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Kopia vs Arq

Kopia and Arq both land on Worth it.

Kopia

kopia.io

Worth it
Confidence: Medium

Free, fast, encrypted open-source backup that technical users and self-hosters love.

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Arq

arqbackup.com

Worth it
Confidence: Medium

Buy if you're comfortable picking a storage provider and want cheap, encrypted Mac/PC backups you control.

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Kopia versus Arq
CompareKopiaArq
VerdictWorth itWorth it
Best forSelf-hosters and NAS ownersMac/Windows users with existing cloud storage
Who it's not forNon-technical users wanting set-and-forget backups . use Backblaze or Time MachineAnyone wanting one-click, flat-rate unlimited backup
PrivacyEncrypted by default; one critical server RCE (CVE-2026-45695) fixed in 0.23.0 . run the latest version.⁷No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.12
Support qualityCommunity forums only; no paid supportNo support evidence found
Public sentimentOverwhelmingly positive among self-hosters and technical users who praise its speed, with a minority reporting defaults and performance issues.³Forum users report years of reliable backups and built-in encryption, with occasional grumbling about pricing.13
Biggest gotchaPatch to 0.23.0+ before running Kopia server; unauthenticated RCE (CVE-2026-45695)Overage billing at $0.0059/GB monthly beyond 1TB; large media libraries add up fast11

Pick Kopia when

  • Self-hosters and NAS owners
  • Multi-OS households and small offices
  • Developers backing up to S3/B2
  • Privacy-focused users wanting encrypted dedup

When Kopia is not a fit

  • Non-technical users wanting set-and-forget backups . use Backblaze or Time Machine
  • Businesses needing vendor SLAs and support contracts
  • Anyone who won't promptly patch an internet-exposed Kopia server
  • Guess: enterprises needing certified compliance and managed backup

Pick Arq when

  • Mac/Windows users with existing cloud storage
  • Privacy-focused users wanting client-side encryption
  • Photographers with large external drives
  • Long-term hands-off personal backup

When Arq is not a fit

  • Anyone wanting one-click, flat-rate unlimited backup
  • Teams needing centralized admin consoles and user management
  • People unwilling to choose and manage a storage provider
  • Phone- or tablet-only users; Mac/Windows only

Sources

  1. Kopia official sitekopia.io
    official
  2. Kopia GitHub repositorygithub.com
    official
  3. Kopia is brilliant : r/selfhostedreddit.com
    review
  4. Kopia is by far the fastest backup tool . LowEndTalklowendtalk.com
    review
  5. MakeUseOf: open-source backup reviewmakeuseof.com
    review
  6. Kopia Backup RCE Vulnerability . Orca Securityorca.security
    security
  7. CVE-2026-45695 . NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  8. Dangerous default settings cause backup failures . GitHub issuegithub.com
    review
  9. Duplicati vs Duplicacy vs Kopia vs Vorta comparisonforum.duplicati.com
    review
  10. macOS backups with Kopia and Backblazehmarr.com
    review
  11. Arq official sitearqbackup.com
    official
  12. Arq security page (no content found)arqbackup.com
    security
  13. Reddit r/selfhosted: What are you guys using to backup your computers?reddit.com
    review
  14. MacRumors: How to encrypt your data before cloud backupforums.macrumors.com
    review
  15. Mastodon: 50GB backed up for 50cbne.social
    review
  16. Stimpunks field guide: Backup and Passwordsstimpunks.org
    review