backup tool · Duplicati Inc

Duplicati

Free, open-source backup client that encrypts files before sending them to your own drives, NAS or dozens of cloud services.

86/100

#2 of 9 backup tools
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

The backup client is open source under the MIT licence and free for Windows, macOS and Linux³.
Data is encrypted with AES-256 on your PC before it is uploaded^2,3.
Backups can go to local folders, network storage over SFTP or SMB, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox and more^2,7.
An optional Pro console costs $2 per machine a month, billed yearly, and adds alerts, remote management and 100 GB of storage per machine¹.
Remote file locking on S3, B2, Azure and Google Cloud stops locked backup files from being deleted or changed for a set period⁵.

Duplicati suits people who want free, encrypted backups to storage they choose, from a USB drive to Amazon S3 or OneDrive^3,7. It sends only changed blocks, runs on a schedule and can lock backups against deletion on supported clouds^2,3,5. Full-disk backups are documented, but Duplicati does not describe its own rescue media, so a full restore starts from separate recovery media⁴.

Best for: People who want free encrypted backups to cloud storage they already pay for.

Where the points come from

What it backs up22 of 30

Where backups go20 of 20

Safety and recovery19 of 25

Price25 of 25

What it backs up 22 of 30 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Full system image	YesBacks up whole disks with the partition table and boot data; a disk restored to a blank drive starts up⁴.	8 / 8
File and folder backup	YesYou pick the files and folders to back up in the source picker⁸.	4 / 4
Incremental backups	YesAfter the first run, Duplicati sends only changed blocks^2,3.	6 / 6
Scheduled backups	YesA built-in scheduler runs backups automatically^3,8.	4 / 4
Bootable rescue media	Not publishedThe docs say a full restore usually starts from separate recovery media⁴.	0 / 8

Where backups go 20 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Destinations	Local or USB drive, Network share or NAS, Vendor's own cloud, Other cloud storageLocal folders, SFTP or SMB storage, Duplicati Storage with the console, and S3, B2, OneDrive, Google Drive and more^2,7.	20 / 20

Safety and recovery 19 of 25 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Encrypted backups	YesAES-256 encryption before upload, with a passphrase you set^3,8.	7 / 7
Backups shielded from ransomware	YesRemote file locking keeps backup files from being deleted or changed for a set period on S3, B2, Azure and Google Cloud⁵.	6 / 6
Restore to different hardware	Not published	0 / 6
Versions and retention rules	YesKeep a number of versions, delete versions older than a period, or set a custom retention policy⁶.	6 / 6

Price 25 of 25 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free edition	YesThe open-source client is free³.	10 / 10
First-year price, one PC	$24/yrPro console, $2 per machine a month billed yearly; the backup client itself is free¹.	8 / 8
One-time licence	YesThe backup client is free and open source, so no subscription is needed³.	7 / 7

The rule behind each line: how we score backup tools.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Open-source clientAny number of computers	Free³	$0	MIT licence; Windows, macOS and Linux
Console FreeUp to 2 machines	Free¹	$0	Insights dashboard and the last 200 backups
Console ProUp to 100 machines	$2 per machine/month, billed yearly¹	$2	Alerts, remote management, 100 GB storage per machine

The Pro console lists $2.50 crossed out and $2 per machine a month on annual billing¹. Extra Duplicati storage costs $0.60 per 100 GB a month, billed yearly¹.

Strengths

The client is free and open source under the MIT licence³.
It encrypts backups with AES-256 and a passphrase you choose before upload^3,8.
It supports a long list of destinations, from local folders to S3, B2, OneDrive and Google Drive⁷.
Retention can keep a set number of versions, delete old ones by age, or follow a custom policy⁶.
Remote file locking protects backups on S3, B2, Azure and Google Cloud from ransomware deletion⁵.

Limits

Duplicati does not describe its own rescue media; a full restore usually starts from separate recovery media⁴.
A disk restore cannot overwrite the disk the running system is on⁴.
Losing the passphrase means nothing can be restored⁸.
Remote file locking needs a bucket created with locking turned on, and S3 and B2 also need versioning⁵.

Other backup tools

1
EaseUS Todo BackupHome users who want a free edition with schedules and encryption
100/100
$39.95/yrfirst-year price, one PC
3
Paragon Backup & Recovery Community EditionHome users who want a free system image backup to a local or external drive
84/100
$19.95/yrfirst-year price, one PC
4
IDriveHouseholds backing up several PCs who also want a full system image
82/100
$3/yrfirst-year price, one PC
5
AOMEI BackupperHome users who want a one-time licence and a free starting point
82/100
$39.95/yrfirst-year price, one PC

Duplicati vs EaseUS Todo Backup · Duplicati vs Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition · All 9 backup tools

Sources

Pricing, Duplicati. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Duplicati, Duplicati. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
duplicati/duplicati README, Duplicati on GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Full-disk backup and restore, Duplicati documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Using remote file locking, Duplicati documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Retention settings, Duplicati documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Destination overview, Duplicati documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Set up a backup in the UI, Duplicati documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: duplicati.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Duplicati Inc.