#KopiaLens vs Synology Hyper Backup

Synology Hyper Backup is the built-in backup app of Synology DSM: it keeps multi-version file backups of a NAS's shared folders and packages, in a compact, encrypted format. KopiaLens is a backup app on the Kopia engine that can run in Docker on that same NAS, backs up on a schedule, and shows what is inside the backups in ways Hyper Backup does not: real folder sizes after deduplication, search across every version, and cleanup inside old backups.

	KopiaLens	Synology Hyper Backup
What it is	A backup app that shows what is inside your backups	The built-in multi-version backup app of Synology DSM
Works with	Kopia repositories	Hyper Backup's own .hbk format
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker and NAS, Home Assistant, browser	Backup runs on Synology NAS (DSM); reader apps for Windows, macOS and Linux
Scheduled backups	Yes, built in, per policy	Yes
Backup scope	Files and folders on any machine	Shared folders, package data and system configuration on the NAS; also LUNs and entire-system backup (DSx18+ models, DSM 7.2+)
Deduplication	Yes, Kopia content-based	Yes, file-level on folder and package backups; block-level on entire-system backups
Encryption	Yes, end-to-end; the password never leaves the machine	Yes, client-side AES-256
Browse and restore	Yes, in the app	Yes: DSM's Backup Explorer, or the free Hyper Backup Explorer desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux
Per-folder size after dedup	Yes	No
Reclaimable space and removal previews	Yes	No
Remove files from old snapshots	Pro, guided with previews	Delete whole versions, or lock versions against rotation
Price (November 2026)	Free; Pro $20/year or $50 lifetime at launch pricing	Free with DSM; storage at your destinations, Synology C2 cloud sold separately

#What KopiaLens adds

• One app for the NAS and the PCs. The same Kopia repository can hold the NAS shares (run KopiaLens in Docker on the NAS) and your computers. Hyper Backup protects the NAS alone.
• Where the space goes. Per-folder physical size after deduplication, what is safe to remove, churn, and retention simulation. Hyper Backup reports version sizes, not folder costs.
• Search every version. Find any version of any file in one search.
• Guided removal (Pro). Take a folder out of every snapshot with a preview, instead of keeping or deleting whole versions.
• Storage you choose, readers you choose. Back up to B2, S3, Azure, Google Cloud, WebDAV, SFTP or rclone targets, and open the same repository in KopiaUI or the kopia command line on any machine.
• What isn't backed up. See folders on the machine that no backup covers.

#What Synology Hyper Backup does well

• Built in. No licence, no extra machine: pick a destination, pick a schedule, done. It backs up installed package data, and the system configuration along with it.
• A real version history. Up to 65,535 versions on folder and package tasks, with custom rotation policies, Smart Recycle and per-version locking.
• Solid engineering. Client-side AES-256 encryption, file-level deduplication and incremental backups, integrity checks on data and index, and interrupted tasks resume instead of restarting.
• Many destinations. Local and external volumes, another Synology via Hyper Backup Vault, rsync, Synology C2, Dropbox, Google Drive, Azure, OpenStack Swift and S3-compatible storage.
• Restore without the NAS. DSM's Backup Explorer restores single files from any version; the free Hyper Backup Explorer desktop app reads .hbk archives on any Windows, macOS or Linux machine.
• Mature. Years of releases, documentation and forum answers behind Synology's default backup tool.

#Who should pick which

Pick Synology Hyper Backup if you want the zero-setup built-in tool for your Synology, app-aware package backup, or entire-system backup to a same-or-newer Synology.

Pick KopiaLens when you want to know what is inside those backups, run the same backups off the Synology too, or take one folder out of every version without deleting history. It runs in Docker on the Synology itself.

#Switching

Hyper Backup archives are .hbk files that only Synology's own tools read, and KopiaLens cannot open them. Moving means a new Kopia repository for the NAS shares - run KopiaLens in Docker on the NAS - and keeping Hyper Backup for the old archives until their retention expires. Hyper Backup Explorer stays free for reading the old archives after you switch.

The backup app is free. Pro, for cleanup, 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.