Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Duplicati VS rsync

Compare Duplicati VS rsync and see what are their differences

Duplicati logo 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 logo 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.
  • Duplicati Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-16
  • rsync Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31

Duplicati features and specs

  • Cost-effective
    Duplicati is open-source and free to use, making it a cost-effective option for data backup.
  • Cross-platform
    Supports multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility for different users.
  • Encryption
    Offers strong AES-256 encryption to protect your backups, ensuring data security and privacy.
  • Storage Options
    Compatible with a variety of storage options including local drives, FTP, WebDAV, and cloud services like Google Drive, Amazon S3, and OneDrive.
  • Web-based Interface
    Features an easy-to-use web-based interface that allows for remote management and monitoring of backups.
  • Scheduling and Logging
    Supports automated backups through scheduling and provides detailed logs for monitoring backup status.
  • Incremental Backups
    Uses deduplication and incremental backups to save bandwidth and storage space.

Possible disadvantages of Duplicati

  • Complex Initial Setup
    Initial configuration can be complex and may require technical expertise, especially for non-technical users.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported slow backup and restore performance, particularly with large datasets.
  • Limited Support
    As an open-source project, professional support options are limited compared to commercial software.
  • Resource Intensive
    Can be resource-intensive during backup operations, impacting system performance.
  • Beta Software
    Some features are still in beta, which may affect stability and reliability.
  • Documentation
    While comprehensive, the documentation can be complicated and hard to navigate for new users.

rsync features and specs

  • Efficient Data Transfer
    Rsync uses a delta-transfer algorithm which allows it to update files by only sending the differences between the source and destination, greatly reducing the amount of data transferred.
  • Bandwidth Throttling
    Rsync provides an option to limit the bandwidth used during the transfer, helping to manage network resources and avoid congestion.
  • Compression
    Rsync supports compression of data during transfer, which can further reduce the amount of data sent over the network.
  • Secure Transfer
    Rsync can utilize SSH for secure data transfer, adding a layer of encryption to protect data as it moves between systems.
  • Versatile
    Rsync can be used for a variety of tasks such as backups, mirroring, and synchronization, making it a versatile tool for different data management needs.
  • Preserves File Attributes
    Rsync preserves file permissions, timestamps, ownerships, and symbolic links during the transfer, ensuring that all file attributes remain intact.
  • Widely Supported
    Rsync is available on most Unix-like operating systems and there are ports available for Windows, making it accessible across different platforms.
  • Open Source
    Rsync is free and open-source software, allowing anyone to use, modify, and distribute it without licensing fees.

Possible disadvantages of rsync

  • Complex Syntax
    The rsync command line options can be complex and difficult to master, especially for users who are not familiar with command-line interfaces.
  • Initial Setup
    Setting up rsync for the first time can be cumbersome, particularly when dealing with SSH keys, excluding files, and setting up cron jobs for automation.
  • Resource Intensive
    During large data transfers, rsync can be resource-intensive, consuming a considerable amount of CPU and RAM, which might affect system performance.
  • Limited Incremental Backup Support
    Rsync's incremental backup feature is somewhat limited and less sophisticated compared to dedicated backup solutions, requiring additional scripting for effective implementation.
  • Remote File System Compatibility
    Rsync may encounter issues with certain remote file systems that have different characteristics or limitations, such as differing maximum file path lengths or unsupported special characters.
  • No Native GUI
    Rsync does not have a native graphical user interface (GUI), which may make it less accessible to users who prefer or require a visual interaction.
  • No Built-in Scheduling
    Rsync lacks built-in scheduling capabilities, necessitating the use of external tools like cron (Linux/Unix) or Task Scheduler (Windows) to automate scheduled tasks.

Duplicati videos

Backup to the Cloud with Duplicati and Openmediavault

More videos:

  • Review - Cloud Backup: Duplicacy vs. Duplicati
  • Review - Chatwing is Dead, Budget Airpods Review and UnRaid with Duplicati and Backblaze B2- HGG388

rsync videos

Rsync Backup on Linux

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Properly Use Cloud Storage | Rsync Encrypt Tutorial
  • Review - Setup OpenMediaVault 5.0 beta NAS on Raspberry Pi 4: RPi4 NAS + Configure RSync with x2 shares OMV5

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Duplicati and rsync)
File Sharing And Backup
46 46%
54% 54
File Sharing
48 48%
52% 52
Cloud Storage
67 67%
33% 33
Backup & Restore
100 100%
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 Duplicati and rsync

Duplicati Reviews

The Best Free Backup Software and Why it is Difficult to Find One
As the name suggests, the main purpose of Duplicati is to duplicate data – in other words, to create backups. Duplicati can work on all of the modern operating systems such as Linux, Windows and MacOS, and it also supports a variety of data sharing protocols – SSH, FTP and WebDAV. It allows its users to store encrypted backups in their compressed form either on one of the...
Source: www.bacula.org
The Top 17 Free and Open Source Backup Solutions
Duplicati’s software is supported by Windows, MacOS, and Linux, as well as a range of standard protocols, including FTP, SSH, WebDAV, and cloud services. The solution is recommended for users looking for strong encryption. Duplicati is also licensed under the GPL. Users have the ability to store encrypted, incremental, compressed backups on cloud storage servers and remote...
15 Best Rclone Alternatives 2022
Duplicati was built for online backups. Like rclone, it’s open source and there’s no cost attached. It’s worth noting that you can use Duplicati free for both commercial and non-commercial use, licensed under LGPL.
Top 5 System Backup Tools for the Linux Desktop (Updated 2020)
Duplicati is another popular Linux open-source backup solution that is available completely free even for commercial usage. It is designed to run in various operating systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS. With Duplicati, you can easily take online backups and comes with a pause/resume feature to pause the backup process during any network issues and will automatically...
Source: zcom.tech
Seven Must Have Open Source Tools For Backup and Recovery
6. Duplicati Duplicati is a backup client used in a cloud computing environment. It stores encrypted, incremental, compressed backups on cloud storage servers. Duplicati provides unique options like filters and deletion rules. It works with both private and public clouds. It has a built-in scheduler, it makes an easy regular and up-to-date backup.

rsync Reviews

Linux File Backup - 5 Best Softeware for Linux Desktop and Server
Rsync(secured URL: https://linux.die.net/man/1/rsync) is a famous software among Linux desktop users since it offers command-line system backup services. Besides featuring incremental backups, you can update the complete file directory tree inside the system. Even it is possible to protect file ownership, permissions, links, etc.
Source: www.easeus.com
The Best Free Backup Software and Why it is Difficult to Find One
Rsync is the very definition of bare-bones backup software. It is a backup tool that is made for Unix systems with the ability to operate it both via the graphic interface and the command line. It allows for its users to perform local and remote backups on multiple devices, including incremental backups. Rsync also has the capability to sync systems across the internet with...
Source: www.bacula.org
The Top 17 Free and Open Source Backup Solutions
Rsync is a command line Linux backup tool, but it also offers a graphical user interface. With this software, IT administrators are able to perform incremental backups, as well as local and remote backups. Rsync enables users to update their whole directory tree and file system. The solution is built for UNIX-like systems, and is recommended to users looking to locally back...
11 Best Linux Backup Solutions
Rsync is another feature-rich backup solution available for Linux. It allows for incremental backups, update whole directory tree and file system, both local and remote backups, preserve file permissions, ownership, links, privileges, automated scripts and much more. Rsync is a command-line tool but there GUI or frontends such as Grsync available. Rsync is very popular in...
25 Outstanding Backup Utilities for Linux Systems in 2020
It also has a graphical user interface called Grsync but one advantage with the rsync is that backups can be automated using scripts and cron jobs when used by experienced System Administrators on the command line.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, rsync should be more popular than Duplicati. It has been mentiond 15 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.

Duplicati mentions (10)

  • duplicati for backups
    Check duplicati out from their website: https://duplicati.com. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • What's a good tool to take automatic backups over SFTP?
    I'm trying Duplicati, but looks really buggy and honestly it's not doing its job, understandable from a beta.. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What's the Best way to do a full back up of my computer?
    I also use backblaze along with Duplicati which has native support for it. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Just got married — advice on how to store all photos and videos long-term?
    If it all fits on a single drive, you can buy 2 external drives then automate the backup/sync jobs using https://duplicati.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Can't load the forum (thank goodness for Google cache)
    Https://forum.duplicati.com/ is broken - won't load, yet duplicati.com works fine. Not sure how long this has been down for, certainly the past few days that I've been trying to get to it. Anybody know if anyone is working on bringing it back online? Source: about 3 years ago
View more

rsync mentions (15)

  • Down the Rabbit Hole of creating a Home Lab
    Rsync - Fast file copying and syncing. - Source: dev.to / 9 days ago
  • Researchers have identified a total of 6 vulnerabilities in rsync
    Does this apply to the GPL or BSD codebase? There are (now) two rsync codebases. GPL: https://rsync.samba.org/ BSD: https://www.openrsync.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Which synchronization tool are you using together with the pCloud Crypto Folder?
    Rsync can be used to synchronize a local disk to the pCloud drive p. Works similarly as the Sync option of the pCloud Drive app. May be useful if one prefers a bulk upload once a day over a continuous synchronization. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Advanced Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategies
    Tools that can be used to handle this include Rsync, Duplicati, Cohesity. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Use rsync to Sync a Node Project to Dropbox and Ignore the node modules Folder
    To overcome this issue, you can use rsync, a powerful command-line tool for synchronizing files and directories, along with a bash script that excludes the node_modules folder and also filter out anything in a .gitignore file that you specify. In this article, I'll guide you through the process of setting up and using this bash script to sync your Node.js project while ignoring the node_modules folder. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Duplicati and rsync, you can also consider the following products

FreeFileSync - FreeFileSync is a free open source data backup software that helps you synchronize files and folders on Windows, Linux and macOS.

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

GoodSync - GoodSync provides highly reliable file backup and synchronization for both individuals and businesses.

Syncthing - Syncthing replaces proprietary sync and cloud services with something open, trustworthy and...

CrashPlan - CrashPlan for Small Business backup software offers the best way to back up and store business & enterprise data securely - offsite, onsite & online in the Cloud.

SyncBack - Backup software for the PC: powerful, easy to use solution for backing up and synchronising files on a local/network drive, the cloud, FTP server and more.