Use Duplicati to Backup Your Data to Z1 Storage (Windows, macOS, Linux)

17 June 2026 Backup Clients

Duplicati encrypting data client-side before upload to Z1 Storage

Duplicati is free, open-source backup software for Windows, macOS and Linux that encrypts your data client-side with AES-256 before uploading it — an excellent match for Z1 Storage. This guide covers the current Duplicati 2.2 release, which ships with a completely redesigned interface.

Z1 Storage settings at a glance: Storage type: S3 Compatible | Server: s3.z1storage.com | Use SSL: yes | Access keys: from your client area

Download and install Duplicati

Download Duplicati from duplicati.com — installers are available for Windows, macOS, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora/RedHat and Synology. Run the installer and launch Duplicati; the control panel opens in your web browser (by default at localhost:8200).

Create your backup job

  1. Click Add backup and choose Configure a new backup.

  2. General: name the backup and set a strong passphrase. Duplicati encrypts everything with AES-256 before upload — but that passphrase is the only key. If you lose it, your backups are unreadable. Store it somewhere safe now.

  3. Destination: configure Z1 Storage as follows:

    • Storage type: S3 Compatible
    • Use SSL: ticked
    • Server: s3.z1storage.com
    • Bucket name: the bucket you created in your Z1 client area
    • Bucket create region: leave blank
    • Storage class: leave blank
    • Folder path: optional subfolder for this machine, e.g. workstation-pc
    • AWS Access ID / AWS Access Key: your Z1 Storage keys
    • Client library: Amazon AWS SDK

    Click Test connection — if Duplicati suggests the bucket name should start with a username, dismiss it (choose No); Z1 bucket names don't need a prefix. You should see a success message.

  4. Source data: tick the folders you want to protect.

  5. Schedule: choose how often the backup runs — daily outside working hours suits most machines.

  6. Options: the defaults are sensible. Backup retention is worth a deliberate choice: Smart backup retention keeps a sensible thinning set of daily, weekly and monthly versions; a custom policy works too.

Save the job, then click Run now on the home screen for the first backup. Initial runs upload everything; every run after that is incremental, deduplicated and compressed, so day-to-day backups are small and quick.

Restore and verify

Use the Restore menu to browse versions and pull back files — test this after your first backup completes. Duplicati also verifies backup samples automatically after each run, and you can run a deeper integrity check from the job's Advanced menu at any time.

Notes

  • Duplicati 2.2 lets you switch between the new and classic interface if you prefer the old layout — the settings above are the same in both.
  • The passphrase warning bears repeating: client-side encryption means we cannot help you recover data without it.
  • Pair Duplicati's retention with bucket versioning or an Object Lock-enabled bucket for extra protection against tampering.

That's it — free software, strong client-side encryption, and POPIA-friendly storage in South Africa. Sign up and test your first backup against 10GB free.

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