Backing up your important files, or perhaps your entire hard drive, is one of the most valuable maintenance tasks you could do on your computer. Once your data is backed up, a hard drive crash or accidental deletion won’t be nearly as painful.
Computer backup software makes backing up your data automatic—a must-have feature of any successful backup plan. Here is a list of some of the most popular commercial backup software titles available.
Be sure to look at this free backup software list before paying for any of the backup tools listed below. Better yet, check out this online backup services list for cloud backup solutions, an arguably better way to back up your important data.
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office (formerly Acronis True Image) is a complete backup solution for your home computer, much like the other popular backup software programs profiled here.
Lightning fast syncing and backup
Excellent support for mobile devices
Navigating the interface can be cumbersome
Consumes a lot of system resources
You’re able to back up the files of your choice or make a complete image backup of your whole PC, saving it to places like a NAS or an external hard drive.
With its dual protection feature, your local backups can be saved online automatically, too. To protect from overage charges, you can specify which Wi-Fi network will run backups.
A few features are the same for each plan, but the more expensive ones, of course, include some additional options.
You can get Essentials for a yearly price of $49.99, which includes full image backup, active disk cloning, quick recovery, and ransomware protection.
Another option is Advanced which is valid for a year at $54.99 and has the same features as the Essentials plan but also cloud backup, antivirus protection, and Microsoft 365 backup. You get 50 GB of cloud storage as part of that price (500 GB if you pay more).
The final option is Premium for $124.99 a year with the same features as the other two options, but also with 1 TB of online space, blockchain certification of files, and electronic signatures of files.
Those prices are for one computer only, and don’t include any temporary discounts. Check their website for current deals or to add computers.
This backup software is available for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7, as well as Windows Home Server 2011 and macOS 10.14–12
AOMEI Backupper Professional
AOMEI Backupper Professional is a full-featured backup program that can back up various data types like simple file/folder backup, disk cloning, partition backup, and whole disk backup.
Highly customizable
Reasonably priced for what you get
Only works with Windows
For home use only
An easy restore wizard is included, in addition to the ability to compress a backup, split a backup into smaller pieces, and other features.
AOMEI Backupper Professional is priced at $39.95 and is compatible with Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. One license code works on one PC, and it comes with free lifetime upgrades.
Since this program supports uploads to their cloud storage service, you can opt for that option for $10 more per month. There’s also a lifetime version with free upgrades for $69.95.
There’s also a free version of this software called AOMEI Backupper Standard, though it lacks some of the features of the professional version.
EaseUS Todo Backup Home
EaseUS Todo Backup Home is a nice choice for a backup program. It not only backs up files and folders, like documents and mail, but also entire disks, partitions, and even Android devices.
Excellent integration with Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive
Intuitive interface
Some reviews note losing files
It’s easy to use because of the built-in wizard that walks you through the steps of creating a backup job. It also supports standard features like compression and email notifications, among others, which are not included in EaseUS Todo Backup Free.
EaseUS Todo Backup Home is also great for migrating your OS to a new hard drive and cloning data between disks that use different sector sizes.
It’s priced at $29.95 /year USD for one computer and works with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7, as well as macOS 10.9 through 10.13.
Much like most of the other backup software from this list, a single license only works to back up one computer. You have to pay for separate licenses to back up additional computers
O&O DiskImage 18 Professional
O&O DiskImage 18 Professional makes it easy to back up everything from single files to whole hard drives, even the one installed with Windows.
Easy to turn an external hard drive into an emergency boot medium
Very streamlined workflow
No way to restore partitions within Windows
Not very beginner-friendly
Among other features is support for encryption, the ability to restore data to hardware that differs from the source, a rescue boot medium for emergencies, and an easy-to-use burn wizard that lets you burn files onto external drives and delete rewritable disks.
O&O DiskImage 18 Professional costs $49.95 and is compatible with Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1.
The price goes up to $69.95 if you need to back up two to five computers. However, at the five-device option, the price per computer comes down to $14, which is a great deal compared to buying five separate one-PC licenses.
There’s also O&O PowerPack for $59.95 that includes not only the latest DiskImage program, but also O&O Defrag (defrag program), O&O SafeErase (file shredder), and O&O AutoBackup (data synchronization software).
Genie Timeline Pro 10
Genie Timeline Pro 10 is yet another excellent choice for your home backup needs. Like other backup programs, you can back up your entire system, certain files, and folders, or even certain types of files like music, pictures, etc.—whatever is important to you.
Wizard setup is easy to use
Works on several Windows versions
Must supply your own cloud storage
Mediocre performance
Backup and restore wizards make it easy to keep your data safe and restore it after an emergency. Compression capabilities and military-grade encryption make Genie Timeline Pro 10 a splendid value-priced choice for advanced users.
Genie Timeline Pro 10 is priced at $59.95 and works with Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. Discounts are available if you buy the 3-pack or 5-pack.
Ashampoo Backup Pro 17
Ashampoo Backup Pro 17 walks you through a simple wizard to back up an entire hard drive and single files to and from any local or network folder.
Easy to set up and schedule automatic backups
Supplies detailed backup reports
Only available for Windows
User interface could be better labeled
Among other features, it supports four types of custom compression, encryption, email reports, and restoring single files and folders.
The price for Ashampoo Backup Pro 17 is $50. It works with Windows 11/10.
NovaBACKUP for PC
Like some other featured backup programs, NovaBACKUP for PC can serve as disaster recovery software and backup hard drives, system partitions, and specific files and folders like movies and music.
Comprehensive security features
Limitless file versions retention
No integration with File Explorer
Cluttered user interface
A simple wizard is used to encrypt backups and choose the source/destination folder.
In addition to other features, NovaBACKUP for PC can enable virus scanning, send email notifications, and restore backup images to dissimilar hardware types and drive sizes.
NovaBACKUP for PC is priced, per year, at $49.95 for backup from one computer. It comes with 5 GB of cloud storage, too, for no extra cost (you can buy more, up to 5 TB). It works with Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1.
There’s also an option to buy slightly discounted versions if you order for up to five computers at once. This option is $199.80 per year, totaling around $40 per computer per year (about $10 in total savings).
Veritas System Recovery
Veritas System Recovery is a business-class disaster recovery tool, but the price is competitive enough with other home-focused backup programs. There’s also a free 60-day trial.
Impressive restoration speed
Exceptional customer support
Confusing licensing plans
Unclear error messages
The Veritas System Recovery is a complete backup package comprised of one easy-to-use program, making it an excellent choice.
The recovery system supports common features like AES encryption and offsite backup. More advanced abilities are allowed as well, like restoring to dissimilar hardware and creating a backup image of an entire computer.
Veritas System Recovery is available for Windows.
