    Overbuilt and OTT? Sure... But this works fantastically for my use case. I have current backups of everything except my media library because of the size of it; my VM's are all backed up to my Synology nightly using Backy2, my application data gets dumped to that same Synology NAS nightly as well, and all of that also gets synced to Glacier deep storage once a week using Duplicity. I'm going to be adding a new ZFS... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Most used selfhosted services in 2022?
    There are some backup tools in this thread. Duplicati, rsync, restic, Duplicity, Syncthing. Source: over 2 years ago
  • reposting help with bash script
    Here are a couple of projects that implement what you seem to be trying to do: https://duplicity.gitlab.io , https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/index.html# . You could either use them or just look at the scripts for ideas Writing your own script is a great exercise but a robust, historical and conveniently accessible backup system is more complicated. (I personally use rsnapshot to an encrypted drive... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Simple backup tools for Fedora?
    GUI based on https://duplicity.gitlab.io/. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Back In Time and Duplicity, you can also consider the following products

Duplicati - Free backup software to store backups online with strong encryption. Works with FTP, SSH, WebDAV, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Google Drive and many others.

rsync - rsync is a file transfer program for Unix systems. rsync uses the "rsync algorithm" which provides a very fast method for bringing remote files into sync.

SpiderOak - SpiderOak makes it possible for you to privately store, sync, share & access your data from everywhere.

Déjà Dup - Déjà Dup is a simple backup tool.

Restic - Easy: Doing backups should be a frictionless process, otherwise you are tempted to skip it.

Borg Backup - Deduplicating backup program with compression and authenticated encryption

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