Backup software prevents you from losing your data today 🔥💽

Your PC's hard drives won't last forever, which is why a backup strategy is essential to keep your data safe! Good backup software for Windows is your safeguard if your main drive fails. 🛡️💻

While Apple's Time Machine offers its users an effective automatic recovery system, Microsoft users aren't so lucky. Instead, they must figure out how to protect their data using a makeshift system of restore points, recovery discs, and file copies. Fortunately, there are several third-party backup software options for Windows that are actually quite good. 🌐✨

R-Drive Image – Best overall Windows backup

Pros

• Super reliable and fast, with disk images and partitioning.
• Backup of files and folders with differential copies.
• Support for Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
• Efficient Linux and WinPE boot media.

Cons

• Some minor peculiarities in the interface.
• No support for S3-compatible online storage.

R-Drive Image has long been one of our favorites: a resource-efficient product with unparalleled reliability. Its ability to create backups of disks, partitions, folders, and files makes it a comprehensive solution for data preservation and recovery.

With version 7.2, R-Drive Image takes another step forward by offering direct support for online storage services. You can now back up not only to a local disk, but also to your favorite cloud storage service, whether it's Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or others. You can also replicate images to multiple destinations, adding redundancy that is crucial for a good backup strategy.

It's hard to think of anything R-Drive Image is lacking, except perhaps for S3-compatible online storage support. But given their track record of continuous improvement on something that's already very good, we wouldn't be surprised to see it added in the future. 🚀

Acronis True Image – Best Windows backup with malware protection

Pros

• Images, backups, and disaster recovery.
• Active protection against viruses and ransomware.
• Integrated cloud storage available.

Cons

• High installation weight.
• Subscription only.
• Lots of telemetry.

Acronis established itself as a trusted bastion of backup software many years ago with its renowned Acronis True Image program. Since then, the program's name has changed to Cyber ​​Protect Home Office, and now back to True Image. But throughout all of this, its reputation as a capable, flexible, and exceptionally reliable backup solution has remained. In fact, it's easily the most comprehensive data security suite on the planet. 🌍🔒

While True Image doesn't offer as much support for third-party cloud storage as R-Drive Image, it does allow backups to local storage, network storage, or its own cloud storage (available at certain tiers). In addition to offering unparalleled backup features that are robust and easy to navigate, it also integrates security applications that protect against malware, malicious websites, and other threats through real-time monitoring.

As our reviewer said, "If you're looking for a comprehensive and easy-to-use data security solution, I don't know of anything better or comparable."

Retrospect Solo – Best for extra ransomware protection

Pros

• Easy to use (once you learn it).
• Wide range of features.
• Good performance.
• New ransomware protection for backups.

Cons

• A somewhat steep learning curve.

The latest version (18.5) of this Windows backup program doesn't disappoint and is packed with features, even adding a useful pre-backup file scan to detect anomalies before overwriting your previous backup—a nod to the growing concern about ransomware. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, Retrospect Solo delivers on its promises. 🔒✨

Easeus Todo Backup – Best free backup for Windows

Pros

• Images, file backups, synchronization, and disaster recovery.
• Super user-friendly interface.
• Disaster recovery tools even with the free version.
• 1TB of online storage for $40.

Cons

• The paid version is somewhat expensive.
• Telemetry.
• It does not natively support third-party cloud storage.
• A couple of minor, non-fatal errors.

We tested and were quite impressed with the paid version of EaseUS Todo Backup 2025. It has everything you'd want in a backup program: disk and partition imaging, file and folder backups, one-way and two-way synchronization, a WinPE recovery disk that includes a full version of the program to restore files and even create new backups, and multi-backup so you can save to and from a local device, a network, or the cloud. 💼✨ Furthermore, EaseUS cloud storage's cost of $40 for 1TB ($24 for students) is very competitive.

While the paid version of the program goes even further by adding features such as disk cloning And partitioning, application data backup and recovery—everything mentioned in the previous paragraph is available in the free version of EaseUS Todo Backup, making it an incredible value. This is especially true given the smooth workflow, fast performance, and an interface that our reviewer described as “a joy to use.” 😊👏

Windows File History Backup – Best Free Windows Backup (Runner-Up)

Pros

• Excellent continuous data protection with versioning.
• Easy navigation through time to explore backed-up files.
• Integrated into Windows.
• Backs up user-created libraries.

Cons

• The "Add Folder" function has been removed in Windows 11.

Among the free programs we tested, the backup of Windows File History It's one of the easiest continuous data protection software programs for Windows. It's a shame the latest version removed the "add folder" feature from File History, but otherwise, it continues to improve upon an already solid backup program. It also offers many of the features and functionalities of other paid third-party backup programs, all for free. And you can't argue with free. It would have taken first place if it weren't for the fact that FBackup offers more versatility in terms of where you can back up your data, such as cloud storage.

Arcserve ShadowProtect SPX – Best Windows Backup for Small Businesses

Pros

• Fast and reliable continuous data protection.
• Super easy restores to real or virtual hard drives.
• Overview of useful time.
• Excellent recovery from disasters.

Cons

• Slightly complicated login dialog.
• Image-based backup only.
• Expensive for end users.

If you're looking for something more robust than just backing up files and folders for your business, Arcserve ShadowProtect SPX has you covered. It comes loaded with a full suite of features that lets you restore your data quickly and easily, and it has support for third-party virtual hard drives. It's also an excellent option not only for Windows users, but also for Linux users or those in mixed Windows/Linux environments. ShadowProtect is a bit pricey, but it's an extremely reliable backup software with unfailing, continuous data protection. 💼⚙️

Other reviews of backup software for Windows

• Iperius BackupThis backup program offers great power, but the learning curve and interface could confuse less experienced users.
• Handy Backup 8.5 ProfessionalThis backup software with top-notch features could have won an editors' choice award, if it weren't for the bugs and the difficulty of learning it.
• MiniTool ShadowMaker Pro 4.6There's a lot to like about this program, particularly its unique ability to integrate with all the computers on a network. Its free version is also worthwhile.
• BackUp Maker ProIt's a bit pricey for its type, but Ascomp's Professional Backup Maker has a multitude of advanced and automation features.
• DriveImage XMLThis venerable program is a viable free backup solution, although only for MBR disks.
• Ashampoo Backup Pro 26: Overwhelming support for various backup tasks with easy-to-understand wizards, but no option to back up from the recovery disk or for "differential backups".
• Zinstall FullBackThis software is unique among backup programs by offering complete migration of backed-up data and applications to a fresh operating system installation — at a relatively high price.
• Macrium Reflect Home: If it weren't for its higher price, Macrium could easily challenge our favorite backup software, R-Drive Image, for its top spot. Seriously, Macrium has an exceptional program that offers all the features we want in backup software: complete drive/folder backups, ease of use, reliability, and more.
• Wondershare UBackit: A simple and easy-to-use backup program, although somewhat marred by the lack of a perpetual license and bootable disk recovery.
• Aomei Backupper ProLike our top two picks, Aomei now integrates cloud storage with its local backup offerings, making it a complete backup solution capable of preserving your important data both locally and remotely, just as a good backup strategy should.
• NTI Backup Pro 7NTI offers the full range of backup features, such as file/folder, image, continuous and cloud backup, making it a very tempting option, if it weren't for the expensive cloud storage and some annoying bugs.

How we test

We ran each program through the various types of backups it could perform. This was primarily done to test hardware reliability and compatibility, but we timed two: a system image of approximately 115GB (two partitions), and an image of approximately 50GB created from a smaller set of files and folders. We then mounted the images and tested their integrity using the program's restore functions. We also tested the bootable USB drives created by the programs.

How to choose backup software

As with everything, don't overbuy. Features you don't need add complexity and can slow down your system. Also, if you plan to back up to a newly purchased external hard drive, check the software that came with it. Seagate, WD, and others offer backup utilities that are suitable for the average user.

Copying files: If you only want to back up your data (operating systems and programs can be reinstalled, although it's time-consuming and laborious), a program that backs up only the files you select is a huge time-saver. Some programs automatically select the appropriate files if you use the Windows library folders (Documents, Photos, Videos, etc.).

Image backup: Disk images are byte-by-byte snapshots of your entire hard drive (usually without empty sectors) or partition, and can be used to restore both the operating system and data. Creating images is the most convenient way to restore your system in case of a failure and also ensures that nothing important is lost.

Starting media:  If your system fails completely, you'll need an alternative way to boot and run the recovery software. Any backup program should be able to create a bootable optical disc or USB drive. Some will also create a recovery partition on your hard drive, which can be used instead if the hard drive is still working.

Program: Anyone who wants to back up their data effectively needs to do so regularly. Any worthwhile backup program should allow you to schedule backups.

Versioned: If you're overwriting older files, that's not backup; it's synchronization or one-way mirroring. Any backup program you use should allow you to retain multiple previous backups or, with file copying, earlier versions of the file. The best software will retain and delete older backups based on criteria you define.

Optical media: All backup programs support hard drives, but as outdated as they may seem, DVDs and Blu-ray discs are great archiving media. If you're concerned about the reliability of optical media, M-Disc claims its discs are reliable for a thousand years, a claim backed by Department of Defense testing.

Online support: An off-site copy of your data is excellent protection against physical disasters such as floods, fires, and power outages. Online storage services are a great way to maintain an off-site copy of your data. Backing up to Dropbox and similar services is a useful feature to have.

FTP and SMB/AFP: Backing up to other computers or NAS devices on your network or in remote locations (such as your parents' house) is another way to physically protect your data with an external, or at least discreet, copy. FTP can be used for external backups, while SMB (Windows and most operating systems) and AFP (Apple) are suitable for other PCs or NAS devices on your local network.

Real time: Real-time backup means that files are backed up every time they change, typically when they are created or saved. Also called mirroring, it's useful for maintaining a readily available copy of rapidly changing datasets. For less volatile datasets, the performance gain doesn't justify the increased system resource consumption. Scheduled backups should be used instead.

Continuous backup: In this case, 'continuous' simply means backing up on a tight schedule, typically every 5 to 15 minutes, rather than daily or weekly. Use continuous backups for rapidly changing datasets where transfer rates are very slow or computing power is too valuable for real-time backup.

Performance: Most backups run in the background or during periods of inactivity, so performance isn't a major concern for consumers. However, if you're backing up multiple machines or multiple destinations, or dealing with very large datasets, speed becomes a consideration.