Duplicati

beginner

Free backup software with encryption.

Overview

Duplicati is a free, open-source backup client that enables automated, encrypted backups to over 20 cloud storage backends including Amazon S3, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Backblaze B2, and SFTP servers. Originally developed in 2008, Duplicati has evolved into a comprehensive backup solution that combines strong AES-256 encryption with incremental backups, deduplication, and compression to minimize storage costs while maintaining security. The software features a user-friendly web interface that makes it accessible to non-technical users while providing advanced features for power users. This Docker deployment packages Duplicati in a lightweight container that can protect any data mounted into the container, whether it's personal files, application data, or entire system configurations. The containerized approach isolates the backup process from the host system while maintaining access to source data through bind mounts. Duplicati's incremental backup engine only transfers changed blocks, dramatically reducing bandwidth usage and backup windows compared to full backups. This setup is ideal for homelab enthusiasts, small businesses, and individuals who need reliable, encrypted backups without the complexity of enterprise solutions. Unlike command-line tools like Restic or Borg, Duplicati provides an intuitive web interface for configuring backup jobs, monitoring progress, and restoring files. The wide range of supported backends means users can leverage existing cloud storage subscriptions or mix multiple destinations for redundancy.

Key Features

AES-256 encryption with user-controlled passphrases protects data at rest and in transit
Incremental backups with block-level deduplication minimize storage usage and transfer time
Support for 20+ cloud backends including S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and SFTP
Web-based interface accessible at port 8200 for easy configuration and monitoring
Flexible scheduling engine with cron-like expressions for automated backup windows
Built-in compression using ZIP or 7Z formats to reduce backup size
Email notification system for backup success, failure, and warning alerts
File versioning with configurable retention policies to manage storage costs

Common Use Cases

1Homelab server backup to cloud storage with automated scheduling and monitoring
2Personal file backup from NAS or desktop systems to multiple cloud providers
3Small business data protection with encrypted backups to cost-effective cloud storage
4Docker volume and configuration backup for containerized application recovery
5Media library backup with compression to minimize cloud storage costs
6Cross-platform backup solution for mixed Windows, Linux, and macOS environments
7Compliance-focused backup with strong encryption for sensitive business data

Prerequisites

Minimum 512MB RAM available for Duplicati container operations
Port 8200 available for web interface access
Valid cloud storage account (S3, Google Drive, etc.) or SFTP server for backup destination
Source data directories properly mounted with appropriate read permissions
Sufficient disk space for temporary files during backup operations (typically 10% of source data size)
Basic understanding of backup retention policies and encryption key management

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  duplicati: 
3    image: linuxserver/duplicati:latest
4    container_name: duplicati
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    environment: 
7      PUID: 1000
8      PGID: 1000
9      TZ: UTC
10    volumes: 
11      - duplicati_config:/config
12      - /path/to/backups:/backups
13      - /path/to/source:/source:ro
14    ports: 
15      - "8200:8200"
16
17volumes: 
18  duplicati_config:

.env Template

.env

1# Configure your backup source and destination

Usage Notes

1Docs: https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-duplicati/
2Access at http://localhost:8200
3Supports 20+ backends: S3, B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, SFTP, etc.
4AES-256 encryption at rest - set strong passphrase
5Incremental and deduplicated backups save storage
6Schedule backups and configure retention policies

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  duplicati:
5    image: linuxserver/duplicati:latest
6    container_name: duplicati
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    environment:
9      PUID: 1000
10      PGID: 1000
11      TZ: UTC
12    volumes:
13      - duplicati_config:/config
14      - /path/to/backups:/backups
15      - /path/to/source:/source:ro
16    ports:
17      - "8200:8200"
18
19volumes:
20  duplicati_config:
21EOF
22
23# 2. Create the .env file
24cat > .env << 'EOF'
25# Configure your backup source and destination
26EOF
27
28# 3. Start the services
29docker compose up -d
30
31# 4. View logs
32docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/duplicati/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Database corruption errors after container restart: Stop container, delete corrupted database files in config volume, restart and reconfigure backup jobs
Backup fails with 'Access Denied' errors: Verify PUID/PGID environment variables match source file ownership and container has read access to mounted directories
Web interface shows 'Unable to connect to server': Check that port 8200 is properly exposed and not blocked by firewall, verify container is running and healthy
Cloud backend authentication failures: Regenerate API keys or OAuth tokens, ensure clock synchronization between container and cloud service
High memory usage during large backups: Increase container memory limits and reduce block size in advanced backup options to 1MB or smaller
Backup verification fails with hash mismatches: Check for storage corruption at destination, run database repair utility, and verify network stability during transfers

Community Notes

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