10 BEST Free Backup Software for Windows and Mac in 2023

A list and detailed comparison of the BEST commercial and free Backup Software Solutions for PC with Windows 10 and Mac OS:

Data backup is important both for individuals and organizations. Storage devices are not fail-proof and hardware problems can make crucial files inaccessible.

Additionally, there is a threat of ransomware that encrypts files and holds the system for ransom. Regular back up of files serves as an effective data protection strategy.

However, you must select the right backup software for this task.

In this tutorial, you can read a review of the best backup applications available in 2022. After reading this comprehensive guide, you will have a clear idea of deciding which best backup solution is right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions on Backup Software

#1) What is a backup and recovery tool? Why is it used?

Answer: Backup software is used to make a digital copy of the electronic documents, folders, and drives. The backup data can be stored in local hard drives or on remote servers online. They are used to protect data against the threat of viruses, hackers, ransomware, and natural disasters.

#2) What are good data backup practices?

Answer: Data should be backed up regularly. Experts suggest that you should back up important data daily. Moreover, a good data backup practice is to follow the 3-2-1 rules for data backup and keep at least three copies of the data in two formats with at least one copy stored on an offsite location.

#3) What should you look for in a backup software solution?

Answer: Backup applications come with different features. You should look for both functions and usability in a backup solution. Make sure that the backup software you select is easy to use. Support from the vendor is also an important consideration for a backup solution.

Fact Check: The data backup and recovery software market is expected to grow to $14.23 billion in the next three years. The market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9.9 percent. The market in North America accounts for

The data backup and recovery software market is expected to grow to $14.23 billion in the next three years. The market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9.9 percent. The market in North America accounts for the highest adoption of data backup applications followed by the markets in the Asia Pacific region.

Data Backup and Recovery Market, by Region, 2017-2022

Also Read =>> Move Windows 10 to SSD (A Step-By-Step Guide)

Pro Tip:

The type of backup solution you select depends on your data backup requirements. You should look at the features of the application to know whether it meets your needs or not. Most vendors offer a free trial option. Test drive before selecting a backup solution to know if it’s the right one for you.

=>> Contact us to suggest a listing here.

List of Best Free Backup Software Solutions

Comparison of Top Backup Software

Backup SoftwarePlatformFeaturesPriceFree TrialRatings *****

AomeiTechWindowsAutomatic backup, Disk/Partition Clone, Merge Backup images, etc. Free plan available.
The price starts at $49.95 per license.Available5/5

InternxtWindows,
Mac,
Linux,
iOS,
Android
DesktopSecurity, military grade encryption, file/photos/videos sync and backup, 10GB – Free
20GB – €0.89 month, or €10.68 billed annually
200GB – €3.49 month, or €41.88 billed annually
2TB – €8.99 month, or €107.88 billed annually10GB free storage 5/5
pCloudWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.Accessible on all devices, Unbreakable security, Activity Monitoring, etc. Premium 500GB ($175) and Premium Plus 2TB ($350).Available for 30 days.5/5

Ashampoo® Backup Pro 15Windows 10Up-to-date cloud support, one-click access to menus, etc. $49.99 one-time payment. Available to download.5/5

EaseUS ToDo BackupMacOS, WindowsLocal and Cloud backup,
Incremental/Differential backup,
Outlook email backup,
Transfer system,
Wipe disk partition.Basic: $59 (lifetime license)
Advanced: $29.95 – $39.95 per year30-day free trial5/5

MiniTool ShadowMakerWindowsFile Sync,
Incremental Backup, WinPE Bootable Media Builder, etc. Free edition,
Pro Edition: $29 /1 PC,
Pro Ultimate: $79Available for Pro edition for 30 days. 5/5

Iperius Backup WindowsIncremental Backup and synchronization, Hard Drive Cloning, Tape Backup, FTP Backup, Disk Backup, full system recovery, etc. Free plan,
Desktop(1PC): $32
Desktop(3PC): $65
Essential: $76
Five more plans are available. Available 5/5

IBackupWindows, Mac, & Linux, iOS, Android.Automatic backup, etc. It starts at $9.95 per month.The 15-days evaluation period for all plans.5/5

Zoolz HomeWindows & Mac. 256 AES encryption, file filtering, encrypted servers, etc. It starts at $19.95 per yearFree download available. 5/5

BigMINDWindows, Mac, Android, & iOS. SD/HD Video Streaming, No backup limitations, backup unlimited external drives, etc. 100 GB: $35.88/yearly,
500 GB: $83.88/yearly,
1TB: $155.88/yearly. Free demo available.
Free plan for personal use available. 5/5

Acronis True Image 2020macOS, Windows, mobile devices.Local and cloud backup,
Full system image backup,
Office 365 backup,
Disk cloning – NTFS, HFS/HFSX, Fat16, Fat 32, exFat, ResierFS(3), APFS, Core Storage, Ext2-4.Basic: $59.99 (lifetime license)
Advanced: $49.99 – $99.99 per year30-day free trial5/5

Cobian BackupWindowsFTP Backup,
Strong encryption,
Backup at multiple locations at a time,
Incremental and differential backup.FreeN/A4.5/5

NovaBackupWindowsLocal and Cloud backups,
AES encryption,
Automatic backups.$49.95 – 299.95 per year15-day free trial4.5/5

Let’s start with the detailed review!!

Best for file backup, imaging, disk cloning, and plain file syncing. It offers multiple scheduling options. It is the best free backup software.

Price: AOMEI provides solutions for home and businesses. For home use, it has two solutions, Standard (Free) and Professional ($49.95 per license). For Businesses, it offers four solutions, Workstation ($59.95 per license), Server ($199 per license), Technician ($499 per license), and Technician Plus ($899 per license).

AomeiTech is a data backup & restore software. It provides a disk partition manager that helps you with protecting data safe and managing hard drives. It supports various versions of Windows OS such as Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Vista, and XP for 32 or 64 bit. Aomei offers the backup solution for home as well as businesses.

AOMEI Backupper Standard 5.7 is available for free. This software can backup system, file, disk, and Partition/Volume Backup. It provides a facility for an automatic or scheduled backup.

Features:

• AomeiTech provides real-time file and folder syncing from source to target paths.
• It can clone HDD to SSD, HDD to HDD, or SSD to SSD for disk upgrades and data migration.
• It simplifies your backup tasks with automatic, full, incremental, and differential backups.
• Premium plans provide the protection and recovery services for unlimited PCs and Servers within your company.

Cons:

• As per the reviews, the free plan takes the back up slowly.

Verdict: AomeiTech is an all-in-one data protection and disaster recovery solution for PCs and laptops.

Best for overall privacy and security.

Price: Internxt offers a free 10GB plan, and personal Internxt plans start at 20GB for only $1.15/month. Their most popular plan gives users 200GB for $5.15/month, and their most extensive plan is a 2TB subscription for just $11.50/month. Annual and business plans are also available.

Internxt is a fully encrypted, open-source cloud storage service designed to put users back in control of their data. An extremely modern, ethical, and more secure cloud backup alternative to data-hungry Big Tech offerings. Super safe and private, all files synced and backed up to the cloud are end-to-end encrypted and scattered across Internxt’s massive decentralized network.

Internxt prioritizes security and users’ right to privacy, ensuring first and third parties have absolutely no access to backups, user data, and personal information.

Features:

• Zero unauthorized access to your information and data.
• All uploaded, stored, and shared data is end-to-end encrypted via the AES-256 encryption protocol.
• Internxt services are 100% open-source and verifiable on GitHub.
• All plans (including the free plan) have all features enabled and grant access to all Internxt services: Drive, Photos, and Send.
• Generated sharing links allow the user to limit the number of times files are shared.
• Available on all platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and web.

Cons:

• Must complete tutorial tasks to unlock all 10GB of free storage.
• Lacking integration with some third-party apps.

Verdict: Internxt’s use of zero-knowledge technologies and its serious commitment to putting users’ right to privacy above all else. Internxt also gives you 10GB of free online storage with access to all its premium features and primary services.

Best for storing large files.

Price: pCloud has two pricing plans, Premium 500GB ($175) and Premium Plus 2TB ($350). These prices are for a one-time payment. Annual plans are also available starting at $47.88. It also offers plans for families. It offers a free trial for 30 days.

pCloud is the secure encrypted cloud storage that will be accessible on all devices and provides unbreakable security. It will let you send, receive, and work together with your friends on every file. It provides various facilities like Teams & access levels, Shared folders, Comments to files & folders, and Activity Monitoring.

Features:

• pCloud maintains a detailed log for account activities. You can access any previous version of the file.
• It provides the functionalities to set the group permissions or individual access levels.
• It has functionalities for file management, sharing, securing, file versioning, file backup. And digital asset management
• It can save versions of the file for a specific period.

Cons

• There are bandwidth limits
• Encryption functionality is available as an add-on
• Two-factor authentication not available.

Verdict: pCloud is the platform for storing files and access them from any device. It provides functionalities to share and collaborate on files. It will allow you to encrypt the private file and keep confidential.

Best for compatibility with a hard disk, USB stick, network drive, or cloud service for storing backups.

Price: It will cost you $49.99. This will be a one-time payment and there will not be any time limit. Its free trial is available to download.

Ashampoo® Backup Pro 15 is the backup software for Windows platforms. It supports any hard disk, USB stick, network drive, or cloud service for storing the backup. It is a well-designed application with powerful features.

Features:

• All the possible storage options are available with Ashampoo® Backup Pro 15 such as entire partitions, local drives, online storage, etc.
• It has functionalities for restoring the backups.
• Its bootable rescue system will help you to restore the system if a system failure happens.

Cons:

• Ashampoo® Backup Pro 15 supports only Windows 10 operating system.

Verdict: Ashampoo® Backup Pro 15 is powerful backup software with a well-laid-out user interface. It has features and functionalities for beginners as well as data security specialists.

Best for: Backing up files, folders, and partitions online or on local PC and Mac devices. It also offers outlook email backup and recovery.

Price: Basic: Free | Advanced: $59 (lifetime license); $29.95 – $39.95 yearly subscription | 30-day free trial.

EaseUS Todo Backup supports full system and individual files and folders backup. The software also supports backups to OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox. It supports cloning and migration features.

Features:

• Local and Cloud backup
• Incremental/Differential backup
• Outlook email backup
• Transfer system
• Wipe disk partition

Cons:

• Free version contains a lot of ads.

Verdict: EaseUS Todo is an affordable backup solution. The software can do quick backups and disk cloning. Most of the customers say that the interface is not user-friendly. Overall, the application offers great value for money.

Best for System & disk backup, WinPE Bootable Media Builder, Scheduled & event trigger backup.

Price: MiniTool Shadow Maker is available in three editions i.e. Free Edition, Pro Edition ($29, 1 License for 1 PC), and Pro Ultimate ($79, 1 License for 3 PCs).

MiniTool ShadowMaker is a backup & cloning and restoring software. This backup software keeps your PC protected with the highest level of data security. It can backup OS, individual files & folders, and disks & partitions to storage devices. You will be able to restore the system to the previous state from an external drive.

Features:

• MiniTool provides WinPE Bootable Media Builder that will help you with creating bootable media to restore OS to the previous state.
• You can schedule a backup on a regular basis.
• It provides the feature of File Sync.
• You can set the incremental backup scheme.

Verdict: This all-in-one data protection & disaster recovery solution can back up your Windows OS, files/folders, selected partitions, etc. MiniTool Shadow Maker contains many more additional functionalities like disk cloning, managing remote computers, encrypting backup images, etc.

Best for backup and protecting the data. It is the best backup solution that is easy to use, simple, and reliable.

Price: Iperius offers lifetime licensing options. It has eight licensing options, Desktop 1PC($32), Desktop 3PC ($65), Essential ($76), Advanced VM ($244), Advanced DB ($166), Advanced TAPE ($166), Adv Exchange ($166), and Full ($299).

Iperius Backup provides backup solutions for various use cases. It provides Ransomware protection to encrypted files. It will be installed as a Windows Service. It can run multiple and parallel backups. It provides detailed reports.

Iperius Backup provides a free solution for Windows. There will not be any license limitations and expiration. With a free plan, you will get functionalities for incremental backup to NAS, disk, USB, RDX, and network.

Features:

• Iperius provides the facility of automatic sending of your backups to popular cloud storage services like Google Drive, Amazon S3, Azure Storage, etc.
• The whole disk image can be created with Iperius without any interruption.
• Backup files can be copied to any destination. It will allow you to compress and encrypt the backup files.
• It has the functionality to copy files and folders to any mass storage device.
• It has functionalities for Tape Backup, FTP Backup/Sync, and Disk Backup/Network.

Cons:

• Iperius Backup supports only Windows OS.

Verdict: Iperius is a powerful and easy-to-use solution that works for various databases like Oracle, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. It is a powerful solution for Hard-disk cloning.

Best for Cloud Backup, Server Backups, Hybrid Backup, IBackup Express, Web-Interface, Mobile apps, etc.

Price: IBackup plans are available from 10GB for $9.95 per month. The plans that are available are 20GB ($19.95/month), 50GB ($49.95/month), 100GB ($99.95/month), 200GB ($199.95/month).

Currently, it is offering 50 times more storage for the same price. This offer is available until 14 May 2020. The 15-days evaluation period is available for all plans. You can go with the option of yearly or for 2 years plan.

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IBackup is an online backup and storage solution. It can backup unlimited devices to a single account.  It supports Windows, Mac, and Linux for backing up.

Various types of backups like open file backup, system state backup, and backup of running servers and databases are supported by IBackup. Its Web Interface will allow you to upload, access, share files, and manage backups

Features:

• IBackup has features of secure local backup.
• It can backup unlimited devices to a single account.
• It supports MS SQL Server, MS Exchange Server, Hyper-V, MS SharePoint Server, and Oracle Server.
• It provides the features of automatic scheduling of backups, data compression, and encryption.
• It supports versioning.

Cons:

• As per reviews, the website is not user-friendly.

Verdict: IBackup is a high performing and enterprise-ready backup service. It makes the use of data protection and recovery techniques that are suitable for fortune 500 companies. Its IBackup Express service will speed-up your data transfers.

Best for features like encrypting files while transferring, allowing you to set schedule, file filtering, etc.

Price: Zoolz Home has three pricing plans, Zoolz 1TB Cloud Backup ($19.95 per year), Zoolz 2TB ($59.95 per year), and Zoolz 5TB Cloud Backup ($49.95 per year). The price for the Zoolz cloud Backup for Home starts at $39.95 per year, 1TB for 5 users.

Zoolz Home is a cloud storage and backup service for home users. You can use it to back up your computers, external drives, and network drives. It is a long term storage unit.

With this platform, you can store your data on the cloud for a lifetime. You will get a reliable service of long-term data storage as Zoolz duplicates your files among multiple facilities across the globe. It provides military-grade 256 AES Encryption.

Features:

• Zoolz will securely transfer your files by encrypting them.
• Zoolz stores the files on encrypted servers. It uses a 256 AES encryption.
• You can save a local copy of your backup to your server, network, or external drive.
• It provides the features of file filtering.
• It will allow you to set your own schedule.

Cons:

• Zoolz takes 3-5 hours for file retrieval.

Verdict: Zoolz is a platform to store your external, internal, and network drive data. It can be your long term storage unit. It provides automatic protection to all your files regardless of file type and size. It uploads the backup with full upload speed.

BigMIND Home is the best value for the money solution. It is easy to use and files will get uploaded at a quite fast rate.

Price: Its pricing plans include 100 GB ($35.88/yearly for 1 user), 500 GB ($83.88/yearly for 3 users), and 1TB ($155.88/yearly for 5 users).

BigMIND by Zoolz is an AI cloud backup platform for home users. The platform will help you with discovering, accessing, and backing up all your private files. It supports Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. It provides amazing features like face recognition, object recognition, etc.

Features:

• BigMIND Home provides a safe and reliable backup to your data.
• It has a built-in facial recognition engine that will organize your photos through the thumbnails of each person.
• It has a mobile app and hence your data will be at your fingertips.
• There will not be any backup limitations.

Cons:

• No such cons to mention.

Verdict: With BigMIND Home you will get SD/HD video streaming. It supports unlimited external drives. BigMIND makes use of A.I. technology, provides amazing features, and will help you to backup your phone, tablet, and computer.

#11) Acronis True Image 2020

Best for: Disk cloning, mirror imaging, and local/cloud backup of Windows 10, macOS, and mobile operating systems. The only solution that uses blockchain data notarization and AI to prevent crypto-jacking and ransomware.

Price: Basic: $59.99 (lifetime license) | Advanced: $49.99 – $99.99 per year | 30-day free trial.

Acronis True Image 2020 is packed with a lot of features including AI and blockchain data notarization protection features to protect against ransomware, crypto-jacking, and other threats. It has a clean and easy user interface that makes backing up files and dicks easy.

Features:

• Local and Cloud backup
• Full system image backup
• Office 365 backup
• Disk cloning – NTFS, HFS/HFSX, Fat16, Fat 32, exFat, ReiserFS(3), APFS, Core Storage, Ext2-4.

Cons:

• Slow restore time
• No support for older OS such as Windows XP or MacOS 10.10 and below.

Verdict: Acronic True Image 2020 is a powerful backup app that can back up the entire disks, partitions, folders, and files. The price is a bit steep. Moreover, customers have complained that it takes a lot of time in restoring files. But overall the software provides a reliable way to backup files.

Website: Acronis True Image 2020

#12) Cobian Backup

Best for: Backing up files and systems on old and new Windows OS for free. The app also supports FTP backups.

Price: Free

Cobian Backup is a free backup software tool that comes with a host of different features. The software can back up folders and files in different locations. It supports FTP and network backups by allowing you to backup remote systems.

The software supports old and new windows OS including Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, 2008, and Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Features:

• FTP Backup
• Strong encryption
• Backup at multiple locations at a time.
• Incremental and differential backup.

Cons:

• No customer support

Verdict: Cobian is a fast backup software tool that can back up files and directories. The free software will meet the needs of both individuals as well as businesses.

Website: Cobian Backup

#13) NovaBACKUP PC

Best for: Backing up files, folders, and systems on Windows devices. The software supports NAS, RDX, and Single Tape, AWS, Azure, Wasabi, and Blackblaze back-ups.

Price: $49.95 – $299.95 per year| 15-day trial

NovaBACKUP PC is a great backup solution for small and large organizations. The software supports advanced backup features including support for NAS, Azure, AWS, and different cloud storage solutions.

It can download a 1TB hard drive in just 11 hours when compared to an average speed of 20 hours for other apps.

Features:

• Local and Cloud backups
• AES encryption
• Automatic backups

Cons:

• Lacks integration with File Explorer.
• Clustered interface

Verdict: NovaBACKUP is easy to use with fast backup and restore. The system uses minimum resources during the operation. The comprehensive list of features makes it best for corporations.

Website: NovaBACKUP PC

#14) Paragon Backup & Recovery

Best for: Backing up files, folders, and disks on Windows PC. The software supports version control thereby allowing backup and recovery of specific backup files.

Price: Free for non-commercial use | $99 – $899 per year | 30-day free trial

Paragon Backup & Recovery can create partial or full backups of files and systems. The software supports advanced recovery environments including Windows PE and ISO images. It can be used to create bootable ISO and USB drives.

Features:

• Create a recovery disc
• Version control
• Partition disks, volumes
• Copy disks

Cons:

• Lack of support for macOS or old Windows OS.

Verdict: Paragon Backup & Recovery is a great app for backup of files, discs, and partitions. The software doesn’t use background services thereby resulting in quick backups and restoration. The free version will meet the backup needs of most users.

Businesses should opt for the premium version known as Hard Disk Manager that supports backup scripts, containers support, VM operations and data wiping.

Website: Paragon Backup & Recovery

#15) Genie Timeline Home

Best for: Backing up files, folders, and discs on Windows OS. The advanced option shows a timeline of the backup files.

Price: $39.95 (lifetime license) | 30-day trial

Gene Timeline Home is one of the most professional backup software tools with advanced features. It supports automated purge for reduced file sizes, one-click backup, disaster recovery, and automatic backup.

The filter timeline shows modified, new, and deleted files. You can backup emails, documents, videos, disks, and partitions.

Features:

• Strong Encryption (AES 256)
• Backup to hard drive removable drive.
• Create ISO and bootable USB drives.
• iPhone, iPad, and iPod disaster recovery.

Cons:

• Encrypted backup is not supported.

Verdict: Genie Timeline Home is a reliable backup software that supports onsite and offsite backup. The software is easy to use and allows quick backup and recovery.

Website: Genie Timeline Home

#16) Google Backup And Sync

Best for: Creating a backup of files and folders on Windows and macOS devices. Lets you create a backup of files on Google Drive.

Price: Free (up to 15 GB) | $19.99 a year (1GB) | $99.99 a year (1TB)

Google Backup & Sync won’t let you restore your system if it crashes in the event of a system failure. The online tool allows you to back up selected files to Google Drive.

The speed of backup depends on your internet speed. Broadband users will be able to backup large files within minutes. You can access the files from a smartphone using Google Drive.

Features:

• Cloud Backup
• Sync with Google Drive
• Access back files using a smartphone

Cons:

• Limited browser support | No support for Opera and UC-Browser.
• Disc or system backup is not supported.

Verdict: Google Backup and Sync is a simple to use backup tool that integrates well with Google Suite (G-Suite) applications. It doesn’t support advanced backup and restore functions.

Website: Google Backup and Sync

#17) FBackup

Best for: Backup of banking data, multimedia files, and office documents on Windows for free. Supports backup and restore of files from local drive, network drive, and Google Drive using a PC or smartphone.

Price: Free

FBackup is one of the best free backup solutions for backing up specific files and folders. The software allows you to create multiple backup files and store certain versions. It allows you to backup files to a network drive or Google Drive.

Features:

• Password protect files
• ZIP64 support up to 2 GB
• Local or network backup
• Mirror backups
• Online backups

Cons:

• No support for system restore.
• No disc cloning support

Verdict: FBackup is a free backup software for commercial and noncommercial use. The software supports scheduled backups and zip compressions.

Website: FBackup

#18) Windows Backup and Restore

Best for: Creating a backup of files for free on Windows 7 and 10. The software can also create system images to recover the entire system.

Price: Free

Back & Restore feature was initially introduced in Windows 7 and then reintroduced in Windows 10. The feature was removed from Windows 8.1. You can backup files to another drive and restore them using the application.

Features:

• Backup files and folders
• Create system images
• Supports Windows 7 and 10

Cons:

• No support for older windows.

Verdict: Back & Restore feature is a simple backup application for windows. The software is not recommended for corporate users as it doesn’t support cloud, network backup, and other advanced features.

Website: Backup and Restore

#19) Backup4all

Best for: Creating a backup of files and folders on Windows. It is a reliable backup software tool used by big firms, such as the International Space Station.

Price: $19.99 – $59.99 (lifetime license) | 30-day trial.

Backup4all comes with advanced backup and restore features. The software supports local backup to a hard drive as well as optical devices. It also supports backup to external drives, network, remote, and cloud backup.

Features:

• Local, network and cloud backups.
• Remote backup using FTP, FTPS, and SFTP.
• Zip compression
• Backup to Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Amazon S3, BOX, Azure, Hidrive, Hubic, and 37+ compatible cloud destinations.

Cons:

• Supports Windows OS only

Verdict: Backup4all is a comprehensive backup and restore tool. The software is great for both individuals as well as organizations.

Website: Backup4all

Conclusion

We have reviewed different types of backup and software tools in this tutorial. You will now be able to make up your mind in selecting the best one that meets your needs. If you need a simple back and restore software, then you can choose Cobian Backup, Google Backup and Sync, and Windows Backup and Restore tool.

Businesses should select a software system with advanced backup features such as Acronis True Image 2020, NovaBACKUP PC, Backup4All, and Paragon Backup & Recovery. FBackup is also a great app for both businesses and individual users and is free to use.

Research Process:

• Time Taken To Research And Write This Article: 11 hours
• Total Tools Researched Online: 20
• Top Tools Shortlisted For Review: 10

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