Duplicati is a free backup client that stores encrypted, compressed, incremental copies of your files in cloud storage or on a remote server. It suits users who want a browser-based interface, scheduled runs, and versioned backups without paying for software.
Duplicati creates backup jobs that copy files to a destination of your choosing — a folder, FTP or SFTP server, WebDAV share, or one of many cloud providers — while encrypting and compressing everything before upload. Setup runs through a wizard in a local browser interface: pick the source folders, pick the destination, set a passphrase, choose a schedule, and decide how many versions to keep. After that the job runs unattended, and the same interface lets you browse past versions, search for a file, and restore individual items or entire folders. Each run is incremental, so only changed blocks are transferred once the first backup exists.
Duplicati keeps a local index database recording which blocks belong to which version, which is what makes browsing and restoring fast. That database is also a single point of failure, so a separate recovery tool rebuilds it from the files already in the destination. Versions can be thinned with retention rules, from simple daily options to custom expressions that retain hourly, weekly, and monthly points. Uploads can be verified by comparing the stored file with the local copy, bandwidth can be throttled, and email reports can announce the result of each run. Snapshots of locked files are handled through the system's shadow copy service. KopiaUI is a different take on the same problem, using a policy-driven desktop interface instead.
What makes Duplicati worth using is that it separates the backup engine from the storage destination, so the same job definition works against a cheap cloud bucket, a colleague's server, or a USB drive. Incremental block-level transfers mean a daily backup of a large photo collection takes minutes rather than hours after the first run, and retention rules keep the version history from expanding without limit. Encryption happens before upload, which is the difference between trusting a storage provider and merely tolerating one. The browser interface is approachable for a non-specialist: create a job once, watch the first run, then check the log occasionally rather than babysitting a schedule. Restores are the part people actually test, and Duplicati allows browsing a specific date, searching filenames across versions, and recovering a single file without touching the rest. The recovery tool for rebuilding a lost database is unusual insurance against a failure that catches many backup setups off guard.
Key capabilities and highlights.
Jobs are created and monitored in a browser window served by the local application, with wizards for source folders, destination, encryption passphrase, and schedule. The same interface lists past runs with their logs, shows progress during a backup, and provides the restore browser.
Backups can target a local or network folder, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and a long list of cloud services including S3-compatible storage, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Azure. Switching provider means editing the destination, not rebuilding the job.
Files are compressed and encrypted with AES-256 using a passphrase that never leaves your control, so the destination holds nothing readable. The passphrase is required for any restore, which makes it the single most important thing to store safely.
After the initial copy, only changed blocks are uploaded, and each run is stored as a new version that can be browsed by date. Retention rules then decide how those versions thin out over time, so history stays useful without consuming unlimited space.
Jobs run on a schedule set per backup, and advanced options control upload bandwidth, the number of parallel transfers, and whether a run should wait or stop on a metered connection. These controls keep backups from interfering with other work.
Include and exclude rules can target paths, file types, or name patterns, with filters based on size and timestamps for files that should be skipped. Selection sets make it practical to back up documents while leaving caches, virtual machines, and downloaded installers out.
Uploads can be verified by comparing stored data with the local files, and the result of each run can be emailed or posted to a monitoring URL. That turns a scheduled backup on an unattended machine into something you hear about when it fails.
Past versions can be browsed by date, searched by filename, and restored file by file into a chosen location, including restores onto a different machine. A separate recovery tool can rebuild a lost index database directly from the files stored in the destination.
Browse historical releases and previous builds.
Common questions about Duplicati.
It backs up files and folders to a local drive, a server, or cloud storage as encrypted, compressed, incremental copies. Each run creates a new version that can be browsed later, so individual files can be restored without retrieving an entire backup.
It supports S3-compatible object storage, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Azure, OpenStack Swift, and several other providers, alongside FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and ordinary folders. Destinations are configured per backup job.
Yes. Data is compressed and encrypted with AES-256 before it is uploaded, using a passphrase you choose. The passphrase is required to restore anything, so losing it means losing access to the backup even if the stored files are intact.
Yes. Every run is stored as a separate version containing the changes since the last one, and the restore browser can open any of them by date. Retention settings then thin older versions according to a simple schedule or a custom rule.
Yes. A schedule is configured for each backup job, and the application runs in the background to start it at the appointed time. Bandwidth limits and other options control how much of the connection a run is allowed to use.
The local index database can be rebuilt from the files already stored in the destination, and a separate recovery tool exists for exactly that situation. Rebuilding takes time on a large backup, but the stored data itself remains usable.
Duplicati is a free backup client that stores encrypted, compressed, incremental copies of your files in cloud storage or on a remote server. It suits users who want a browser-based interface, scheduled runs, and versioned backups without paying for software.
TreeSize is a disk space analyzer that scans drives, folders, and network shares, then shows exactly which subfolders and files are consuming storage so you can decide what to delete, archive, or move.
Microsoft .NET Windows Desktop Runtime 8.0 provides the shared components required to run compatible Windows Forms and WPF desktop applications without installing the complete .NET software development kit.
Microsoft .NET Runtime 8.0 provides the execution engine and core libraries needed to run compatible .NET applications, especially framework-dependent console programs, without installing the complete software development kit.
Bandizip is a fast Windows archive utility from Bandisoft for creating, browsing, and extracting compressed files. It handles ZIP, 7Z, RAR, and dozens of other formats, adds AES-256 encryption, split archive support, and Explorer integration, and ships in both free and paid Professional editions.
Comments