The 5 Best Backup Programs for Mac (Free and Paid)

Whether you're a Mac or Windows user, data protection should be at the top of your list. After all, our digital lives have become more abundant and complex, and data loss can be a reality for anyone. Search for backup software on Google, and most search results will be Windows backup tools. Backup on a Mac seems more related to iCloud sync. However, there are still plenty of great backup software options for Mac users. In this article, we'll introduce you to five of the best Mac backup software solutions, both free and paid.

The Necessity of Mac Backup Software

Before we dive in, let's first understand the must-have features of a Mac backup software. What makes a good backup software for Mac? When choosing a backup app for your Mac, consider these key features:

• Usability: The best Mac backup software should be easy to install and use. It should have a user-friendly interface that is straightforward to navigate. Additionally, a clean interface means you'll spend less time learning how to use the software.
• Complete Backup: Mac backup software should allow you to create a full backup of your data. This includes backing up system files, applications, settings, and user data.
• Incremental Backup: It's crucial for Mac backup software to create incremental backups. This means the software will only back up new or modified data, saving time and storage space.
• Scheduled Backups: Creating scheduled backups implies that once set up, the software will run automatically at your preferred times.
• Version Management: A good Mac backup tool should let you create multiple backup versions so you can revert to an older version if necessary.
• Space Management: Allowing users to manage the storage space used for backups is also important. This includes the ability to compress data and delete old backups.

Review of the Top 5 Best Backup Software for Mac

Backup software ensures your data is safe from any unforeseen circumstances. If you're confused about which is the best Mac backup software, in this section, we'll compare and review the 5 most popular Mac backup software to help you choose.

1. Time Machine 2. Carbon Copy Cloner (paid) 3. Get Backup Pro (paid) 4. ChronoSync (paid) 5. Todo Backup for Mac (paid)

1. Time Machine (Free)

Time Machine is the built-in backup feature of a Mac computer. It allows you to make incremental backups of your data and store them on an external hard drive (you will need to have a backup disk ready when setting up Time Machine). It's a simple and effective backup solution that's perfect for basic users. However, it lacks some advanced features that might make it less appealing to power users. One significant downside to Time Machine is that it only backs up user files like applications, music, photos, email, and personal documents.

Advantages:

• User-friendly
• Incremental backups
• Scheduled backups
• Version control

Disadvantages:

• No compression or space management
• Backups can be saved only to an external hard drive (not to the cloud)

Complete Guide to Mac Time Machine Backup

A Time Machine backup actually involves many parts and different types of content. This article offers a comprehensive view of Time Machine backups. If you're looking for a guide on how to use Mac Time Machine, this article could be helpful.

2. Carbon Copy Cloner (paid software)

Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) has been in the Mac backup game since 2002. With almost 20 years of experience backing up Macs, it's one of the best backup apps out there. While it does everything Apple's built-in Time Machine can do, CCC offers more backup options. With CCC, you can create a backup on an external drive or clone your files to another Mac. It's also very flexible. You can back up just a single folder, or clone an entire external hard drive.

With the upgrade to version 6, CCC's backup speeds have reached new heights. According to the CCC website, the speed improvements will be “stunning.”

Advantages:

• Support for legacy file version backups (snapshots)
• Rich backup options to cater to user needs
• Preview feature for tasks, allowing users to understand what will happen before the actual backup begins
• A 30-day free trial period offered

Disadvantages:

• Available only in the paid version
• The time required for recovery can increase as incremental backups accumulate

3. Get Backup Pro (paid)

Get Backup Pro 3 is a long-term backup solution for Mac that offers all the features one would expect from the best Mac backup software. It provides a wide range of backup options, including documents, music, videos, applications, and system files. Users can save their data to external drives or cloud storage services like iCloud Drive, Google Drive, and Dropbox. Additionally, it supports creating bootable backups and incremental backups. One significant advantage of Get Backup Pro 3 is its ability to let you password protect and encrypt your backups. This means that only those who know the password can access your backups and view your data.

Advantages:

• Backup to external drives and cloud storage services supported
• Encrypted backup with password protection
• Create bootable backups
• Incremental backups
• Scheduled backup tasks

Disadvantages:

No cyber security features

4. ChronoSync (paid)

As its name implies, [ChronoSync](https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html) is a powerful syncing and backup app that lets you save your data to external hard drives and cloud services. When it comes to backup options, ChronoSync stands out from the crowd in terms of syncing. Not only can you sync your Mac files and folders to the cloud, but you can also sync them to other Mac computers or even your iPhone/iPad. Like other Mac backup software, ChronoSync also allows you to create incremental backups, saving both time and space when backing up large amounts of data. Additionally, it offers advanced features such as the ability to sync multiple folders simultaneously and schedule tasks. However, these perks come at a price, making ChronoSync one of the more expensive backup solutions on this list.

（The image displays the interface of the ChronoSync software.）

Advantages:

• Support for backing up to an external drive, another Mac, or a cloud storage service
• Create incremental backups
• Synchronize multiple folders simultaneously
• Schedule tasks

Disadvantages:

• Expensive

5. Tool: Todo Backup for Mac (paid version)

Lastly, we recommend using Todo Backup for Mac. It's a backup solution that provides all the features you need to back up your data. Apart from basic data backup, backup encryption, and file synchronization, Todo Backup for Mac also introduces innovative archive backup. This way, you can archive your files to a disk that can be automatically mounted, a network volume, CD/DVD, or external device. Afterward, you can restore the archives on any computer without affecting the original data.

Advantages:

• Schedule backups automatically in stealth mode
• Compress backups to save on storage space
• Synchronize Mac files/folders to other Macs or mounted drives

Disadvantages:

No free trial available

To try Todo Backup for Mac, click the button below to download it and follow the wizard to create a backup.

Step 1: Launch and run Todo Backup for Mac. Click the first "Backup" tab, or directly click the + button at the bottom left to create a backup task – name your backup task and then click OK.

Step 2: Set the backup destination, i.e., where you want to store your Mac files as a backup, the frequency of automatic backups, etc., and then click OK.

Step 3: Add files and folders to the backup. Click on Add Files+ to selectively add files and folders to the backup, then hit the blue Start button to back up your Mac to another drive or external device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

< strong > 1. What is the best backup software for Mac?

In this article, we recommend five of the best Mac backup software options:

1. Time Machine - A completely free backup utility built into macOS that only backs up personal data. 2. Carbon Copy Cloner (paid) - A paid software with a price tag of $39.99 per Mac, offering a 30-day free trial, and is a seasoned backup solution for Mac users. 3. Get Backup Pro (paid) - A paid software priced at $19.99 per Mac, providing an all-in-one solution for backup, cloning, archiving, and synchronization. 4. Time Synchronize (paid) - A paid software priced at $49.99 per Mac, outperforming competitors in terms of synchronization capabilities. 5. Todo Backup for Mac (paid) - A paid software priced at $29.95 per Mac, delivering excellent comprehensive backup performance.

2. Does the Mac have backup software?

Yes! In macOS, there's a built-in backup tool called "Time Machine." You'll need to prepare a backup disk. Once Time Machine is set up, it will automatically back up your personal data whenever you connect the backup disk to your Mac.

3. How to Back Up Your Whole Mac to an External Drive?

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Backup Your Mac Files/System to an External Hard Drive

1. Choose a third-party backup tool, open it, and launch it on your Mac 2. Connect an external backup disk to your Mac and select it as the backup destination 3. Choose the content you want to back up (including files and the system) 4. Confirm your settings, then click OK to start backing up your entire Mac

Bottom line

Now that you know the 5 best Mac backup software, you might have realized that most of the best Mac backup tools are paid. However, some of them offer free trials that you can use to create backups before purchasing. If you really don't want to spend any money, Time Machine is also a great option to keep your data safe. Just choose the one that suits your needs the most and start backing up your data now!