: Todo Backup versus Macrium Reflect

What is Computer Backup Software?

Accidental deletion, disk formatting, system crashes, and virus/cyber attacks can all lead to disastrous data loss. Unfortunately, these occurrences are inevitable unless you have a backup in place. For individual users, the loss of precious photos and crucial work documents equates to lost memories and income. For startups and large enterprises, data and databases are everything. A single instance of losing client data or a sudden system outage can devastate your brand and hard-earned industry reputation, ultimately handing over your customer base and revenue to competitors.

Seasoned professionals and individuals who work with PCs or laptops will emphasize a cardinal rule of cybersecurity - backups are crucial beyond initial setup. So, how do you safeguard the information you wish to protect? The answer lies in computer backup software. The primary function of such software is to create replicas of files, databases, operating systems, and even entire computers. In the face of hardware failures, software issues, data corruption, or malicious malware attacks that compromise your data and system, it enables a swift recovery from prior backups, ensuring that everything appears as it did before the incident.

How to Select Backup Software for Individuals and Businesses

Searching for the appropriate backup software? There's an abundance of backup software options available in the market, some of which can be downloaded for free, while others necessitate an activation key to unlock full access to all advanced functionalities. For instance, Windows 10/8.1 comes with an integrated backup tool called File History, and the older version, Windows Backup and Restore, is included in Windows 7.

Native Windows backup programs are available for free, albeit with rather basic backup options. With File History, you can only choose to back up files located in the Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop folders onto an external hard drive. In fact, in Windows 11, the option to back up folders has been discontinued. Consequently, Windows 11 users can no longer create backups of folders, which is quite disappointing.

While File History does have its limitations, it remains a free option for personal and home users with a small number of pictures or documents to backup. However, for more comprehensive backup needs, such as support for various file types, folder backups, operating system backups, whole disk/partition backups, and enterprise-level database backups, you will require professional third-party backup software with robust backup strategies. Based on years of experience in the computer backup field, I highly recommend Todo Backup and Macrium Reflect.

* Todo Backup and Macrium Reflect are also recommended as top hard drive cloning software.

Todo Backup vs. Macrium Reflect: 10 Comparisons

Both are renowned backup software solutions that offer full compatibility with all versions of Windows operating systems, including the latest Windows 11. However, the question remains: which one is a better fit for you? The vendor's reliability is indeed crucial, but it largely depends on factors such as the software's quality, user ratings, pricing plans, standout features, customer support, and any other aspects that matter to you.

Next, let's compare these two equivalent Windows backup software in a Q&A format. By addressing the most concerns people have, we can more profoundly and clearly discern which software suits which group of users better.

Q1. Where are both companies located? What is the brand history's duration?

1. Chengdu Yiwo Tech Development Co. Limited: Todo Backup is a comprehensive Windows backup and recovery software developed by Chengdu Yiwo Tech, a company established in 2004 with its headquarters located in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China. This region is home to numerous globally recognized IT giants, such as Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, Lenovo, and JD.com.
2. Paramount Software UK Limited: Macrium Reflect is a backup utility for Microsoft Windows created by Paramount Software UK Ltd in 2006. The company has its headquarters in Manchester and London.

In comparison, ToolCorp has a larger workforce than Macrium, and the brand also has a two-year longer history.

Q2. Is it free and easy to use?

Upon reviewing the official websites of both products and consulting online resources, we verified that both offer free editions for personal and home use.

• Tools > Todo Backup Free: Navigate to the Backup & Restore menu and select Todo Backup Free.

• Macrium Reflect Free: Go to the Products menu, then select Reflect Free under the Personal section.

In terms of user-friendliness, it's clear that Todo Backup outshines in providing an accessible experience for users of all skill levels. Every backup option is logically and visually arranged on the right sidebar, with prominent buttons for executing each operation. On the other hand, Macrium Reflect requires some time to get acquainted with due to its less intuitive interface. Many backup tasks involve two to three additional steps compared to Todo Backup to achieve the same result. However, once you become familiar with it, Macrium Reflect becomes relatively easier to work with.

Q3. Which software has better backup features?

We have compared Todo Backup and Macrium Reflect based on their basic to advanced backup functionalities, as well as additional integrated features beyond mere backup support. In essence, Todo Backup provides more options for backup customization, whereas Macrium Reflect leans more towards business-oriented backup tasks. The features of each tool are as follows:

The same features they share with:

• File and folder backup
• OS backup, supporting Windows 11 down to XP
• Disk/partition backup and disk imaging
• Email backup, including Exchange and Outlook
• Mount/Dismount backup images
• Disk/partition cloning
• Scheduled backup on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, or upon an event

Standalone Features in Todo Backup: 1. Disk Backup: Create backup images of entire disks, including system disks, for easy restoration in case of hardware failures or upgrades. 2. Partition Backup: Backup individual partitions or logical drives to protect specific sections of your data. 3. System Backup: Safeguard your operating system and settings by creating a bootable backup image, allowing for quick recovery even after a catastrophic system failure. 4. File Backup: Selectively backup important files and folders, ensuring critical data is protected from accidental deletion or corruption. 5. Incremental Backup: Efficiently save only the changes made since the last backup, minimizing storage space usage and reducing backup time. 6. Differential Backup: Similar to incremental, this feature backs up all changes since the initial full backup, providing a faster restore process compared to a full backup. 7. Scheduler: Set up automatic backup tasks to run at predetermined times, ensuring your data is consistently protected without manual intervention. 8. Sync Backup: Synchronize files and folders between different locations, keeping them up-to-date on multiple devices or storage spaces. 9. Encryption: Secure your backups with strong encryption algorithms, ensuring data privacy and preventing unauthorized access. 10. Compression: Compress backup files to save disk space, while maintaining fast retrieval speeds when needed. 11. Email Notification: Receive email notifications upon completion of backup tasks, giving you peace of mind and timely updates. 12. Backup to Cloud: Store your backups on cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive for added security and remote accessibility. 13. Bare Metal Restore: Perform a direct restore of your system to new or dissimilar hardware, bypassing the need for a separate installation media. 14. Image to Virtual Machine: Convert backup images into virtual machines, enabling easy testing or migration to virtual environments. 15. Data Preview: Preview files before restoring them, ensuring accuracy and avoiding overwriting incorrect or outdated files. These standalone features in Todo Backup provide comprehensive protection and flexibility for managing your data backup and recovery needs.

• 10+ language versions available
• Online chat for pre-sales and after-sales consultation
• Backup image compression
• Backup image encryption
• Replace older files and duplicates
• Create a Windows portable USB drive

Independent features in Marium Reflect:

• English version available
• Backup file consolidation with Synthetic Full backup support
• Offline support, allowing users to leave a message
• Pre-defined backup plan templates

Q4. Which is more expensive, Todo Backup or Macrium Reflect?

Without any concealed costs for maintenance and support, Todo Backup's subscription fees are more affordable compared to Macrium Reflect's.

• Todo Backup commercial version begins at $19.95 per license. It offers monthly, yearly, and lifetime upgrade subscription options. The lifetime license costs $59.
• Macrium Reflect commercial version starts at $69.95.

Q5. Do they offer cloud backup?

We couldn't find any information about cloud backup on Macrium Reflect's website or within the software, which makes it seem somewhat outdated in today's world of cloud computing. In contrast, Todo Backup has recognized the widespread adoption of the cloud and has focused on enhancing and securing the cloud backup experience. It now offers its own exclusive Tools-branded cloud service and also enables users to save backups to other popular cloud platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

Q6. Which platform provides better support for large organizations?

Regarding advanced backup features, both software solutions are capable of offering a viable option for businesses. For instance,

Todo Backup Enterprise edition boasts an extensive range of backup functionalities, which encompass:

• Windows Server support
• SQL/Exchange backup and restore
• Centralized management
• Image-based Backup Strategy
• Universal Restore
• Pre/Post command line backup
• PXE server support
• OEM rebranding service

Macrium Reflect also offers a standalone business backup solution, and in its premium Macrium Server edition, you can find various business-oriented features, which can be summarized as follows:

• Backup your entire physical or virtual Server to a single compressed image file
• Windows event logging
• Backup files and folders to a single compressed archive file

Q7. Can you perform a smart backup in each software?

Smart backup refers to a one-step backup approach that streamlines the backup process after the initial full file backup. Nowadays, it has become an accepted standard when choosing intelligent backup software for Windows. In the tool Todo Backup, there is a feature called Smart Backup. This option automatically creates a smart schedule to monitor specific files or folders every 30 minutes. If any changes are detected within this 30-minute period, it generates a new backup image. This solution is particularly practical for addressing the following needs: 1. Continuous data protection: With frequent monitoring and backups, you can ensure that your data is always up-to-date and protected against unexpected loss. 2. Efficiency: By automating the backup process, you save time and effort, as there's no need to manually initiate backups each time a change occurs. 3. Resource optimization: The system intelligently detects changes, reducing unnecessary backups and conserving storage space. 4. Flexibility: You can customize the backup intervals and choose which files or folders to monitor, allowing for a tailored backup strategy. 5. Quick recovery: In case of data loss or corruption, you can quickly restore from the latest backup image, minimizing downtime. Overall, Todo Backup's Smart Backup feature offers a convenient and efficient way to manage and protect your important data on Windows systems.

• To back up database files that are frequently modified
• To back up shared files that are regularly updated by multiple users
• To create multiple restore points for recovery or rollback purposes

However, in Macrium Reflect, you can only set up a backup schedule manually. You might need to be patient and try setting it up a few times, as it can be a bit confusing to understand how it works initially.

Q8. Can I still perform recovery when my computer fails to boot?

A computer system crash and BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) can happen to anyone at least once. When you're unable to access the Windows operating system, how do you go about system recovery? Thankfully, reliable backup software like Todo Backup and Macrium Reflect allow you to create a bootable rescue media the first time you create a backup. This ensures that you have a means to recover your system even in such inaccessible scenarios.

Todo Backup provides two options to create a bootable environment on a user's computer: Enable PreOS and create an emergency disk. PreOS doesn't require any additional devices to function, but generally, a USB flash drive is needed to create an emergency disk.

Macrium Reflect offers one option to create an emergency disk under the "Other Tasks" menu:

Q9. Can I transfer the system image to another hard drive or computer for recovery?

Yes, both Todo Backup and Macrium Reflect offer a universal restore feature. The distinction lies in the fact that the system transfer feature is included in the current version of Todo Backup you have installed. However, when it comes to restoring a Macrium Reflect system image to different hardware, you would need to use a separate application called ReDeploy. This feature is exclusive to Macrium Reflect's Professional and Server editions.

Q10. Do they offer incremental and differential backups?

As we are aware that backup images will gradually consume more and more disk space, a compromise solution to alleviate the disk space pressure is either to store backup files on the cloud or to manage your backup files intelligently. Backup compression is one method to reduce the growing size of backups, and another approach is to perform incremental backup and differential backup.

We find that Todo Backup and Macrium Reflect both offer the option to create a differential backup and incremental backup. That's pleasing.

The incremental and differential backup methods can be found in the Backup Scheme section when creating a file backup, disk backup, or system backup.

Since Macrium Reflect places the options to create incremental and differential backups quite deeply within its interface, users often incorrectly assume that it does not support these backup methods. To properly guide you on how to use Macrium Reflect to create an incremental or differential backup, referring to this linked knowledge base article may be beneficial.

Todo Backup vs. Macrium Reflect: Which One Suits Me Better?

Based on the 10 comparisons, let's compile the information into the following table for a comprehensive comparison between the two products: | Comparison | Product A | Product B | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Feature Set | Detailed description of Feature Set A | Detailed description of Feature Set B | | 2. Price | Price of Product A | Price of Product B | | 3. User Interface | Ease of use and design of A | Ease of use and design of B | | 4. Performance | Speed and efficiency of A | Speed and efficiency of B | | 5. Customer Support | Quality and responsiveness of A's support | Quality and responsiveness of B's support | | 6. Compatibility | Devices or systems A works with | Devices or systems B works with | | 7. Updates & Upgrades | Frequency and quality of updates for A | Frequency and quality of updates for B | | 8. Security | Level of security provided by A | Level of security provided by B | | 9. Customization | Options for personalization in A | Options for personalization in B | | 10. User Reviews | Average rating and feedback from users | Average rating and feedback from users | After examining this table, you can make an informed decision about which product best suits your needs.

Now you should have a clear idea of which backup solution to choose. It appears that Todo Backup outperforms Macrium Reflect in terms of user experience and workflows, so personally, I would recommend Todo Backup if you don't want to invest valuable time learning the product manual just to utilize its full backup capabilities.