Duplicati tends to come up in searches from people comparing backup tools that support cloud destinations like Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, or Backblaze without a subscription fee attached to the software itself — the tool is free, though the storage you point it at may not be. It builds encrypted, incremental backups and runs them on a schedule once configured, rather than requiring a manual export each time. Being open source, it's a common pick for people who want backup software without a recurring license cost layered on top of their storage bill.
Software Cost vs. Storage Cost — Two Separate Things
Duplicati itself is entirely free and open source under the LGPL, but it's a backup client, not storage — sending backups to Google Drive, S3, or a cloud provider still uses whatever storage plan and cost you already have with that provider.
Backups are encrypted client-side before upload and built incrementally, so after the first full backup, subsequent runs only transfer changed blocks rather than re-uploading everything.
Who ends up using Duplicati
Duplicati is chosen by people who want encrypted, scheduled backups to cloud storage without paying for backup software on top of storage fees.
- Home users scheduling encrypted backups to Google Drive, OneDrive, or Backblaze
- Small businesses wanting client-side encrypted backups without a per-seat software license
- Self-hosters backing up NAS or server data incrementally to remote cloud storage
Before you install
A couple of things worth knowing about Duplicati before you request the link: it covers Windows, macOS and Linux, so pick the right build for the machine you're setting up. And on pricing, Duplicati is open source, so the installer is free with no trial timer, feature lock, or upsell screen to click past. It's developed and maintained by Duplicati Team.
System requirements
- WindowsWindows 10 or 11 (64-bit); older 7/8.1 builds usually still run but no longer get official support
- macOSa recent macOS release — check the download page for the current minimum version, since Apple Silicon vs Intel builds sometimes differ
- Linuxmost current 64-bit distributions; look for a native .deb/.rpm/AppImage or a package in your distro's own repository
Heavier workloads (large files, high-res media, big projects) will naturally want more RAM and a faster CPU/GPU than the bare minimum.
Quick steps
- Download the installer for Windows, macOS, or Linux below
- Choose a backup destination — local, network, or a supported cloud provider
- Set an encryption passphrase and a schedule, then run the first backup
Duplicati: the honest trade-offs
- Fully free and open source with no license cost layered on top of storage fees
- Client-side encryption keeps backups unreadable to the storage provider itself
- Incremental backups after the first run transfer only changed data, saving bandwidth
- Web-based interface feels less polished than dedicated commercial backup tools
- Restoring large backups can be noticeably slower than proprietary alternatives
This links to the Duplicati project's official GitHub release, the same source the maintainers publish directly.
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Keeping Duplicati up to date
Since Duplicati is open source, most Linux distributions keep it current through their own package manager. On Windows/macOS, re-running the installer from the official site (or an updater built into the app, if it has one) gets you the latest release. Sticking to the developer's own distribution channel — which is what this page links to — means you're never stuck on an old build with unpatched bugs just because a mirror site stopped updating its copy.
Features, install steps, alternatives and more detail live on the main Duplicati page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Duplicati free, or just the trial?
Duplicati itself is fully free and open source with no trial period; only your chosen cloud storage may carry its own cost.
Can I restore a single file instead of the whole backup?
Yes, Duplicati supports restoring individual files or folders from a backup set without needing to restore everything.
