News

31 Greatest Free Backup Software program Instruments (October 2022)


What We Like

  • Permits you to again up the system partition.

  • You possibly can add safety to your backups.

  • Discovering information in a backup is straightforward.

  • Permits you to tweak a number of settings.

  • Helps a number of backup strategies.

  • Permits you to restore the system partition even and not using a restoration disc.

  • Backs up complete HDDs, particular partitions, and particular person information and folders.

What We Do not Like

  • Cannot join e-mail notifications.

  • Does not assist event-based backups.

  • Cannot allow file exclusions.

EaseUS Todo Backup can again up particular person information and/or complete folders to and from a location on a neighborhood drive or community folder, in addition to save backups to a free cloud storage service (they even offer you free on-line storage on their very own servers, when you want it). Along with explicit, customized content material, this system also can again up a whole disk, partition, or system drive.

Whereas scheduling a backup, or as soon as one has accomplished, you’ll be able to run an incremental, differential, or full backup on the identical knowledge.

Backups aren’t readable from File Explorer, so you have to use EaseUS Todo Backup to view the info. Extra particularly, you’ll be able to double-click the backup file to open it in this system, the place it appears to be like like File Explorer and is simply as straightforward to make use of, however you must have this system put in to be able to open the backup. A timeline of backups is proven in order that it is easy to decide on a selected time from which to revive information.

You possibly can restore complete folders and/or particular person information to their authentic location or a customized one.

It additionally permits altering the file compression of a backup, limiting the backup pace and precedence, preserving safety settings throughout a backup, splitting an archive right into a smaller part, password defending a backup, and scheduling a backup on a one-time, each day, weekly, or month-to-month foundation.

This system is appropriate with Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, and Home windows Vista.




What We Like

  • Backups are condensed into one single file

  • You’ve got full management over what will get backed up, to the file stage

  • It is very easy to make use of

  • Permits you to encrypt and compress the backup, amongst different choices

  • Can again up intelligently to keep away from capturing unused area

  • Gives scheduling choices

  • Helps cloning exhausting drives

What We Do not Like

  • Some settings present in different backup packages are lacking on this one

  • You possibly can’t pause backups, solely utterly cease them

4 backup sorts are supported with AOMEI Backupper Customary: disk backup, partition backup, file/folder backup, and system backup. It’s also possible to clone a partition or complete disk to a different drive.

All backed up knowledge, regardless of the sort, is held in a single single file, which will be saved to a neighborhood or exterior drive in addition to a shared community folder.

AOMEI Backupper helps encrypting a backup with a password, setting a customized compression stage, receiving e-mail notifications as soon as backups have accomplished, splitting a backup into items of a customized dimension (like for CDs and DVDs), and selecting between an actual backup (copies used and unused area) or an clever sector backup (simply backs up used area).

Scheduling is supported, so you’ll be able to select to run a backup on one event solely or day-after-day, week, or month, in addition to at a continuing interval all through the day. Superior settings can be found to decide on a full, incremental, or differential backup.

We significantly just like the restore perform. You are in a position to mount a backed-up picture as a neighborhood drive and search by way of the info as if it had been really in File/Home windows Explorer. You possibly can even copy out particular person information and folders. As an alternative of exploring a backup, you may also restore all the info with just some clicks.

Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP customers can set up AOMEI Backupper Customary.




What We Like

  • Plenty of choices to actually customise the backup

  • Exact scheduling choices

  • Again up and save to a number of areas

  • Open a program routinely earlier than/after a backup

  • Superior filters

  • Additionally free commercially.

What We Do not Like

  • Not as enticing as another backup packages

  • Restoration is not an possibility in this system; you must manually restore information from the vacation spot folder

Cobian Reflector can again up information, drives, and folders to and from all the next areas: native disk, FTP server, community share, exterior drive, or a handbook location. All or any of those locations can be utilized alongside the others for each the supply and backup location.

A full, differential, or incremental backup can be utilized. It additionally helps routinely eradicating empty folders from a backup and using Quantity Shadow Copy.

You possibly can arrange this system to encrypt and/or compress a backup into particular person archives for every file, do a easy copy with out archiving something, or archive your entire supply location into one file. If compressing a backup, you even have the choice to configure splitting it into smaller sections, which is beneficial if utilizing the information on one thing like a CD.

Scheduling a backup will be very exact. Cobian Reflector can run a backup job as soon as, on startup, each day, weekly, month-to-month, yearly, or on a timer that runs each so many minutes.

A number of choices can be found for launching duties earlier than and/or after a backup job runs, a few of which embrace beginning a program, stopping a service, hibernating the pc, and working a customized command.

This program additionally helps selecting a backup precedence, working a job as a distinct person, sending failed/success logs to a number of e-mail addresses, and defining superior filtering choices to incorporate/exclude knowledge from a backup.

Sadly, There are not any restore choices wanting simply searching the backup folder and pulling out the information.

It really works with Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, and Home windows Vista. Home windows Server editions are supported too.






What We Like

  • Walks you thru a wizard to create a backup

  • Distinctive methods to retailer the backup

  • It can save you the backup to a cloud storage service

  • Helps encryption

  • Backups can run on a set schedule

  • Permits you to outline a backup by the information’ dimension and extension

What We Do not Like

  • Cannot carry out a system partition backup or a full disk backup

FileFort Backup helps you to again up information to a BKZ file, self-extracting EXE file, ZIP file, or an everyday mirror backup that merely copies the information to the vacation spot.

A wizard walks you thru the backup course of that will help you specify what information must be backed up and the place they need to go. You possibly can again up a number of folders and/or particular person information to an exterior drive, CD/DVD/Blu-ray, community folders, or one other folder on the identical drive because the supply information.

When selecting knowledge to incorporate in a backup, you are in a position to filter the information to solely embrace ones which might be below a sure dimension and/or a selected file sort.

You possibly can encrypt a backup, schedule backups each day or weekly, and optionally run missed ones at startup.

Restoring a backup provides you the choice to revive to the unique location or a brand new one.

macOS (10.5 by way of 10.14) and Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP customers can set up FileFort Backup.


A number of different packages attempt to set up throughout setup, and you have to manually deselect them if you don’t need them in your laptop.



What We Like

  • Choosing what to again up is straightforward

  • Fascinating methods to set off a backup job

  • Helps wildcards and conditional statements

  • Permits you to restore solely the information which have been modified for the reason that backup

  • Helps a number of different options like encryption

What We Do not Like

  • All backed up knowledge is saved to a ZIP archive with out an possibility for one more format

  • You possibly can’t password shield this system itself

BackUp Maker can again up particular person information and/or folders on to a disc, on a neighborhood or exterior exhausting drive, FTP server, or community folder.

Easy choice helps you to select widespread information and areas to again up, corresponding to web browser bookmarks, music, and movies.

Knowledge will be included or excluded from a backup by folder or file title, in addition to through the use of superior filtering choices with the usage of wildcards.

Backups made with BackUp Maker will be restricted to run on sure days of the week or month, can launch when you go online or off, will be scheduled to run each so-many minutes, and might even be routinely launched provided that a sure USB gadget is plugged in.

Conditional settings will be set like solely working a backup if a selected file or folder is discovered wherever on a neighborhood, exterior, or community location. You are additionally given the selection to run a backup provided that information have modified since a sure date, throughout the final so-many days, or for the reason that final full backup.

When restoring a backup, you’ll be able to select any location in your laptop and optionally choose to solely again up new information.

BackUp Maker additionally helps encryption, splitting of the backed up information, pre/publish duties, working missed duties, customized compression, and assigning shortcut keys to run backups with out opening this system interface.

One factor we do not like is that password safety is not an included characteristic.

This backup software program is supported on Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP, in addition to Home windows Server 2019-2003.




What We Like

  • Saves every little thing to only two simply manageable information

  • May again up unused disk area

  • Helps splitting the backup into a number of items

  • Permits you to clone one drive to a different

  • Features a bootable program that may restore the system partition

What We Do not Like

  • Should use the command line to schedule backups

  • Begins a backup with little warning

  • Cannot restore a backup to a drive that is smaller than the unique

  • Unable to guard a backup with a password

  • Final up to date in 2016

DriveImage XML can again up the system drive or every other hooked up drive, to only two information that may then be saved on a community folder, native disk, or exterior drive.

A DAT file is made that accommodates the precise knowledge that is on the drive whereas a small XML file is constructed to maintain descriptive data relating to the backup.

Earlier than a backup is carried out, you’ll be able to select to additionally again up unused area, to compress the information, and/or to separate the backup into smaller sections. If splitting a backup into items, you’re unable to specify the dimensions of the slices, which is unlucky.

You possibly can restore a backup picture onto a tough drive (that is the identical dimension or bigger as the unique) or flick thru the backup utilizing DriveImage XML. You are in a position to extract out particular person information, search by way of the backup, and even immediately launch some information with out restoring every little thing.

Scheduling a backup is supported, however it’s carried out solely with command line parameters, which is beneficial if utilizing Process Scheduler to automate a backup.

DriveImage XML also can again up, or clone, one drive to a different with out creating a picture file. This technique, in addition to an everyday backup and restore as described above, can be launched earlier than Home windows boots, utilizing the Runtime Stay CD.

This system will begin a backup through the wizard if you seemingly least count on it, so make sure you’re prepared to begin the backup when clicking Subsequent on the display screen entitled Backup.

It is stated to work with Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP, in addition to Home windows Server 2016, 2012, and 2008.




What We Like

  • Helps backing up very particular teams of information

  • Plenty of file format choices for saving the backed up knowledge

  • One supported backup vacation spot is sending the info over e-mail

  • A number of scheduling choices

  • Backups will be protected with a password

What We Do not Like

  • Setup makes an attempt to put in a further program

  • Final replace was in 2014

COMODO Backup has tons of nice options for a free backup program. It will probably again up Home windows registry information, information and folders, e-mail accounts, explicit registry entries, IM conversations, browser knowledge, partitions, or complete disks just like the system drive.

Knowledge will be backed as much as a neighborhood or exterior drive, CD/DVD, community folder, FTP server, or despatched to somebody as an e-mail.

Varied backup file sorts are supported like making a CBU, ZIP, or ISO file in addition to working a two-way or one-way sync, utilizing an everyday copy perform, or making a self-extracting CBU file.

Relying on the backup file sort you utilize with COMODO Backup, you’ll be able to specify if it must be spliced into smaller items, compressed, and/or password protected.

The scheduling choices are very particular, enabling a backup to run manually, at login, as soon as, each day, weekly, month-to-month, when idle, or each so-many minutes. Missed jobs may even be configured to run in silent mode to suppress all notifications and program home windows.

Restoring information with COMODO Backup is very easy as a result of you’ll be able to mount the picture file as a disk and flick thru the backed up information as you’d in Explorer, copying out something you want. Alternatively, you’ll be able to simply restore the entire backup picture to the unique location.

This free backup program additionally helps e-mail notifications, file exclusions by extension sort, utilizing Quantity Shadow Copy for copying locked information, disk/partition mirroring, altering CPU and community precedence, and working a customized program earlier than and/or after a backup job.

It ought to run with none issues in Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP.


Throughout setup, COMODO Backup tries to put in one other program that you have to deselect if you want for it to not be added to your laptop.



What We Like

  • Backs up your entire laptop without delay

  • Very easy to make use of

  • A number of choices for the place to avoid wasting the backup

  • Free for each business and private use

  • Consists of different helpful instruments

What We Do not Like

  • No choice to again up particular person information and folders

  • Cannot flick thru backup like you’ll be able to a folder’s information

  • It will probably’t be used from throughout the OS

  • Would possibly take some time to obtain (over 600 MB)

Redo Rescue does not assist backing up particular person information and folders. As an alternative, this program backs up a whole exhausting drive without delay by working from a bootable gadget like a disc or flash drive.

You need to use Redo Rescue to again up a drive to an inside exhausting drive, exterior USB gadget, a shared community folder, or over FTP, SSH, or NFS.

A group of information backed up with this program cannot be learn as common information. To revive the info, you have to use this system once more after which choose the drive you want to restore the information to. The vacation spot drive will probably be utterly overwritten with the backed up knowledge.

Redo Rescue is finest utilized in a state of affairs the place you want to have the ability to restore an complete exhausting drive. Whereas any such backup does embrace all of the information and packages on the drive, it isn’t meant for particular person file and folder restoration.




What We Like

  • Heaps of choices will be personalized

  • Backups will be run routinely

  • A backup job can run based mostly on file exercise

  • Can exclude sure information from a backup

What We Do not Like

  • The automated backup schedule cannot be modified

  • Every backup job can deal with just one folder

  • Cannot again up particular information; solely a complete folder without delay

  • Unuseful restore choices

  • Password safety and encryption aren’t included options

  • Now not actively maintained

Again up folders to an FTP server or native, exterior, or community drive with Yadis! Backup.

Any variety of file versioning is supported, and you’ve got the choice to maintain the unique folder construction intact for higher group. It’s also possible to exclude subdirectories and outline included/excluded information by their extension.

The one scheduling possibility is to run backup jobs routinely or manually. There are not any customized choices, like on a per hour or day foundation.

Yadis! Backup will be set as much as monitor when a file is created, eliminated, and/or modified. If all or any of those occasions happen, a backup job will run.

Even the settings you’ve got modified in Yadis! Backup will be configured to again as much as a specified folder when adjustments are made in order that you do not lose your customized choices.

You possibly can solely select one folder to again up at a time. Any further folders must be created as their very own backup job.

One thing we do not like is that there are not any choices for simply restoring backed up information. To entry information which have been backed up is to easily flick thru the backup folder, whether or not or not it’s on an FTP server or a distinct drive.

This program will be put in on Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP.




What We Like

  • Backups will be set to run on a schedule

  • Can forestall subfolders from being backed up

  • You do not want this system to revive backed up information

  • This system is extraordinarily straightforward to make use of

What We Do not Like

  • Lacks encryption and password safety choices

  • It backs up complete folders without delay, not particular information

  • Does not routinely run missed backup jobs

  • Solely full backups are supported (not incremental, and many others.)

  • You possibly can’t pause a backup

  • Hasn’t been up to date since 2014

On a regular basis Auto Backup is very easy to make use of. It will probably again up folders to and from a neighborhood disk or community location in just some clicks.

It helps an possibility for excluding subfolders totally, and also can exclude information from a backup by title and/or file sort. Scheduling will be set for a couple of job at a time and helps hourly, each day, weekly, month-to-month, or handbook backups.

There are not any password choices or encryption settings. Whereas that is unlucky, it additionally means you should utilize the backed up knowledge as actual information; you’ll be able to open, edit, and look at them usually.

The minimal requirement is that you just’re utilizing certainly one of these working techniques: Home windows 8, 7, Vista, or XP. It also needs to work in newer variations, like Home windows 11 and 10.




What We Like

  • Plenty of superior options

  • Tremendous straightforward to make use of

  • Updates typically with new options

What We Do not Like

  • Some options seem free till you click on them

The MiniTool ShadowMaker free backup program is packed filled with some actually nice options. It backs up not solely information and folders, however complete exhausting drives.

You possibly can again up disks, partitions, and information and folders to any native, exterior, or networked drive. Backups can run on a set schedule each day, weekly, or month-to-month, however solely incremental backup is supported (not full or differential). It is also your selection if you wish to again up each sector or solely the used ones.

With this program, you’ll be able to set a customized file dimension for the backup in order that it suits on CDs, and many others. Customized compression, e-mail alerts, hibernation file exclusion, password safety, and backup verification are supported, too.

You’d assume the options would finish by now, however MiniTool ShadowMaker additionally has a instrument you’ll be able to make the most of to revive a backup even when your laptop will not begin. It’s also possible to use MiniTool’s free backup software program to clone disks, manually mount a backup for simple searching, and arrange a file/folder sync job.

Some options are excluded within the free model and solely obtainable when you pay. Nonetheless, what you get with the free version remains to be a lot better than what some free backup instruments provide.

This software program was constructed to run on all version of Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, and Home windows 7.




Iperius Backup backs up information from a neighborhood folder to a community or native drive.

This system interface appears to be like very nice, is clear, and is not in any respect exhausting to make use of. The menus are displayed aspect by aspect in separate tabs, so it is easy to maneuver by way of the settings.

Information will be added to a backup job one by one or in bulk by way of a folder, and a backup job will be saved regionally or on a community, utilizing certainly one of three backup sorts. It’s also possible to select the variety of backups to retailer.

Apart from ZIP compression, e-mail notifications, and password safety, Iperius Backup has another customized choices as nicely. You possibly can embrace hidden information and system information within the backup, shut down the pc after finishing the backup, favor compression pace over excessive compression, and run backups on a schedule.

Along with the above, Iperius Backup can launch a program, one other backup job, or file earlier than and/or after a backup job.

When constructing a backup job, you may also exclude information, explicit folders, all subfolders, and explicit extensions from the backup. You possibly can even embrace or exclude information which might be lower than, equal to, or larger than a particular file dimension to make sure you’re backing up precisely what you need.

This program is claimed to be appropriate with Home windows 11 and Home windows 10, in addition to Home windows Server 2012, 2016, and 2019.


A number of of the choices on this free model really solely work within the paid, full model of Iperius Backup, corresponding to backing as much as Google Drive. You will be informed which options aren’t usable if you attempt to use them.



Mutual Backup is an attention-grabbing backup answer as a result of as a substitute of storing the info on a flash drive or different gadget hooked up to your laptop, this one copies every little thing over the community.

This system helps you to retailer copies of your information on a pal’s laptop, regardless of the place it is at. It’s kind of like a web-based backup service, however as a substitute of paying for space for storing on a server someplace, you and a pal can change free area by yourself exhausting drives to retailer the opposite individual’s backups.

This additionally works by yourself community, so if you wish to preserve your movies backed as much as the pc downstairs, you are able to do that, too.

All information are encrypted and compressed earlier than transport, so somebody on the opposite laptop cannot see what you are backing up. File and folder filtering are supported. Restoring is as straightforward as selecting which information you need to obtain again to your laptop, and you may, at any time, delete the distant backup from your personal laptop.

If you happen to’re connecting with a pal exterior your community, they will need to arrange port forwarding, and you will have to know their public IP tackle. Add/obtain throttling is supported.

This app runs on any Java platform, so it really works on Home windows, Linux, and different working techniques.




Disk2vhd is a transportable program that creates a Digital Exhausting Disk file (VHD or VHDX) from a bodily disk. The aim is to make use of the Exhausting Disk file in Microsoft Digital PC, although different virtualization software program can also be used, corresponding to VMware Workstation.

The beauty of this instrument is which you can again up the first exhausting drive you are utilizing as you utilize it. This implies you need not boot to a disc or keep away from backing up your main exhausting drive. Additionally, solely the used area is backed up, which means a 40 GB drive with 2 GB of used area will solely produce a 2 GB backup file.

Simply select the place to avoid wasting the VHD or VHDX file and hit the Create button.

If backing up the drive you are at the moment utilizing, guarantee “Use Quantity Shadow Copy” is enabled so Disk2vhd can copy information which might be at the moment getting used.

It is preferrred to avoid wasting the backup picture to a drive aside from the one you are backing as much as keep away from efficiency degradation.

There’s additionally assist for making a backup file utilizing the command line.

Disk2vhd works with Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, and Home windows Vista, in addition to Home windows Server 2008 and newer.


Microsoft Digital PC can solely use VHD information that do not exceed 127 GB in dimension. If any bigger, different virtualization software program is perhaps extra appropriate.



GFI Backup helps backing up information and folders from a neighborhood location to a different native folder, an exterior drive, a CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc, or an FTP server.

It is very easy so as to add a couple of file or folder to GFI Backup to be included in a backup job. The folder construction appears to be like identical to it does in Explorer, letting you place a examine subsequent to something you need to be included.

A backup will be encrypted with a password, compressed, break up into small chunks, and even constructed right into a self-extracting archive.

You possibly can select to revive sure information or choose complete folders without delay to be copied again to the unique backup location or saved elsewhere.

GFI Backup additionally features a sync characteristic, detailed scheduled duties, and incremental and differential backups.

It ought to have the ability to run on all variations of Home windows, together with Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, and Home windows 7.




Free Easis Drive Cloning is extraordinarily straightforward to make use of. Simply open this system, select Create Picture, Restore Picture, or Clone Drives to get began.

You will stroll by way of a wizard with any possibility you select. The primary will ask you to decide on the drive you want to again up and the place to avoid wasting the IMG file. The Restore Picture possibility is simply the alternative of the primary, and the final choice helps you to clone a drive to a different with out having to first create a picture.

The dangerous factor about Free Easis Drive Cloning is that it backs up every little thing, even the unused, free area of the drive. This implies when you’re backing up a 200 GB exhausting drive that has solely 10 GB of precise knowledge, the IMG file will nonetheless be 200 GB in dimension.

This software program is claimed to work with Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, Home windows XP, and Home windows 2000. We examined it in Home windows 10 and Home windows 8 with out working into any issues.




Ocster Backup permits backing up information and folders to any native or exterior exhausting drive.

When including content material to again up, you have to browse for every file and folder you need to be added. Whilst you are in a position to choose a number of information without delay, you’ll be able to’t shortly add quite a few folders like a number of the different backup packages from this checklist are in a position to do.

You possibly can encrypt a backup with Ocster Backup, arrange a each day or weekly schedule, and exclude content material by title, extension, or folder.

Additionally, one other plus is that the unique listing construction remains to be current if you restore the information, which makes it somewhat easy to navigate by way of them.

Ocster Backup is restricted in that it does not assist backing as much as a community drive, and restoring information is an all or nothing deal the place you have to restore every little thing without delay.

The official checklist of supported working techniques embrace Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP.


Ashampoo Backup has changed Ocster Backup, however you’ll be able to nonetheless get the final launched model by way of the hyperlink above.



AceBackup is comparatively straightforward to make use of and accepts saving backups to a neighborhood drive, FTP server, CD/DVD, or a folder on the community. You possibly can optionally save to a couple of location in order for you a number of locations to retailer your information.

Backups will be compressed utilizing certainly one of three modes: password-protected, encrypted, and arrange to make use of a schedule. They can be configured to launch a program earlier than and/or after the backup completes.

You possibly can embrace/exclude information from the backup by their extension sort, which is useful when you’re including a big sum of information that embrace ones you do not essentially have to again up.

The log information made with AceBackup can optionally be emailed on the occasion of an error or chosen to be despatched even on profitable backups.

One thing we do not like is that a number of the choices on this program aren’t described, which might depart you questioning what sure settings will do when they’re enabled.

We efficiently used AceBackup in Home windows 10, however it ought to work simply as nicely in Home windows 11, Home windows 8, and Home windows 7.




FBackup permits the backup of particular person information and complete folders (even out of your Google Drive or Dropbox account) to be saved to a neighborhood, exterior, or community folder, in addition to to those self same on-line file storage companies.

A simple to make use of wizard guides you thru the backup course of and consists of preset areas you’ll be able to select to again up, just like the Paperwork and Footage folder, Microsoft Outlook, and Google Chrome settings.

As well as, FBackup helps you to add your personal information and folders to a backup job. You possibly can exclude sure knowledge from a job by specifying a phrase within the folder or file title, in addition to the kind of file extension.

Two backup sorts are supported within the free version: Full and Mirror. A full backup compresses each file into ZIP folders, whereas a mirror creates an actual duplicate of the information in non-compressed kind. Each permit encryption.

Backup jobs are created utilizing a built-in interface that corresponds with the Process Scheduler service in Home windows to run a backup at instances like as soon as, weekly, at logon, or when idle. As soon as a job completes, FBackup will be set to hibernate, sleep, shutdown, or log out Home windows.

A backup will be restored utilizing a easy restore utility that comes built-in, which helps you to restore every little thing or particular person information to their authentic location or a brand new one. You even have the choice to revive solely the most recent model of the information, or to run filters to revive particular file sorts.

Whereas testing FBackup, we discovered that it downloaded shortly however took a bit longer than typical to put in.

It is formally appropriate with Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, and Home windows Vista. It can be put in on Home windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, and 2008.




HDClone Free Version can again up a whole disk or a choose partition, to a picture file.

Utilizing the Setup for Home windows obtain will let this system run inside Home windows. You are additionally in a position to again up one disk or partition to a different, however it can overwrite the info on the vacation spot drive.

Use the Hybrid ISO when you’re not working Home windows XP or newer. It additionally accommodates an ISO picture for burning HDClone Free Version to a disc, which can be utilized to again up the partition with the OS put in, because it runs earlier than the OS really launches.

Some options, like selecting a compression stage and encrypting a backup, seem like supported however are sadly solely obtainable within the paid model.

If the Home windows program is used, it is stated to be appropriate with Home windows 10, Home windows 8, Home windows 7, Home windows Vista, and Home windows XP.





With Macrium Replicate, partitions will be backed as much as a picture file or copied immediately to a different drive.

If saved as a picture, this system will produce an MRIMG file, which might solely be opened and used with Macrium Replicate. This file will be saved to a neighborhood drive, community share, exterior drive, or burned on to a disc. You possibly can even add a couple of backup location to construct a fail-safe within the occasion {that a} vacation spot turns into invalid.

You possibly can schedule a full backup on a schedule so day-after-day, week, month, or yr, a backup will probably be made from any drive, together with the one with Home windows put in. A backup job can be scheduled to run at startup or go online.

To revive a backed up picture to a drive with Home windows put in, you have to use the Macrium Replicate program to construct a Home windows or Linux rescue disc, each of which might restore an MRIMG file.

As soon as a picture is made, you’ll be able to even convert it to a VHD (Digital Exhausting Disk) file to make use of in different functions. It’s also possible to mount the backup as a digital drive that mimics a neighborhood one, permitting you to flick thru the backed up information and folders and replica out something you need.

Macrium Replicate additionally helps splitting a backup into smaller items, customized compression, full disk backup (consists of free area), and computerized shutdown/hibernation/sleep after a job finishes.

Neither particular person file/folder backup nor encryption is supported.

This system ought to work on all variations of Home windows. We examined it in Home windows 10 and Home windows 8.





ODIN (Open Disk Imager in a Nutshell) is a transportable backup program that may create a full picture of a drive.

A backup picture will be constructed into one file or separated into chunks for simpler placement on media like CDs and DVDs.

You’ve got the choice to again up a drive’s used knowledge or the used and unused parts of the disk. The latter would require more room than the previous, since copying free area together with the used area would imply every little thing can be backed up, creating a reproduction of the unique drive/partition.

Restoring a backup is very easy with ODIN since you simply choose the disk that must be restored after which load the backup file.

It is too dangerous there are no encryption choices in ODIN, however you are in a position to compress a backup utilizing GZip or BZip2 compression.

We examined ODIN in Home windows 8 and Home windows 7, however it also needs to work for different variations of Home windows, like Home windows 11 and Home windows 10.




Freebyte Backup can again up a number of folders at a time to any native, exterior, or community drive.

A backup cannot be compressed or encrypted with this program. Scheduling is not built-in both, however you can make a number of adjustments to how this system launches in addition to use an exterior scheduling program to make it work.

You possibly can filter a backup job in order that information with explicit extensions get copied, leaving out all the remainder. There’s additionally an choice to solely again up information which have been modified after a selected date and time, in addition to a toggle to activate incremental backups.

Freebyte Backup is claimed to work solely with Home windows Vista, XP, and older variations of Home windows, however we examined it in Home windows 10 and eight with none points.


Freebyte Backup downloads as a ZIP file. Inside is the moveable model (FBBackup.exe) in addition to the installer file (Set up.exe).



CloneZilla Stay is a bootable disc that may again up a whole exhausting drive to both a picture file or one other disk. This program is text-based, so you will not discover common menu choices or buttons.

Picture backups will be saved on a neighborhood or exterior drive in addition to a SAMBA, NFS, or SSH server.

You possibly can compress a backup picture, break up it into customized sizes, and even examine a tough drive for errors utilizing a free exhausting drive testing instrument earlier than creating a picture.

Restoring a backup with CloneZilla Stay entails taking the common backup course of steps however doing so in reverse. It sounds complicated, however following the on-screen directions makes it fairly straightforward.


Earlier than downloading it, you’ve the choice to decide on a ZIP or ISO file. We suggest the ISO file as a result of it isn’t a lot bigger than the ZIP file and does not require extraction.



Karen’s Replicator is straightforward to make use of, easy folder backup utility that helps a neighborhood, exterior, or community drive as a backup vacation spot.

Knowledge is backed up utilizing an everyday copy technique with out encryption or password choices, which implies you’ll be able to flick thru a backup such as you would every other folder in Explorer.

Choices allow you to exclude subfolders from a backup, filter out sure information by their extension, keep away from backing up explicit directories, and schedule backup jobs.

You possibly can toggle Karen’s Replicator to solely copy knowledge if: the supply file is newer than the backup, the sizes are completely different, and/or if the supply has been modified for the reason that time of the final backup.

It’s also possible to resolve whether or not or not Karen’s Replicator ought to delete information from a backup in the event that they’re faraway from the supply folder.

The interface of Karen’s Replicator is a bit outdated however it did not intervene with backups or our capability to search out settings.

We used Karen’s Replicator in Home windows 10 and Home windows XP, so it ought to work in different variations of Home windows as nicely.




Private Backup can again up knowledge to a folder on an exterior or native drive, FTP website, or community share.

When deciding on the information to be backed up, Private Backup solely permits single information to be added at a time. You possibly can preserve including extra, however just one can really be chosen at a time, which might decelerate the method of making a backup job. You can, nonetheless, choose complete folders, and context menu integration is supported.

A backup will be constructed as an archive for every file, creating many ZIP information, or as a single archive which accommodates all the info. Choices can be found for encryption, compression, and file sorts that must be excluded from compression.

Private Backup permits a complete of 16 backup jobs to be created, every of which might have their very own scheduling choices and incremental or differential backup sort.

E mail alerts will be despatched with Private Backup on the completion or error of a backup job, a program will be launched earlier than and/or after a backup runs, and you may simply set a backup to close down or hibernate the pc when it is completed working.

To make use of Private Backup, you have to obtain the correct 32-bit or 64-bit model that matches your model of Home windows.

We discover Private Backup to be very cluttered, making it exhausting to search out what you are in search of as a result of almost all of the settings are merely thrown into this system interface with seemingly no group.

Nonetheless, it does replace rather a lot, which is an effective signal that it is continuously attempting to enhance.

The 64-bit model runs on Home windows 11, 10, 8, and seven, in addition to Home windows Server 2008 R2, 2012, 2016, and 2019. Home windows Vista and XP customers can set up the 32-bit model.




Paragon Backup & Restoration helps you to again up complete disks or particular partitions to numerous digital picture file codecs.

If you wish to password shield the backup, it can save you it as a Paragon Picture (PVHD) file. In any other case, this system additionally helps backing up knowledge to a VMWare Picture (VMDK) file or a Microsoft Digital PC Picture (VHD) file. Incremental backups are additionally supported.

Settings can be found to compress a backup and handle how a lot splitting, if any, must be carried out to chop the backup into smaller items.

It’s also possible to select which file sorts and/or directories to exclude from a complete disk backup.

Restoring knowledge is as straightforward as deciding on the backup picture and selecting the drive to revive it to.

General, Paragon Backup & Restoration is a bit tougher to make use of than a number of the higher packages on this checklist. Additionally, the setup file is over 150 MB, so it may take a while to complete downloading.

Take observe that you might want to register for a free person account on their web site earlier than you’ll be able to totally use this system. That, or log in through one other account if you first open this system, like your Google account.

Supported working techniques embrace macOS and Home windows 11, Home windows 10, Home windows 8, and Home windows 7.




XXCLONE is a really fundamental backup program that may merely copy all of the contents of 1 drive onto one other.

There isn’t any restore perform, and every little thing that is on the vacation spot disk is cleaned earlier than XXCLONE beings backing up the supply drive’s information.

You are in a position to regulate the pace of the backup in addition to make the vacation spot drive bootable.

We examined this program in Home windows 10, 8 and seven, however it also needs to work for Home windows 11, Vista, and XP.




PING is a program that runs straight off bootable media like a disc. It helps you to again up a number of partitions to a file.

There is not a graphical interface when utilizing PING, so that you should be considerably snug with a text-only navigation display screen to make use of this program.

You’ve got the choice to again up partitions to a neighborhood or exterior drive in addition to to a community share or FTP server.

When deciding on the right supply and vacation spot drive for a backup or restore, it is really a bit tough to find out which drive is which. PING doesn’t present you the title of the drive or the dimensions, however as a substitute simply the primary few information which might be positioned on the disk. That is solely barely useful when figuring out the best disk to pick.

You possibly can compress a backup and optionally set it up for incremental backups sooner or later, each of that are choices you are requested earlier than beginning a backup.

When restoring a backup with PING, you are required to know the precise path of the backed up information. You are unable to “browse” for the information like you’ll be able to when an working system is loaded, so you have to know the precise path to the information to efficiently restore them.


This program, nor backing up typically, has something to do with the extra generally recognized laptop time period ping, as within the ping command.



Areca Backup makes it easy so as to add new information to a backup job by supporting drag and drop. It can save you a backup to any inside drive, FTP website, or community folder. Backing as much as exterior {hardware} shouldn’t be supported.

You possibly can encrypt, compress, and/or break up a backup into small sections. Areca Backup can simply filter the sorts of information to be backed up by extension sort, registry location, listing title, file dimension, locked file standing, and/or file date.

Earlier than and after a backup job runs, you’ll be able to arrange a file to be launched and/or an e-mail to be despatched. Conditional settings can be found like solely working the file or sending the message if the backup succeeds or throws an error/warning message.

You possibly can restore a number of particular person information and/or folders to a customized location, however you are not given the choice to revive to the unique backup location.

We have ranked Areca Backup this low on the checklist as a result of it is not as straightforward to make use of as a lot of the different packages you see right here. Go to the Areca official web site for tutorials and manuals.

We had been in a position to get this program to work with Home windows 10, 7, and XP, however it might additionally work in different variations of Home windows.




CopyWipe is a backup program that may run exterior of Home windows on a disc or from inside Home windows like an everyday program, although each choices are text-only, non-GUI variations.

It backs up complete exhausting drives to different exhausting drives, supporting each inside and exterior units like flash drives. You possibly can copy exhausting drives even when they’re completely different sizes by selecting to scale drives or do a uncooked copy in order that every little thing is copied, each used and unused area.

You need to affirm a duplicate earlier than beginning, which is an effective factor, however CopyWipe does not present any identifiable particulars to distinguish between the drives, which implies you have to use Disk Administration to know which one is Exhausting Drive 0, Exhausting Drive 1, and many others.

We examined the latest model in Home windows 10, 8, and seven, and it labored simply as marketed as long as this system ran as an administrator. It also needs to work for Home windows 11 and older variations of Home windows.



Most Popular

To Top