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

Apple’s Time Machine, constructed into each Mac, presents dependable, incremental native backups with a full restore perform. The applying is tailor-made to cooperate cleanly with Migration Assistant, helps encryption, and reminds you to again up now and again. Take into account that it requires a related exterior drive, so pairing it with a cloud service provides you the perfect of each worlds.

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 it is going to be the most suitable choice for you.

Time Machine is a dependable software 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 hooked up to a chosen Time Machine exterior drive. That drive could 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, but it surely will get faster from there. Time Machine’s Restore perform permits customers to open and scroll by previous backups to find and restore recordsdata, which is beneficial if one thing was by accident deleted otherwise you made adjustments to a file and wish to return to an earlier model.

When paired with Apple’s Migration Assistant, porting knowledge 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 concerning the variety of days for the reason that final backup that encourage you to maintain it plugged in.

Nevertheless, Time Machine is extra geared in direction of exterior arduous drives, which could be misplaced, broken, or stolen, and it depends on stated drive being related to your Mac (you could possibly use a NAS drive). It’s best to have each a neighborhood and safe off-site copy of your knowledge, and the web backup market has grown over the previous few years with providers like iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Field.

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

ChronoSync for macOS delivers highly effective, customizable backups with out overwhelming the consumer. You’ll be able to select from duties like folder syncs, bootable clones, or cloud backups to Google or Amazon. Rule-based automations and scheduling supply pro-level management, whereas its clear interface, stable assist, and a pleasant trial model make it a sensible various to Time Machine with extra bells and whistles if you need them.

ChronoSync for macOS, from Econ Applied sciences, can provide those that need it tighter management over their backup choices in a format that doesn’t overwhelm. The software program relies 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 perform from the ChronoSync Organizer/house display. For instance, choose the duty you need to create, specify your settings (e.g. folders you need to copy over, file varieties to repeat, a schedule, and so on.), and hit “Synchronize”.

Synchronizations may also be set as much as simulate capabilities. For the actually die-hard and geeky, rule-based copies and duties could be arrange. 

You’ll be able to 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 seeking to make bootable clones, that is simply as straightforward as what SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner have grow to be identified for. Select a supply quantity, select a goal quantity, hit “Synchronize,” let the method run. ChronoSync can create two kinds of bootable clones: commonplace and mirrored. The previous creates a bootable system on the vacation spot quantity, leaving different recordsdata on the quantity intact. Mirror replaces the whole contents of the vacation spot quantity with recordsdata from the supply.

A readily-accessible guide presents fast entry to a guidebook that turns out to be useful and there’s easy accessibility to the corporate’s ticketing system must you require tech assist. 

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

Bombich Software program’s Carbon Copy Cloner stays a go-to Mac backup utility, providing deep customization, NAS assist, scripting, and a sensible SafetyNet characteristic. Whereas Apple’s present restrictions complicate bootable backups (which can change with the introduction of macOS 26 Tahoe), CCC excels at scheduled duties and pairs nicely with Time Machine. Add nice assist and a 30-day trial, and it’s completely price a take a look at run.

Bombich Software program’s Carbon Copy Cloner has been a well-liked utility for cloning knowledge on Macs because it launched in 2002. It helps HFS+ and APFS drive codecs, native volumes, and NAS-enabled networks. Nevertheless, it can not 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, job notes, and bandwidth configuration for NAS backups. Different instruments, similar to scheduling, could be carried out with out problem. The duty supervisor permits customers to save lots of and configure a number of backup duties. A scripting characteristic permits customized scripts to be loaded and activated as wanted.

The SafetyNet characteristic permits for drive formatting or stopping processes earlier than overwriting knowledge on a quantity. Nevertheless, 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 presently a hit-or-miss proposition, with makes an attempt at making a bootable exterior quantity failing as a result 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 assist 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 is just not in your arsenal of helpful utilities, it’s best to obtain it and provides it a attempt. There’s a full-featured 30-day trial. 

SuperDuper! is a dependable, scriptable Mac cloning software that’s straightforward to make use of and nice for native backups. It helps APFS and HFS+, presents Sensible Backup and scheduling, and runs nicely with customized scripts. It doesn’t assist community backup (but), but it surely’s a stable, inexpensive various with a free model and stellar assist behind it, making it a superb worth.

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

SuperDuper! simply restores knowledge 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 recordsdata copied, copy pace, knowledge evaluated, time elapsed, and quantity of knowledge moved from the supply quantity to the goal quantity. Customers can edit supplied scripts or write their very own, select between strategies similar to Complete Backup and Sensible 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 stop SuperDuper! as soon as the copy is completed.

Nevertheless, SuperDuper! has room for enchancment. For instance, it could actually’t again as much as community volumes and it doesn’t assist FAT, exFAT, or NTFS for Home windows and Linux volumes. We hope that the community backup comes with an extra replace.

We like the truth that SuperDuper! retails for a one-time fee reasonably than on a subscription plan You need to use it without spending a dime, however you’ll want to pay to unlock scheduling, sensible updates, and another options.

Through the years, Shirt Pocket has constantly supplied stable updates, pinned down bugs, supported new protocols launched by Apple, and communicated nicely by its tech assist and advertising. Total, SuperDuper! is a dependable native cloning and restoration app for the Mac that may be readily custom-made and scripted, and is superb worth.

IDrive blends native and cloud backups with drag-and-drop ease, automated folder choice, and stable restore choices like Snapshots and Rewind. The applying encrypts your knowledge, presents a beneficiant free tier, and helps a number of gadgets, though the UI’s clunky in spots and the pricing feels steep for those who’re solely backing up one Mac versus a number of.

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

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

Options like Rewind and Snapshots will let you restore from earlier variations of recordsdata or snapshots of the entire knowledge set.

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

Each scheduling and restoring are simple, nevertheless. As is selecting a neighborhood drive because the vacation spot for a backup rather than lDrive’s servers.

All knowledge is encrypted, with the choice to set your personal personal encryption key.

You have got the selection of restoring by having knowledge bodily shipped to you. That is free for the primary restore annually, however if you’re based mostly exterior the US you’ll need to pay for delivery.

The subscription-based tier system presents a free Fundamental account with 10GB of on-line disk house without spending a dime with no credit score or debit card required. That 10GB free tier permits for native backups and is fairly beneficiant, however the actual steal is the IDrive Mini plan, which, for lower than 3 bucks a 12 months, provides you entry to 100GB of storage.

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

Get Backup Professional retains issues clear and succesful, full with straightforward setup, sturdy customization, and seamless backup, cloning, and restore choices. It runs easily below macOS Sequoia, presents versatile licensing, and even comes bundled with SetApp. This can be a stable, inexpensive Time Machine various for informal customers who need extra management with out the litter.

Get Backup Professional by BeLight Software program is simple to obtain, set up into the Purposes 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 appeal, and a slate of customization choices permits for particular recordsdata and folders to be chosen and app knowledge to be added to the backup/clone course of.

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

The software program is priced nicely and can also be accessible by MacPaw’s SetApp subscription service. The choice of a 30-day demo provides 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 supply and is superb for the informal consumer and the house market.

Mac Backup Guru delivers synchronized cloning, sensible incremental backups, and user-controlled snapshots, which provide extra precision than Time Machine. Its minimal interface hides sturdy customization and iCloud integration, and whereas it lacks space-use alerts, its $9 price ticket makes it a sleeper hit for customers who need management with out overcomplication. This can be a stable and streamlined contender, and what it lacks in flash and advertising, it makes up for with dependable performance price trying into.

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 commonplace copies of folders and drives in addition to incremental backups that monitor adjustments and again up the adjustments (like Time Machine does).

The applying’s simply customizable settings supply tight management over facets similar to setting the supply and vacation spot volumes, and you’ll decide and select particular volumes and folders to incorporate and exclude. The scheduler characteristic works like a appeal.

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

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

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

Mac Backup Guru is an easy-to-use backup software 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 supply for lower than $9/£7.51, a big low cost on its traditional $29/£24.15 value.

Backblaze presents seamless, set-it-and-forget-it on-line backups for Mac, storing your recordsdata offsite with elective encryption and two-factor authentication. It’s quick, Mac-like, and helps exterior drives. With a number of restore choices (internet, USB, or arduous drive) and a “Find Your Pc” characteristic, it’s a prime decide for one-Mac customers who worth simplicity with performance and is price your consideration.

Backblaze is a web based, offsite backup service that permits you to again up your Mac to its servers mechanically or in keeping with a schedule you set.

Backblaze backs up the contents of your Paperwork, Photos, Motion pictures and Music folders, however excludes your Purposes folder. Backblaze additionally excludes some file varieties from being backed up, similar to .dmg disk photos – that restriction could be switched off, nevertheless.

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

Relating to restoring your knowledge, you have got three choices: you may restore through Backblaze’s internet interface or you may have recordsdata despatched to you on a USB stick or arduous drive for an extra payment. And there’s a 100% refund for those who return the USB stick or arduous drive inside 30 days, although you’ll need to pay delivery and taxes.

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

The Find your Pc service tracks your Mac’s location that can assist you discover it if it’s stolen – just like Discover My. If a misplaced Mac continues to be operating backups your Mac can inform you its present IP handle and present you latterly backed-up knowledge.

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

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

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

Acronis True Picture for Mac combines backup and antivirus options in a single modern bundle. Its modules deal with cloning, archiving, and bootable backups with ease. Cloud storage, ransomware safety, and robust malware detection sweeten the deal, and whereas Some bugs and clunky UI components persist, it’s highly effective, versatile, and begins at an affordable value.

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 12 months for the Necessities model that features one laptop with native backup and anti-ransomware. You’ll be able to 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 permits you to designate supply and vacation spot volumes in addition to select which recordsdata are backed up and to the place. It’s straightforward to create exclusion lists as to which recordsdata can by bypassed with regards to backing up, and the scheduling characteristic labored nicely.

The Backup module additionally results in True Picture’s Acronis Survival Equipment, 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 permits you to offload native knowledge to Acronis’ cloud construction, which is helpful for liberating up native house.

The Safety module provided a great diploma of antiviral safety, catching at least 23 potential threats from a pattern archive off the bat.

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