Quick Overview
- 1#1: BorgBackup - Deduplicating archiver with compression, authenticated encryption, and efficient incremental backups.
- 2#2: Restic - Fast, secure backup program with built-in deduplication, encryption, and support for multiple storage backends.
- 3#3: Duplicacy - Lock-free deduplicating backup tool with versioning and support for cloud and local storage.
- 4#4: Kopia - Fast and secure open-source backup/restore tool using content-defined chunking for deduplication.
- 5#5: Duplicati - Free backup software that stores encrypted, incremental backups off-site using deduplication and compression.
- 6#6: OpenDedup SDFS - Scalable deduplicating file system with variable block deduplication for cloud and network storage.
- 7#7: Veeam Backup & Replication - Enterprise backup solution with built-in deduplication for virtual, physical, and cloud environments.
- 8#8: Veritas NetBackup - Comprehensive data protection platform featuring optimized global deduplication and multi-cloud support.
- 9#9: Commvault Complete Data Protection - Intelligent data management platform with global deduplication across hybrid environments.
- 10#10: Rubrik - Cloud-native data management platform providing immutable backups with policy-based deduplication.
Tools were carefully selected based on deduplication efficiency, feature completeness (including encryption, multi-storage support, and scalability), ease of use, and overall value, ensuring a balanced mix of performance and practicality.
Comparison Table
Data deduplication software is essential for optimizing storage by reducing redundant data, making it a key tool for efficient backups and recovery. This comparison table explores tools like BorgBackup, Restic, Duplicati, Kopia, and more, outlining their features, performance, and best-use scenarios to assist in selecting the right solution.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BorgBackup Deduplicating archiver with compression, authenticated encryption, and efficient incremental backups. | specialized | 9.4/10 | 9.8/10 | 7.2/10 | 10/10 |
| 2 | Restic Fast, secure backup program with built-in deduplication, encryption, and support for multiple storage backends. | specialized | 9.4/10 | 9.8/10 | 7.2/10 | 10/10 |
| 3 | Duplicacy Lock-free deduplicating backup tool with versioning and support for cloud and local storage. | specialized | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.5/10 | 8.6/10 |
| 4 | Kopia Fast and secure open-source backup/restore tool using content-defined chunking for deduplication. | specialized | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.4/10 | 9.8/10 |
| 5 | Duplicati Free backup software that stores encrypted, incremental backups off-site using deduplication and compression. | specialized | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 7.0/10 | 9.5/10 |
| 6 | OpenDedup SDFS Scalable deduplicating file system with variable block deduplication for cloud and network storage. | specialized | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | 6.2/10 | 9.4/10 |
| 7 | Veeam Backup & Replication Enterprise backup solution with built-in deduplication for virtual, physical, and cloud environments. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.8/10 | 7.6/10 |
| 8 | Veritas NetBackup Comprehensive data protection platform featuring optimized global deduplication and multi-cloud support. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 9 | Commvault Complete Data Protection Intelligent data management platform with global deduplication across hybrid environments. | enterprise | 8.4/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 10 | Rubrik Cloud-native data management platform providing immutable backups with policy-based deduplication. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.7/10 | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 |
Deduplicating archiver with compression, authenticated encryption, and efficient incremental backups.
Fast, secure backup program with built-in deduplication, encryption, and support for multiple storage backends.
Lock-free deduplicating backup tool with versioning and support for cloud and local storage.
Fast and secure open-source backup/restore tool using content-defined chunking for deduplication.
Free backup software that stores encrypted, incremental backups off-site using deduplication and compression.
Scalable deduplicating file system with variable block deduplication for cloud and network storage.
Enterprise backup solution with built-in deduplication for virtual, physical, and cloud environments.
Comprehensive data protection platform featuring optimized global deduplication and multi-cloud support.
Intelligent data management platform with global deduplication across hybrid environments.
Cloud-native data management platform providing immutable backups with policy-based deduplication.
BorgBackup
specializedDeduplicating archiver with compression, authenticated encryption, and efficient incremental backups.
Content-defined chunking for deduplication across all backups, regardless of file changes or versions
BorgBackup is a powerful, open-source deduplicating backup tool designed for efficient data storage and retrieval. It uses content-defined chunking to store only unique data blocks across multiple backups, achieving high deduplication ratios while supporting compression, authenticated encryption, and remote repositories over SSH. Users can create, mount, and prune archives with fine-grained control, making it ideal for long-term archiving and incremental backups.
Pros
- Exceptional deduplication with content-defined chunking minimizes storage usage
- Built-in AES-256 encryption and integrity checks ensure data security
- Efficient incremental backups and pruning automate archive management
Cons
- Command-line interface has a steep learning curve for beginners
- No official GUI, requiring third-party tools for visual management
- Remote setup requires SSH configuration and familiarity with keys
Best For
Advanced users, sysadmins, and organizations needing secure, space-efficient backups for servers, VMs, or large datasets.
Pricing
Completely free and open-source under BSD license; no paid tiers or subscriptions.
Restic
specializedFast, secure backup program with built-in deduplication, encryption, and support for multiple storage backends.
Content-defined chunking with global deduplication across all snapshots and clients for unparalleled storage efficiency
Restic is an open-source backup tool specializing in efficient data deduplication, encryption, and incremental backups to diverse storage backends like local disks, S3, SFTP, and more. It uses content-defined chunking to eliminate redundancies across snapshots and multiple clients, minimizing storage usage while ensuring data integrity. With built-in encryption and snapshot pruning, it's designed for secure, long-term data protection without vendor lock-in.
Pros
- Exceptional block-level deduplication that saves massive storage space across snapshots
- Strong end-to-end encryption and support for numerous backends
- Reliable snapshot management with efficient pruning and verification
Cons
- Command-line only interface with a steep learning curve for beginners
- Higher memory and CPU usage during large repository scans
- No native GUI or easy web dashboard for monitoring
Best For
Advanced users, sysadmins, and DevOps teams requiring secure, deduplicated backups to heterogeneous storage without licensing costs.
Pricing
Completely free and open-source under BSD-2-Clause license.
Duplicacy
specializedLock-free deduplicating backup tool with versioning and support for cloud and local storage.
Lock-free deduplication that permits simultaneous backups from multiple clients without repository locking or conflicts
Duplicacy is a cross-platform backup solution that excels in data deduplication through content-defined chunking, ensuring only unique data segments are stored to minimize redundancy and storage costs. It supports a wide array of backends including local storage, S3-compatible services, Google Cloud, Dropbox, and more, with built-in encryption, compression, and snapshot management. Its lock-free architecture allows multiple clients to back up simultaneously without conflicts, making it ideal for distributed environments. The tool offers both CLI and a web-based GUI for management.
Pros
- Superior deduplication efficiency with content-defined chunking
- Lock-free backups enabling concurrent operations from multiple machines
- Broad storage backend support including major cloud providers
Cons
- CLI-focused interface with a steep learning curve for beginners
- Requires paid license after 30-day trial for full features
- GUI version incurs additional subscription costs
Best For
Advanced users and sysadmins requiring efficient, lock-free deduplicated backups to diverse cloud and local storage targets.
Pricing
30-day free trial; CLI personal license $50 one-time, business $500 one-time; Web GUI subscription starts at $50/year per machine.
Kopia
specializedFast and secure open-source backup/restore tool using content-defined chunking for deduplication.
Content-defined block-level deduplication that achieves exceptional space savings across diverse datasets and incremental changes
Kopia is an open-source backup and restore tool designed for efficient data management, featuring advanced client-side deduplication, compression, and encryption to minimize storage usage. It supports snapshots, versioning, and a wide array of storage backends including local disks, S3-compatible services, Google Cloud, Azure, SFTP, and more via RClone compatibility. Kopia excels in creating fast, incremental backups with content-defined chunking that detects and eliminates duplicate data blocks across files and versions.
Pros
- Superior client-side deduplication with content-defined chunking for high storage efficiency
- Broad storage backend support including cloud and remote options
- Built-in encryption, compression, and immutable snapshots for security and reliability
Cons
- Primarily CLI-focused with a maturing GUI, steep learning curve for beginners
- Limited built-in enterprise management or monitoring tools
- Younger project with fewer polished integrations compared to commercial alternatives
Best For
Technical users, developers, and small teams seeking a free, high-performance deduplication solution for backups to diverse storage targets.
Pricing
Completely free and open-source with no paid tiers or subscriptions.
Duplicati
specializedFree backup software that stores encrypted, incremental backups off-site using deduplication and compression.
Client-side block-level deduplication with zero-knowledge encryption for secure, efficient backups to untrusted storage
Duplicati is a free, open-source backup software focused on secure, efficient data backups through block-level deduplication, which eliminates redundant data chunks to save storage space. It supports incremental backups, strong AES-256 encryption, and compression, making it suitable for backing up to local drives, NAS, or cloud services like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and S3-compatible storage. Cross-platform compatibility ensures it works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with a web-based interface for management.
Pros
- Powerful block-level deduplication reduces storage needs significantly
- Free and open-source with no licensing costs
- Broad support for cloud and local storage backends
Cons
- Steep learning curve for configuration and advanced options
- Web interface feels dated and occasionally buggy
- Backup speeds can be slower on very large datasets
Best For
Tech-savvy users and small teams needing a free, privacy-focused deduplication backup tool for personal or light business use.
Pricing
Completely free and open-source; no paid plans or subscriptions.
OpenDedup SDFS
specializedScalable deduplicating file system with variable block deduplication for cloud and network storage.
Full deduplicating file system (SDFS) with inline variable-block dedup and direct protocol exports
OpenDedup SDFS is an open-source, Linux-based deduplication file system that provides block-level, inline data deduplication to achieve high storage efficiency. It supports compression, encryption, thin provisioning, and replication, while exporting storage via SMB/CIFS, NFSv4, and iSCSI protocols. Ideal for backup, archival, and primary storage, it integrates with local disks, cloud storage like S3, and offers a REST API for management.
Pros
- Excellent variable block deduplication with high ratios
- Multi-protocol support (SMB, NFS, iSCSI)
- Free open-source with cloud integration (S3)
Cons
- Steep setup and configuration learning curve
- Linux-only (FUSE-based), no native Windows support
- Limited active community and documentation
Best For
Linux admins or SMBs seeking a cost-free, high-efficiency deduplication target for backups and archives.
Pricing
Completely free open-source; optional paid commercial support and enterprise features available.
Veeam Backup & Replication
enterpriseEnterprise backup solution with built-in deduplication for virtual, physical, and cloud environments.
Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR) with intelligent, policy-driven deduplication across multiple tiers and extents
Veeam Backup & Replication is a leading backup and disaster recovery solution that incorporates robust data deduplication to minimize storage requirements across virtual, physical, and cloud environments. It employs both source-side and target-side deduplication, along with compression, to achieve high reduction ratios during backups and replications. The software excels in VMware and Hyper-V environments, integrating deduplication seamlessly into its scale-out backup repositories (SOBR) for optimized long-term retention.
Pros
- High deduplication ratios (often 2:1 to 20:1 depending on data), reducing storage costs significantly
- Seamless integration with backup workflows and SOBR for policy-based deduplication management
- Strong scalability and support for hybrid cloud deduplication
Cons
- Deduplication is tied to backup processes, not a standalone tool for general file deduplication
- Complex configuration for optimal dedupe in large-scale deployments
- Licensing costs can escalate quickly for high VM counts
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises managing virtualized backups who need integrated deduplication to optimize on-premises or cloud storage.
Pricing
Subscription licensing starts at ~$430 per VM/year (1-year term); perpetual licenses with support from ~$755 per VM; discounts for volume and multi-year commitments.
Veritas NetBackup
enterpriseComprehensive data protection platform featuring optimized global deduplication and multi-cloud support.
Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP) with variable-length deduplication and optimized synthetic backups for up to 95% storage reduction.
Veritas NetBackup is a comprehensive enterprise backup and recovery platform that incorporates advanced data deduplication capabilities through its Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP) and optimized duplication features. It reduces storage requirements by identifying and eliminating redundant data blocks across backups, supporting both inline and post-process deduplication for efficient data management. The solution integrates with cloud, virtual, and physical environments, enabling scalable protection for large-scale data centers.
Pros
- Highly scalable deduplication for petabyte-scale environments
- Global deduplication across multiple sites with Auto Image Replication
- Strong integration with heterogeneous storage and cloud providers
Cons
- Steep learning curve and complex configuration
- High licensing and maintenance costs
- Resource-intensive on media servers during heavy dedup operations
Best For
Large enterprises with complex, multi-site backup needs requiring robust deduplication in mission-critical environments.
Pricing
Capacity-based licensing (per TB or core), starting at around $5,000-$10,000 per TB annually for enterprise subscriptions, plus appliance options.
Commvault Complete Data Protection
enterpriseIntelligent data management platform with global deduplication across hybrid environments.
DASH technology for accelerated, variable-block deduplication with post-process optimization
Commvault Complete Data Protection is an enterprise-grade data management platform that provides comprehensive backup, recovery, and data protection across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. Its deduplication technology, including DASH (Deduplication Accelerated Stream Handling), optimizes storage by eliminating redundant data at source and target levels with high ratios. The solution integrates cyber resilience features like immutable storage and AI-driven threat detection to safeguard deduplicated backups.
Pros
- High deduplication ratios (up to 30:1 or better in optimized scenarios)
- Scalable global deduplication across multi-site repositories
- Seamless integration with cloud and hardware appliances
Cons
- Steep learning curve for configuration and management
- Premium pricing limits appeal for SMBs
- High resource demands on source systems for processing
Best For
Large enterprises with complex, multi-cloud environments requiring robust deduplication within a full data protection suite.
Pricing
Capacity-based subscription starting at ~$15-25/TB/year; custom enterprise quotes required.
Rubrik
enterpriseCloud-native data management platform providing immutable backups with policy-based deduplication.
Atlas global deduplicated search enabling instant policy-driven recovery across distributed clusters
Rubrik is an enterprise data resilience platform that incorporates advanced data deduplication to eliminate redundant data blocks, achieving high storage efficiency ratios across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. It integrates deduplication with backup, recovery, archiving, and cyber threat protection features for comprehensive data management. Designed for scale, it supports diverse workloads like VMs, databases, Kubernetes, and SaaS applications while optimizing storage costs.
Pros
- Excellent deduplication ratios (often 15-30:1) reducing storage needs significantly
- Scalable architecture for petabyte-scale deployments
- Strong integration with ransomware recovery and immutable backups
Cons
- Premium pricing makes it less accessible for SMBs
- Complex initial setup and configuration for non-enterprise users
- Overkill for simple deduplication-only needs without full backup suite
Best For
Large enterprises with complex hybrid environments seeking integrated deduplication, backup, and cyber resilience.
Pricing
Subscription-based enterprise pricing, typically $50-100 per TB/year protected (custom quotes required; scales with capacity and features).
Conclusion
After evaluating the best data deduplication tools, BorgBackup stands out as the top choice, excelling in compression, authentication, and efficient incremental backups. Restic and Duplicacy, ranking second and third, are strong alternatives, offering speed, security, and versatile storage support to suit diverse needs. Together, these tools represent the pinnacle of reliable, effective data deduplication for various user scenarios.
Begin optimizing your data management with BorgBackup to unlock its robust features, or explore Restic or Duplicacy if your needs prioritize speed, cloud flexibility, or other specific requirements—any of these will deliver exceptional results.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison
