Compare software

bup vs rsnapshot: catalog facts
bup	rsnapshot
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Global deduplication across and within files Fast incremental saves	Every snapshot is a browsable directory, so restoring is just copying a file Hard links make dozens of retained snapshots cheap in disk space
Command line only Development discussion happens on a mailing list rather than GitHub issues	No encryption or compression of its own Hard links mean the backup destination must be a filesystem that supports them
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: LGPL-2.1	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.