Kopia: Fast, Secure Backups for Developers
Backups are one of those things we all know we should do, but often put off because the tools feel clunky or slow. Enter Kopia – an open-source backup tool that’s fast, secure, and built with developers in mind. With over 10k stars on GitHub, it’s clearly solving a pain point for a lot of people.
What It Does
Kopia is a cross-platform backup tool (Windows, macOS, Linux) that handles everything from incremental backups to client-side encryption. It’s designed to be lightweight but powerful, offering:
- Fast, incremental backups – Only changes are uploaded after the first backup.
- End-to-end encryption – Your data stays private, even if stored on third-party services.
- Compression & deduplication – Saves space by avoiding redundant data.
- CLI and GUI options – Use it however you prefer.
Why It’s Cool
Most backup tools are either too slow or too opaque. Kopia stands out because:
- It’s developer-friendly – Configure policies in JSON, automate via CLI, or use the GUI for quick checks.
- Works with cloud storage – Back up to Google Drive, S3, Azure Blob, and more.
- Open-source and self-hostable – No vendor lock-in, no hidden costs.
- Efficient storage – Deduplication means you’re not wasting space on repeated files.
How to Try It
Getting started is straightforward:
- Install: Grab the latest release from GitHub or run:
brew install kopia # macOS choco install kopia # Windows - Initialize a repo:
kopia repository create filesystem --path ~/backups - Back up a folder:
kopia snapshot create ~/Documents
For more details, check the official docs.
Final Thoughts
Kopia feels like a backup tool built by developers, for developers. It’s fast, doesn’t get in your way, and gives you full control over where and how your data is stored. If you’ve been putting off setting up backups (or hate your current solution), this is worth a look.
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