For large backups, use Kopia for most home and small office setups, BorgBackup for Linux servers, and Duplicati when a simple web interface matters more than raw speed. Free online storage is fine for a few documents, but it breaks down fast with photos, video, virtual machines, and project archives. A standard Google account includes 15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail, and Photos [source: Google], which is tiny beside a 2 TB laptop or NAS.
TLDR: Kopia is the best all-round choice if you want encrypted, deduplicated backups to a NAS, SFTP server, or paid object storage. BorgBackup is tougher and cleaner for Linux servers, especially when you already use SSH. Duplicati is friendly for beginners, but large restore jobs and database repairs can be irritating. For example, a 1.8 TB photo library is 120 times larger than a 15 GB free cloud allowance, so the real question is not “free storage,” but which backup tool reduces risk without wasting your weekend.
Why free online storage is the wrong target
Free storage sounds useful until you try to back up real machines. A phone may hold 200 GB of video. A desktop can carry years of raw photos. A small business file share can pass 5 TB without trying. At that size, free accounts create bad habits: partial backups, manual copying, and no restore testing.
A better plan is simple: use backup software that compresses, encrypts, deduplicates, and verifies data. Then send those backups to storage you control. That might be a USB disk, a NAS, an SFTP server, or paid object storage. The software matters because it decides how much data moves after the first run, how safe the archive is, and how painful recovery feels.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Main strength | Main annoyance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duplicati | Home users who want a web UI | Many storage targets and easy scheduling | Large backup databases can become slow to repair |
| Kopia | Mixed systems and serious home labs | Fast snapshots, policies, GUI and CLI | New users must learn its repository model |
| BorgBackup | Linux servers and technical users | Reliable deduplication over SSH | Native Windows support is not its strong point |
Duplicati: easiest to start, not always easiest to fix
Duplicati is often the first tool people try. That makes sense. It has a browser-based interface, scheduling, encryption, compression, and support for many destinations. You can send backups to S3-compatible storage, Google Drive, OneDrive, WebDAV, FTP, SMB shares, and more.
It is a good fit when a nontechnical user needs to set up a backup job and stop thinking about command lines. The menus are clear. The storage options are broad. It also works across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The downside appears with very large sets. Duplicati keeps a local database that tracks backup blocks. If that database needs repair, expect to waste time on checks and rebuilds. Honestly, waiting while a backup tool rechecks a huge archive is the kind of dull pain that makes people skip maintenance. For small and medium jobs, it is fine. For multi-terabyte archives, test restores early.
Kopia: the strongest middle ground
Kopia feels like the modern option in this group. It supports encrypted, deduplicated snapshots and works with local disks, SFTP, cloud object storage, and several other back ends. It also offers both a desktop GUI and a command-line tool, so it can grow with the user.
Kopia is strong when you have different backup needs in one place. For example, one policy can protect a laptop’s documents every hour, while another keeps daily snapshots of a media folder. Its retention rules are practical. Its restore flow is also cleaner than many older tools.
The catch is that Kopia uses terms like repositories, snapshots, policies, and maintenance tasks. None of this is bad, but it adds a learning curve. Spend 30 minutes reading before trusting it with 4 TB of family photos. After that, it is probably the best pick for power users who still want a sane interface.
BorgBackup: serious, proven, and very server friendly
BorgBackup is a favorite among Linux admins for good reason. It is efficient, scriptable, and very good over SSH. It deduplicates data, compresses it, and can encrypt it before it leaves the machine. For servers, VPS systems, and Linux workstations, Borg is hard to beat.
Borg shines when backups are part of a routine. Cron jobs, systemd timers, SSH keys, and remote repositories all fit well. It is also excellent when many files change only slightly. Source code, documents, mail archives, and server configs are ideal cases.
Its weakness is comfort. Borg is mainly a command-line tool. That is not a flaw for admins, but it can scare off casual users. Windows users also have a harder time, unless they use workarounds such as WSL. If your whole setup is Linux, Borg is clean and dependable. If your family uses three Windows laptops, Kopia or Duplicati will be easier.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Duplicati if you want a friendly web interface, broad cloud support, and simple scheduled jobs.
- Choose Kopia if you want the best balance of speed, safety, GUI support, and long-term flexibility.
- Choose BorgBackup if your backups live on Linux servers and you are comfortable with scripts.
A practical large-backup plan
For a 2 TB home archive, start with the 3-2-1 rule: keep three copies, on two types of storage, with one copy off-site. Use Kopia to back up to a local NAS each night. Then replicate that repository to object storage or a second disk kept elsewhere. If you run Linux servers, use Borg over SSH to a storage box and run a monthly restore test.
Do not judge any tool by the first backup. The first run is always heavy. Judge it by the second week. Check how much data changed, how fast it scanned, and whether you can restore one folder without drama. A backup that cannot be restored is just expensive clutter.
Best overall: Kopia. Best for Linux servers: BorgBackup. Best for beginners: Duplicati. Free online storage is not a backup plan for large data. These tools are.
