#KopiaLens vs Borg

BorgBackup is a mature deduplicating archiver, popular on Linux servers, with front ends such as Vorta and Pika on the desktop and Borg UI in the browser. KopiaLens is a backup app on the Kopia engine that also runs on Windows, shows you what's inside your backups, and takes out what shouldn't be there.

	KopiaLens	Borg
What it is	A backup app that shows what is inside your backups	A deduplicating archiver with separate GUIs
Works with	Kopia repositories	Borg repositories
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker and NAS, Home Assistant, browser	Linux and macOS; no native Windows. Vorta: macOS and Linux. Borg UI: Linux host or Docker, in a browser
Scheduled backups	Built in, per policy	Cron or systemd, Vorta, Pika or Borg UI
Browse and restore	Yes, in the app	CLI, Vorta, Pika or Borg UI
Per-folder size after dedup	Yes	No
Reclaimable space and removal previews	Yes	No
Remove files from old archives	Pro, guided with previews	borg recreate --exclude, then borg compact
Price (November 2026)	Free; Pro $20/year or $50 lifetime at launch pricing	Borg and Vorta free; Borg UI Community free, Lite EUR 49/year, Pro EUR 79/year, Enterprise EUR 399/year

#What KopiaLens adds

• Windows, macOS and Linux. Plus Docker, NAS and Home Assistant, or any browser.
• One app. Schedules, restore, verify, alerts and maintenance in one place, with no separate command line, scheduler and GUI to put together.
• Where the space goes. Real folder sizes after deduplication, reclaimable space, churn, search across snapshots and retention simulation.
• Guided removal (Pro). Take a folder out of every snapshot with a preview before anything is deleted, instead of composing recreate and compact commands.

#What Borg does well

• A long track record. Borg has been around since 2015 and grew out of Attic, from 2010. Many self-hosted communities have recommended it for years.
• Append-only repositories. A server-side append-only repository limits what a stolen client key can delete, a real advantage against ransomware and compromised clients.
• Compact and fast. Strong compression and deduplication, and a mature maintenance model.
• A strong Linux and macOS ecosystem. Borgmatic, BorgBase hosted repositories, Vorta, Pika and Borg UI.
• Free at the core. Borg and Vorta are free. Borg UI's Community plan covers the full backup workflow for up to five users; its paid plans add cloud mirrors, agents, container backups, reports and team features.

#Who should pick which

Pick Borg for Linux and macOS servers, for append-only repositories, or if you already use Borgmatic, BorgBase, Vorta or Borg UI. Vorta is the simple desktop option, and Borg UI suits teams.

Pick KopiaLens on Windows, or when you want to see what's inside a backup that has grown and clean it up. It isn't a Borg front end: it reads Kopia repositories only.

#Switching

KopiaLens can't open a Borg repository, and Borg can't open a Kopia one. Start a new Kopia repository and keep Borg for the old archives until they expire. There's no conversion tool, so pick a time when a fresh full backup is fine.

The backup app is free. Pro, for guided removal, costs $20 a year or $50 lifetime at launch pricing. Download KopiaLens or see the plans.

Prices and product facts checked November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email support@kopialens.com and we'll fix it.