VonJonas P. DeMuro
publica Brian Turner
The best backup software to back up your work quickly and safely

The best backup software makes it easy and simple to back up your save files and folders and offers advanced options to better manage your save data.
It doesn't matter if you are a business or personal user, it is important to have some form of backup software for all your documents and data, otherwise you risk losing everything due to hard drive failure.
To keep the risk as low as possible, this means that you3-2-1 backup(opens in a new tab)Strategy: There must be three copies of the data, the original plus two copies of the original; the data must be stored on at least two different types of media; and at least one of these copies must not be in the same place as the other two and must be external.
In other words, don't just store your data on your computer, use aexternal hard drivehave a second local copy, plus oneCloud backup solutionto ensure you have a third copy off site.
However, trying to coordinate everything together can be tedious since you don't have to manually copy all your files and folders to another backup just because some have changed. This is especially important since you don't want it complicating your job.Document management, especially when usingdocument managementAShare files securely.
Fortunately, there are a number of backup software solutions that aim to do just that, by allowing you to easily and automatically set up different backups when you need them. Some are simply for copying new files as soon as they're saved, while others are for regular backups at specific times.
There's alsoFree Backup Solutionsavailable, here we focus on the paid software, although some free levels or free trials are available.
We compared this software on several aspects such as: B. its user interface, backup features, security, and compatibility with the operating system. Among other things, we evaluate whether the software supports cloud backup, how much data it can back up, and how flexible its pricing plans are.
We also treat thosebest ways to share large files.
Get free, unlimited cloud backups with every ExpressVPN purchase
(opens in a new tab)ExpressVPN(opens in a new tab), TechRadar's #1 VPN provider, offers a full year of free, unlimited cloud backup with Backblaze when you sign up for an annual VPN. Backblaze's cloud backup service allows you to back up your files to the cloud for safekeeping.
Best All-round Backup Software of 2023:
Why you can trust TechRadarOur experts spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best one for you.Learn more about how we test.
1. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office
A fully featured backup solution
reasons to buy
+ Local and cloud backup Support disk cloning
Protection against ransomware
reasons to avoid
- Increase startup time
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office, formerly known as Acronis True Image, is a full-featured backup solution that promises to "never lose a file again".
This backup software sends data to the local drive and the cloud solution at the same time. You can also perform clone and mirror tasks for your computer's system drive with just two clicks.
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office has an anti-ransomware feature that can detect and even reverse unauthorized encryption of a hard drive to protect data from this increasingly common type of attack. It also offers support for backing up mobile devices. The downside is that all these backups consume some system resources and can even increase boot times.
A one-year subscription offers built-in ransomware protection. For cloud backup, you need to upgrade to the Advanced plan. A premium plan offers 5TB of storage and electronic signatures.
read our fullAcronis Cyber Protect review.
2. EaseUS Todo Backup
A flexible solution in the backup area
reasons to buy
+ affordable cost Wide range of functions Windows and Mac support
reasons to avoid
- Clumsy user interface
EaseUS ToDo Backup is a solution that has been around for over a decade, with plans for businesses, home users, and even service providers. It offers software for Windows (XP and above) and Mac platforms.
At the home and home office level, it can perform full or incremental backups of up to 16TB of data, including multi-partition handling, hardware RAID, and supports cloud backup as well.
While there is a free tier, the one-time paid Home tier offers more features for those who are really concerned about managing their backups on a regular basis. The Home Edition is available for a one-time fee, or alternatively, you can subscribe to it on an annual or biennial basis for a fee.
Business options for a single workstation have additional options for servers and technicians that offer an even richer range of features.
For more information, check out our fullEaseUS Todo Backup Review.
Business backup software for home backups
reasons to buy
+ USB recovery media
affordable cost
+ease of use
reasons to avoid
- No cloud storage included
Paragon Backup & Recovery offers a flexible solution to simplify complex backup solutions. The Create Backup Job Wizard gives you guidance on what is backed up and where the data is stored.
This software covers all common backup processes and can easily create complex routines, including automated backups. A standout feature is the WinPE recovery media, which comes to the rescue in the worst case when your PC won't even boot. With a bootable USB stick, users can recover files, fix startup problems, and even perform a restore to be up and running in no time.
A Home Plan is calculated for a single Home User license. Business users should contact Paragon for a quote.
To learn more, read our full.
4. Nova Backup
Backup software that does the basics right, but only the basics
reasons to buy
+ highly secure Includes video tutorials Various business opportunities
reasons to avoid
- overloaded user interface
A robust backup solution available as a subscription, NovaBackup is ideal for the essential backup task of backing up your computer's hard drive to local media. For modest users this will suffice, but it falls short when it comes to the user interface, support for platforms other than Windows and Linux, and more advanced tasks.
However, at least it includes all updates to the program and also supports backup to cloud providers (including OneDrive and Dropbox).
The outstanding feature of NovaBackup PC is the security it offers, as the software runs locally to send the data to a local media drive and does not connect to the Internet. Additionally, the backup can be done with 256-bit AES encryption for added security.
Home users are charged an annual subscription for a single PC, providing protection against data loss, ransomware, and hardware failure. A server edition is also available that offers optional support for virtual machines, SQL and Microsoft Exchange, and is HIPAA compliant.
5. Genie9 Timeline
Backup software with strong security features
reasons to buy
+ Pay attention to system resources Decent game/movie mode powerful options
reasons to avoid
- No support for macOS or Linux
Genie Backup Manager promises "effortless protection for all your files" and can be set up in three steps. There is a trial version for Windows XP and higher, but not for other platforms.
This software focuses on traditional drive backup to a media drive, and the developer provides separate solutions for other situations, including Android and cloud backup needs, which prevents Genie Backup Manager from be a more complete application.
The application sits as an icon on the Windows taskbar and performs its work silently. Notable features include the option to run the backup in Turbo mode at full speed or run it in smart mode that intelligently adapts to available system resources.
For those who hate interruptions, this software has a game/movie mode that automatically suppresses all annoying pop-ups to ensure your gaming or viewing experience is not affected. There is a mobile app for iOS, but not for the more popular Android platform.
read our fullGenie Backup Manager Review.
Also consider these backup solutions
There are a few other options worth considering, includingFree backup softwareThat's still useful, but you tend to have fewer options and settings to customize to your needs, and of course there's always the option to useCloud backup software. Here we take a closer look at some of these options:
Google one(opens in a new tab)is the new name for Google Drive, which gives you up to 15 GB of free storage space at home. Just download, install, and run the Google Backup and Sync app on your computer. This creates a folder in your Windows file explorer where you can save your most important documents. While there are paid upgrade options, this can be expensive in the long run if you're backing up and syncing a large hard drive.
microsoft onedrive(opens in a new tab)it's the backup and sync storage option included with Microsoft Office 365. There's a free version that allows up to 10 GB of storage, but that means it has the same limitations as the previous one, including that you'd be better off using software clone or image to back up the entire hard drive. Still, it's a useful storage place to keep your most important files safe.
mailbox(opens in a new tab)is another cloud server that allows you to store important documents online, which again is free to use with the same limitations as above. But still, the ability to store a smaller number of important files, e.g. B. for work, study, creative projects and the like, be of inestimable value.
try drive(opens in a new tab)it's something you install and configure on your PC for local use, which means your saved files and folders are stored elsewhere on your computer, e.g. B. on a second specific hard drive for backups or on an external hard drive for the same purpose. The software is a bit old, but still useful and worth considering for a quick and free solution.
Backup4all(opens in a new tab)is the paid version of the free backup solution, this time with advanced features and a wizard to easily configure your backup options. The software is relatively cheap, and there is a 30-day free trial you can use to try it out. In addition to support for local and external hard drives, it can also be saved to a USB stick or a specific cloud service.
We checked those too.best windows hosting servicesand theThe best business Macs.
What is backup software?
Backup software are secure tools for backing up various types of data residing on a computer or server. The backup process creates and saves copies of the original files so that they can be restored if they are deleted or damaged.
How to choose the best backup software for you?
When deciding which backup software to download and use, first try to determine how difficult it may be to restore your data. For example, not everyone will back up multiple partitions at the same time.
You should check what security features the software offers, and if you are handling sensitive data, options with higher levels of encryption are ideal. Be sure to check that the backup software is compatible with the operating system you are using.
Also, free or low-cost software options may have built-in limitations on how much data or files it can actually back up.
The best backup software: How we tested it
To test the best backup software, we first set up an account with the respective software platform, either as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used to back up data from both regular hardware and an external hard drive. The goal was to get each software platform to see how useful their basic tools are and how easy it is to learn more advanced tools.
Verhow we test, rate and rate products on TechRadar.
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Jonas P. DeMuro
Jonas P. DeMuro is an independent reviewer of wireless networking hardware.
With contributions from
- Brian Turner