Greatest Mac backup software program 2025: Prime backup software program for Mac in contrast

We’re beginning with Apple’s Time Machine software program as a result of it’s included with each Mac. However that doesn’t essentially imply will probably be the best choice for you.

Time Machine is a dependable instrument for native backups of Macs, offering a full-sized preliminary backup of each file on the Mac and incremental backups all through the day so long as the Mac is connected to a chosen Time Machine exterior drive. That drive might be disconnected and used as an exterior drive for different computer systems or paired with a number of Macs for backups.

The primary backup takes the longest whereas each file on the Mac is rolled into the Time Machine backup, however it will get faster from there. Time Machine’s Restore operate permits customers to open and scroll via previous backups to find and restore information, which is helpful if one thing was unintentionally deleted otherwise you made modifications to a file and wish to return to an earlier model.

When paired with Apple’s Migration Assistant, porting information and consumer profiles from an previous Mac to a brand new one is easy. When importing a Time Machine backup to a brand new Mac, Time Machine inherits earlier backups as nicely.

For safety, customers can designate a password to encrypt their Time Machine backups and there are reminders in regards to the variety of days for the reason that final backup that encourage you to maintain it plugged in.

Nonetheless, Time Machine is extra geared in direction of exterior exhausting drives, which might be misplaced, broken, or stolen, and it depends on mentioned drive being linked to your Mac (you might use a NAS drive). It’s best to have each an area and safe off-site copy of your information, and the web backup market has grown over the previous few years with companies like iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Field.

Regardless of its limitations, Time Machine is a wonderful answer for native backups of Macs. Whereas it requires an exterior exhausting drive linked to the Mac for constant performance, it presents glorious safety constructed into the working system.

ChronoSync for macOS, from Econ Applied sciences, may give those that need it tighter management over their backup choices in a format that doesn’t overwhelm. The software program is predicated on a number of core modules together with Dwelling Folder Backup, Knowledge Quantity, Synchronize Two Folders, A number of Folder Backup, Bootable Backup, Backup to a Disk Picture, and Folder Backup.

Merely choose your required operate from the ChronoSync Organizer/residence display screen. For instance, choose the duty you need to create, specify your settings (e.g. folders you need to copy over, file sorts to repeat, a schedule, and so on.), and hit “Synchronize”.

Synchronizations will also be set as much as simulate capabilities. For the really die-hard and geeky, rule-based copies and duties might be arrange. 

You possibly can readily again as much as NAS and file servers, this system supporting Apple’s HFS+ and APFS file codecs in addition to others. ChronoSync additionally helps backing as much as Google Cloud and Amazon storage.

For customers trying to make bootable clones, that is simply as simple as what SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner have turn out to be recognized for. Select a supply quantity, select a goal quantity, hit “Synchronize,” let the method run. ChronoSync can create two forms of bootable clones: normal and mirrored. The previous creates a bootable system on the vacation spot quantity, leaving different information on the quantity intact. Mirror replaces the whole contents of the vacation spot quantity with information from the supply.

A readily-accessible guide presents fast entry to a guidebook that is useful and there’s easy accessibility to the corporate’s ticketing system do you have to require tech help. 

The place value and choices are involved, ChronoSync presents one thing legitimate on your cash. There’s additionally a entry-level ChronoSync Categorical bundle that’s a part of the SetApp bundle (reviewed right here: SetApp assessment). The corporate additionally presents a 15-day trial with out requiring a credit score or debit card.

Bombich Software program’s Carbon Copy Cloner has been a well-liked utility for cloning information on Macs because it launched in 2002. It helps HFS+ and APFS drive codecs, native volumes, and NAS-enabled networks. Nonetheless, it can’t again up Home windows file codecs, optical media, web-based platforms, or Apple’s Time Machine platforms.

Carbon Copy Cloner has a complete consumer interface, and customizable filters and grants entry to configuration choices like disk encryption, activity notes, and bandwidth configuration for NAS backups. Different instruments, comparable to scheduling, might be carried out with out difficulty. The duty supervisor permits customers to avoid wasting and configure a number of backup duties. A scripting function permits customized scripts to be loaded and activated as wanted.

The SafetyNet function permits for drive formatting or stopping processes earlier than overwriting information on a quantity. Nonetheless, there are some weak factors, together with Apple’s lack of openness and the necessity for bootable exterior volumes. Making a bootable exterior quantity in Carbon Copy Cloner is at present a hit-or-miss proposition, with makes an attempt at making a bootable exterior quantity failing because of Apple’s protocols. Different utilities face the identical points.

Carbon Copy Cloner pairs nicely with utilities like Time Machine, Apple’s Migration Assistant, and SuperDuper!. The corporate’s buyer help is pleasant and speedy, and the software program presents fast entry to assist guides. A supportive group and frequent developer updates are one other bonus. If Carbon Copy Cloner just isn’t in your arsenal of helpful utilities, it’s best to obtain it and provides it a strive. There’s a full-featured 30-day trial. 

SuperDuper! (model 3.8 on the time of this assessment) is a well-liked Mac cloning and restoration app that’s simple to put in. It helps APFS and HFS+ file codecs and might be custom-made to suit particular person wants. Along with cloning, the app helps scheduling and permits customers to specify information to be copied over, together with Unix-specific components like consumer folders, shared customers, shared customers and functions, and backup information.

SuperDuper! simply restores information from one quantity to a different, which is less complicated than utilizing Apple’s restoration choices in macOS’s Disk Utility. The consumer interface shows the variety of information copied, copy pace, information evaluated, time elapsed, and quantity of knowledge moved from the supply quantity to the goal quantity. Customers can edit offered scripts or write their very own, select between strategies comparable to Complete Backup and Good Backup, and arrange occasions like permission repairs earlier than a replica begins, scripts to execute after a replica has accomplished, and for the Mac to eject the goal quantity, shut down, fall asleep, or give up SuperDuper! as soon as the copy is finished.

Nonetheless, SuperDuper! has room for enchancment. For instance, it may well’t again as much as community volumes and it doesn’t help FAT, exFAT, or NTFS for Home windows and Linux volumes. We hope that the community backup comes with an additional replace.

We like the truth that SuperDuper! retails for a one-time cost fairly than on a subscription plan You should use it at no cost, however it is advisable to pay to unlock scheduling, sensible updates, and another options.

Over time, Shirt Pocket has constantly offered stable updates, pinned down bugs, supported new protocols launched by Apple, and communicated nicely via its tech help and advertising and marketing. General, SuperDuper! is a dependable native cloning and restoration app for the Mac that may be readily custom-made and scripted, and is great worth.

lDrive is a backup utility that handles each native and internet/cloud-based backups (much like Backblaze and Carbonite). It lets you regularly backup your whole drive to the cloud, whereas additionally letting you drag and drop information to the cloud to entry remotely. lDrive additionally lets you again up exterior exhausting drives.

lDrive’s consumer interface may be very simple. Your Desktop, Paperwork, Music and Footage folders are robotically chosen for backup, together with the contents of ~/Library/Mail.

Options like Rewind and Snapshots permit you to restore from earlier variations of information or snapshots of the whole information set.

So as to add different folders, click on ‘Change’ on the backside of the window – that’s not precisely intuitive. You possibly can add movies to the backup, however finding them in lDrive’s interface might be difficult.

Each scheduling and restoring are simple, nevertheless. As is selecting an area drive because the vacation spot for a backup instead of lDrive’s servers.

All information is encrypted, with the choice to set your personal non-public encryption key.

You have got the selection of restoring by having information bodily shipped to you. That is free for the primary restore every year, however in case you are based mostly exterior the US you’ll must pay for delivery.

The subscription-based tier system presents a free Primary account with 10GB of on-line disk house at no cost with no credit score or debit card required. That 10GB free tier permits for native backups and is fairly beneficiant, however the true steal is the IDrive Mini plan, which, for lower than 3 bucks a yr, offers you entry to 100GB of storage.

lDrive’s free tier and the power to unfold your information allocation within the paid tiers throughout a number of computer systems makes it engaging. General, although, it’s costly for a single machine.

Get Backup Professional by BeLight Software program is straightforward to obtain, set up into the Functions folder, and run (though we did encounter a couple of issues assigning full disk entry).

The consumer interface retains issues easy, scheduling full backups, cloning, and incremental backups labored like a attraction, and a slate of customization choices permits for particular information and folders to be chosen and app information to be added to the backup/clone course of.

The spectacular stage of customization makes it simple to set duties up, whereas a wonderful restoration system put in information the place it wanted to be with out fail. Get Backup Professional to be very succesful, operating flawlessly beneath macOS Sequoia.

The software program is priced nicely and can be out there via MacPaw’s SetApp subscription service. The choice of a 30-day demo offers you time to mess around with it, and the licensing is versatile.

Get Backup Professional presents a pleasant array of choices past what Apple’s free Time Machine utility provide and is great for the informal consumer and the house market.

Mac Backup Guru presents what’s anticipated from a backup utility when it comes to core backup and archival functionalities and works to take it a step additional.

It presents each a synchronized clone backup, which may create normal copies of folders and drives in addition to incremental backups that monitor modifications and again up the modifications (like Time Machine does).

The appliance’s simply customizable settings provide tight management over features comparable to setting the supply and vacation spot volumes, and you may decide and select particular volumes and folders to incorporate and exclude. The scheduler function works like a attraction.

Apple’s Time Machine will create snapshots of your exhausting drive at totally different occasions all through the day, however there’s option to management when these are created or once they’re deleted. Mac Backup Guru presents this function. Moreover, the variety of current snapshots might be designated as nicely earlier than older snapshots are deleted.

There’s additionally backup/cloning function that faucets into iCloud-related instruments and makes a replica of all of your iCloud-based information to assist full the cloned quantity.

Nonetheless, there’s room for enchancment. For instance, the app doesn’t verify how a lot house it’ll want for a replica, leaving you rolling the cube as as to if you’ve sufficient house on the vacation spot drive for the total copy.

Mac Backup Guru is an easy-to-use backup instrument that retains choices and settings to a minimal whereas providing a number of helpful options. It’s additionally good worth – on the time of writing it was on provide for lower than $9/£7.51, a big low cost on its normal $29/£24.15 value.

Backblaze is a web based, offsite backup service that lets you again up your Mac to its servers robotically or in response to a schedule you set.

Backblaze backs up the contents of your Paperwork, Footage, Motion pictures and Music folders, however excludes your Functions folder. Backblaze additionally excludes some file sorts from being backed up, comparable to .dmg disk photos – that restriction might be switched off, nevertheless.

Backups are saved for 30 days, so you possibly can restore from any that ran throughout that point. As you’d anticipate, backups are incremental so solely information which have modified because it final ran are copied. Knowledge is encrypted and you may optionally add a six-digit passcode to offer a further layer of safety.

Relating to restoring your information, you’ve three choices: you possibly can restore through Backblaze’s internet interface or you possibly can have information despatched to you on a USB stick or exhausting drive for a further charge. And there’s a 100% refund for those who return the USB stick or exhausting drive inside 30 days, although you’ll must pay delivery and taxes.

You possibly can view particular person information and select which of them to obtain. And you’ll view and share backed up information on an iPhone or iPad with the Backblaze cell app.

The Find your Laptop service tracks your Mac’s location that will help you discover it if it’s stolen – much like Discover My. If a misplaced Mac remains to be operating backups your Mac can inform you its present IP handle and present you latterly backed-up information.

Backblaze’s consumer interface includes a menu bar merchandise and a System Preferences pane. Nonetheless, that pane is extra like a completely fledged software, with choices to exclude information, add folders and disks to the backup, and throttle bandwidth. It’s easy and really Mac-like.

When you solely have to again up one Mac, and notably if you wish to again up exterior disks, Backblaze’s simplicity and value give it the sting over Carbonite and IDrive.

With Backblaze your information is saved in safe information centres and two-factor authentication provides an additional stage of safety.

Acronis True Picture for Mac works as a customizable backup utility in addition to an antiviral/anti-malware app. It begins at $49.99/£42.99 per yr for the Necessities model that features one laptop with native backup and anti-ransomware. You possibly can pay extra for cloud based mostly backups, which is why we additionally embrace it in our spherical up of cloud-based Mac backup apps.

You’ll discover Backup, Safety, Disk Cloning, and Archive modules. The Backup module lets you designate supply and vacation spot volumes in addition to select which information are backed up and to the place. It’s simple to create exclusion lists as to which information can by bypassed in the case of backing up, and the scheduling function labored nicely.

The Backup module additionally results in True Picture’s Acronis Survival Package, which permits for a bootable backup drive to be created that your Mac can boot and set up a brand new working system from.

The Disk Cloning module works nicely, and makes fast copies of volumes as wanted. The Archive module lets you offload native information to Acronis’ cloud construction, which is helpful for releasing up native house.

The Safety module provided a very good diploma of antiviral safety, catching a minimum of 23 potential threats from a pattern archive off the bat.

Sadly, throughout our testing there have been bugs that couldn’t be prevented and consumer interface components that had been both inconvenient or wanted an entire total.