If you’ve been using Cobian Backup and wondering what modern alternative exists, Duplicati deserves your attention. This free, open-source backup solution brings cloud integration, strong encryption, and cross-platform support to the table—all without costing a dime.

Why Consider Duplicati?

Traditional backup solutions like Cobian Backup served us well for years. But they were designed for an era of local storage. Today, with cloud storage being affordable and reliable, we need backup tools that understand modern infrastructure.

Duplicati bridges this gap. It works equally well with your local NAS and your Google Drive account, encrypting everything before it leaves your machine.

Key Features That Matter

Cloud Integration Done Right

Duplicati supports an impressive range of cloud storage services:

  • Major providers: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon S3
  • Specialized backup services: Backblaze B2, Wasabi, Azure Blob Storage
  • Self-hosted options: SFTP/SSH servers, FTP, WebDAV
  • Local storage: External drives, NAS devices, network shares

You can even configure multiple backup destinations for redundancy—your data goes to both your NAS and Backblaze, for instance.

Strong Encryption by Default

Before any file leaves your computer, Duplicati encrypts it with AES-256. You set the passphrase, and even if someone gains access to your cloud storage, they see only encrypted blocks. Without your passphrase, the data is useless.

Efficient Incremental Backups

The initial backup might take hours depending on your data size. After that, Duplicati only transfers changed portions of files—not entire files, but actual changed blocks. This makes daily backups fast and bandwidth-efficient.

Version History

Accidentally deleted a file last month? Duplicati keeps previous versions based on your retention policy. You can restore files from any point in your backup history, not just the latest snapshot.

Getting Started

Installation

Download Duplicati from the official website. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The installation is straightforward—just follow the prompts.

Web-Based Interface

Unlike traditional desktop applications, Duplicati runs as a service and you configure it through a web browser. After installation, navigate to:

http://localhost:8200

This approach has advantages: you can manage backups remotely, and the interface works identically across all platforms.

Creating Your First Backup Job

  1. Click “Add backup” in the web interface
  2. Choose a name and encryption passphrase (remember this—there’s no recovery)
  3. Select your destination (cloud service, local drive, network location)
  4. Choose folders to back up
  5. Set a schedule (daily, weekly, or custom)
  6. Configure retention policy

Cloud Service Authentication

For services like Google Drive or Dropbox, Duplicati handles OAuth authentication. You’ll be redirected to log in and grant access. For S3-compatible services, you’ll need access keys from your provider.

Database and Backup Handling

Duplicati maintains a local database to track what’s been backed up. This enables efficient incremental backups but requires some disk space. For large backup sets, plan for a few gigabytes of database space.

MS SQL Support

If you’re backing up databases, Duplicati can handle MS SQL backups. However, for production databases, consider using native backup tools first, then backing up the resulting dump files.

Real-World Performance

After months of running Duplicati with terabytes of data, a few observations:

What works well:

  • Initial setup is surprisingly intuitive
  • Incremental backups are genuinely fast
  • The restore process is reliable
  • Resource usage stays reasonable during backups

What to watch for:

  • Large backup sets (2TB+) can occasionally cause the job to hang
  • The local database can grow substantially
  • Initial cloud configuration requires some technical comfort

When jobs hang, a restart usually resolves the issue. It’s not perfect, but it’s free and works well for most scenarios.

Is Duplicati Right for You?

Great for:

  • Home users wanting encrypted cloud backup
  • Small businesses needing affordable backup
  • Tech-savvy users comfortable with web interfaces
  • Cross-platform environments (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Consider alternatives if:

  • You need enterprise features like centralized management
  • 24/7 support contracts are essential
  • You prefer traditional desktop applications
  • Your backup sets exceed 5TB

The Bottom Line

Duplicati proves that free software can compete with commercial backup solutions. It won’t replace Veeam in enterprise environments, but for personal use and small businesses, it’s remarkably capable. The combination of cloud integration, strong encryption, and zero cost makes it a worthy successor to the backup tools we’ve relied on for years.

Give it a try—your future self will thank you when you need to recover that accidentally deleted file.