What is the difference between differential and incremental backups?

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Both differential and incremental backups are “smart,” in that they back up only files that have changed, thus saving time and disk space. But they differ significantly in how they do this and in the utility of the result.

Most of what's on a computer doesn't change very often, if at all. This includes applications, the operating system, and even a lot of user data. Generally speaking, only a small fraction of what's on a partition or disk changes from day to day, or even week to week. So it makes sense to back up only what has changed. That's the foundation of an advanced backup strategy.

What is a differential backup?

Differential backups are a practical method for backing up individual files or folders that change on a daily basis as part of your backup strategy. A differential backup backs up only the files that have changed since the last full backup.

For example, you could perform a full backup on Sunday, and then back up only the files that have changed since Sunday on Monday, Tuesday, and so on, until the next full backup.

Differential backup (.vs full backup)

• Differential backups are faster than full backups because they contain much less data. However, the amount of data in each differential backup grows until the next full backup.
• Differential backups are more flexible than full backups, but it's still inconvenient to run them multiple times a day, especially as the next full backup approaches.

What Is Incremental Backup?

An incremental backup backs up only the data that has changed, but it does so since the last backup – either a full or an incremental one. These are sometimes called “differential incrementals,” and differentials are sometimes called “cumulative incrementals.” Got it?

So, if you do an incremental backup on Tuesday, it only backs up the data that's changed since Monday, so it's a smaller backup, it's faster. The benefit of incremental backups is it lets you shorten your backup cycle without having to back up as much data.

Incremental backup.

Differential Backup vs Incremental Backup

If you're still unsure of the differences, refer to the VS comparison chart:

Incremental backups take less time and produce smaller image files than full backups.

And incremental backups take up even less space, which is usually the main reason for choosing them over differential backups.

Now that you are aware of these differences between incremental and differential backups, you should be able to decide which method is best for backing up your files. But what is the best tool to perform these backup tasks?

Suggestion: Best Incremental/ Differential Backup Software

How to use incremental/differential backup to protect your PC? We highly recommend an incremental/differential backup software - Todo Backup, which provides you with the best backup and recovery solutions.

Create an incremental backup of a file on Windows:

**Step 1.** Click the "Select what to backup" button to start the backup process.

Step 2: There are four backup categories, Files, Disks, OS, and Emails. Please click on “Files”.

Step 3: A list of local and network files will appear on the left. Expand folders and select the files you wish to back up.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose where you want to save your backup.

Click the "Options" button to set an encryption password in "Backup Options", schedule your backup task, and choose event-based backup in "Backup Scheme". You can also explore and customize more options as needed.

5. You can store your backups on a local drive, Easystore cloud service, or a NAS.

Step 6: Todo Backup lets you back up data to third-party cloud storage and your own cloud storage.

To back up your data to a third-party cloud drive, select Local Disk, scroll down to Add Cloud Device, and then add and sign in to your account.

You can also choose to use Edo's cloud space. Click “Edo Cloud,” and register and log in with your Edo account.

**Step 7:** Click “Back Up Now” to start the backup process. When it's done, it will display as a card on the left panel. Right-click on the backup task for further management.