Overview

Backups can go to cloud storage, local disks, or SFTP servers, including computers and NAS boxes. Duplicacy’s lock-free deduplication design uses a two-step fossil-collection process to remove unreferenced chunks without a centralized chunk database. That makes it adaptable across storage setups, but it remains a file-backup tool: it does not provide mobile backup, and restore is file-level.

Encryption is a choice made when storage is initialized. Set a password to encrypt it; leave the password empty and the storage is unencrypted. Users who require encrypted backups should treat that setup step as essential.

Key features

Web Edition: Handles backup, restore, check, copy, and prune, with scheduling and email notifications. Its dashboard shows storage and backup status graphically, which is useful for users who prefer a visual overview to scripted operation.
Command line: The CLI can be run manually or from scripts, and its source code is available on GitHub. It offers a natural route for automation; personal file backups on a home computer and CLI restore, check, copy, and prune operations do not require a license.
Storage choices: Documented setups cover Microsoft Azure, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Wasabi, DigitalOcean Spaces, and MinIO. The breadth is useful for mixing cloud and local destinations, though the choice of destination does not change the file-level scope.
Licensing and support: GUI licenses cover one computer each. Personal GUI licenses include public forum support; commercial GUI and CLI licenses include private ticket support. Providers can customize the Web GUI with their own software name and logo, and volume discounts are available to providers and resellers.

Pricing

Duplicacy has a fully functional 30-day Web Edition trial, automatically downloaded when Web Edition runs backups without a license. The personal GUI license is intended for personal files unrelated to employment or for-profit activity and includes public forum support. It costs 20.00 USD per year for the first home computer in the first year, then 5.00 USD per year for that computer in each subsequent year. Each additional computer costs 10.00 USD per year in its first year and 2.00 USD per year in each subsequent year.

The commercial GUI license costs 50.00 USD per year per computer, including private ticket support, with no file-use limitation. This is the clear option for work or other for-profit files, but the per-computer fee can add up across a fleet. The CLI license also costs 50.00 USD per year for one computer and includes private ticket support. That paid license is separate from the exceptions for personal home-computer backups and CLI restore, check, copy, and prune operations.

Platforms

Duplicacy supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, with Web Edition and CLI workflows. Its storage options include self-hosted destinations such as local disks, SFTP servers, computers, and NAS boxes. It is not a mobile-backup tool.

Who it's for

Duplicacy is best for individuals who want file-level backups across a choice of cloud, local, or SFTP storage and are comfortable choosing a GUI or CLI workflow. The personal CLI exceptions make it particularly appealing for home users who can work from the command line. The paid GUI is a more approachable licensed route for personal backups, while commercial users can license GUI use per computer or opt for the CLI license.

Look elsewhere if you need mobile backup, whole-device imaging, or encryption without a deliberate password choice at initialization. The computer-based license structure also deserves attention when covering multiple machines.

Pros and cons

Pro — Broad destination choice: Cloud providers, local disks, and SFTP servers support varied backup arrangements, including NAS boxes.
Pro — Useful CLI exceptions: Personal home-computer backups and several CLI maintenance and restore operations do not require a license.
Pro — A real graphical workflow: Web Edition combines backup and maintenance operations with scheduling, email notifications, and a status dashboard.
Con — Encryption is not automatic: Leaving the initialization password empty means storage is unencrypted.
Con — Narrow backup scope: Backup and restore are file-level, with no mobile backup.
Con — GUI licensing scales by computer: Personal and commercial GUI licenses are priced per computer, so multi-machine use requires accounting for each one.

Alternatives

IDrive is worth considering for readers who need Android or iOS support alongside desktop platforms; its Basic plan includes 10 GB, while IDrive Mini is 0.25 USD per month for 100 GB and one user.

Acronis Cyber Disaster Recovery Cloud is a paid alternative with a free trial and support for mobile, desktop, web, and self-hosted platforms; its disaster-recovery plan uses pay-as-you-go pricing for used DR cloud storage and compute.

Duplicati offers a free tier that monitors up to two machines and shows the last 200 backups, with a Pro plan at 2.00 USD per month.

ElephantDrive is a paid alternative with mobile and web platforms; its Solo plan costs 10.00 USD per month and includes 1,000 GB of storage.

Storware Backup & Recovery has a free license without technical support and a 60-day trial for up to 20 virtual environments.

Synology Photos is a free option for readers who need photo management and have a Synology NAS.

Bareos offers a free community edition with public repository access and complete source code.

MSP360 Backup offers a free personal workstation backup plan with file and image-based backup and forum support.

For more options, browse NAS Backup Software or Backup software.

Verdict

Choose Duplicacy if you want flexible file backups to cloud, local, or SFTP storage and its CLI exceptions or per-computer GUI licenses fit your use. Its strongest case is combining broad destination choice with a useful graphical workflow and scriptable CLI. Look elsewhere for mobile or whole-device backup, or if encryption must be automatic rather than dependent on setting a password.

	Duplicacy	Duplicati
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Yes
Paid from	$0.17/mo	$0.50/mo
Platforms	Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Windows	Linux, macOS, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Computer backup	Yes	Yes
Mobile backup	No
Backup scope	file	mixed
Restore modes	file	mixed
Supported platforms	windows, macos, linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Paid from		$2/mo
Server backup		Yes
Ransomware protection		Yes

Duplicacy vs Duplicati

Duplicacy

Duplicati