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Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac
by Joe Kissell
Ebook: $15.00
Print: $28.99

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Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac: The Online Appendixes

Info about nearly 100 Mac backup apps and a Retrospect 6.x primer!
by Joe Kissell

Welcome! If you want to compare features in Mac backup apps or get help with Retrospect 6.x, you are in the right place. The content here is free to all, but it is associated with a commerical ebook, written by Joe Kissell and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. The ebook helps you figure out your best strategy for making backups in Mac OS X, and then it covers all the details of set up, testing, maintenance, and restoration.

There are nearly 100 Mac OS X programs one can use to back up a hard disk. On an almost daily basis, I find updates and entirely new backup programs, and developers seem intent on inventing entirely new ways of approaching the age-old problem of keeping your data safe. In Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, I go into great detail about developing a backup strategy, selecting media, setting up a backup system, and recovering data when the need arises. And I also discuss the criteria you should consider when choosing backup software. But there’s no way I could keep the book even approximately up to date with details of every Mac backup program, so instead I’ve listed them in this online appendix. My intention is to update it regularly so that it will be a reasonably comprehensive and reliable resource.

In Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, I emphasize two main types of backups. One is the bootable duplicate, in which the backup software makes an identical copy of your entire startup disk and stores it on another hard drive in such a way that you can start your Mac from your backup drive if your main disk fails. The other is the versioned backup, in which the backup software copies some or all of your files to another location (such as a hard disk, network server, or DVD) and then, on subsequent runs, adds to your backup only new or changed files—but without deleting or overwriting what was previously copied. Because I think these two elements are the cornerstones of a solid backup strategy, I’ve divided the applications and services shown here into two groups: those that have either or both of these features (the top portion of the table), and those that have neither (at the bottom).

In this table, I also indicate whether a program is compatible with Leopard and/or Snow Leopard and whether it’s available on any other platforms as well. Here, as in the other tables on this site, click a column heading for more information about the feature being described.

Enterprise-grade backup software is not shown here.

Last updated: January 5, 2012

Product Name Price Bootable Duplicates Versioned Backups Mac OS X Compatibility Available for Other Platforms Notes
[a] Can create bootable duplicates over a network.
Apple Backup 3.2 free with $99 MobileMe membership Yes 10.5-10.6
Arq 2.3 $29; Amazon.com S3 storage extra Yes 10.5-10.7
Backblaze 2.0 $5 per month or $50 per year for unlimited storage of data from a single computer. Yes 10.5-10.7 Windows
BackJack 5.2.2 Pricing starts at $96 per year, for two user-specific blocks of 10 GB each; additional 10 GB blocks are $2 per month. A free 4 GB account is also available. Yes 10.5-10.7 BackJack 5.x is geared primarily toward business users.
Backup Manager Pro 1.0.2 $39.96; bundled free with some LaCie drives Yes Yes 10.5-10.7 This is a customized version of Intego’s Personal Backup.
Backuplist+ 8.0.4 donation suggested Yes Yes 10.5-10.7
BackupRight Pro $129.99/mo for 500 GB Yes 10.5-? Linux, Windows Highly negative user comment on SenseList gives me pause. Uses AhsayOBM software.
BounceBack Professional 8.2 download only, $39; CD, $49 Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows No demo version available.
BRU Producer’s Edition 2.1.0 $499.00 Yes 10.5-10.6
bruCLONE 1.3.0 $69.95 Yes 10.5-10.6
Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.4-b1 donation suggested Yes [a] Yes 10.5-10.7
ChronoSync 4.2.1 $30.00 Yes [a] Yes 10.5-10.7
Clone X 4.1.1 $49.00 Yes 10.5-10.7 Can also create bootable DVDs and copy minimal systems, or systems without Users folder.
CopyCatX 5.0 $59.95 Yes 10.5-10.6 Demo version doesn’t support duplicates.
CrashPlan 3.0.3 free Yes 10.5-10.7 Linux, Windows
CrashPlan+ 3.0.3 free with subscription to online storage; prices start at $1.46 per month for 10 GB of data, or $2.92 per month for unlimited data Yes 10.5-10.7 Linux, Windows
Data Backup 3.1.1 $59.00 Yes Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows
Déjà Vu 4.1 $24.97 Yes Yes 10.5-10.7
Depositit Pricing starts at £60 (about $120) per year for 250 MB of storage. Yes 10.5-? Linux, Windows Uses same software as Datatrieve.
DiskTools Pro $79.99 Yes 10.5-?
Dmailer Backup Software is free, as is 2 GB of online storage; additional storage is $34.99/year for 30 GB or $69.99/year for unlimited. Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows
Dolly Clone Free Yes 10.5-10.7
Dropbox 1.1.35 2GB free; 50 GB, $9.99/mo; 100 GB, $19.99/mo Yes 10.5-10.7 Windows, iOS
DV Backup Standard 1.4.4 $50.00 Yes 10.5-10.6
ElephantDesktop 4.8.2 Pricing starts at $4.97 per month for unlimited storage of data from a single computer. Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows
FoldersSynchronizer X 4.1 $40.00 Yes 10.5-10.7
ForeverSave 1.1.5 $14.95 see note 10.5-10.6 Stores versioned backups only of documents from specific applications chosen by the user. Also adds autosave feature to many applications.
Get Backup Pro 2.5 $39.95 Yes Yes 10.5-10.6
IBackup for Mac 2.0.0 Pricing starts at $9.95 per month for 10 GB of storage. Yes 10.5-10.7 Windows Uses same software as IDrive. Free trial requires credit card information.
IDrive Online Backup 2.0.0 2 GB free; $4.97 per month for 150 GB of storage. Yes 10.5-10.7 Windows Uses same software as IBackup.
Instant Backup 1.7.1 $4.95 Yes 10.5-10.7
Intego Backup Express 1.1 $9.99 Yes 10.5-10.7
Jungle Disk 3.06 $2–$5 per month depending on edition; S3 storage extra Yes 10.5-10.6 Linux, Windows, iOS
MacTuneUp $34.99 Yes 10.5-?
Memeo Backup 2.5.120 $29.95 Yes 10.5-? Windows
Memopal 1.0 3 GB free; €49/year for up to 200 GB or €69/year for 300 GB Yes 10.5-? Linux, Windows, iOS
MimMac 1.10 $10.00 Yes 10.5-10.6
MozyHome 2.0 $5.99/month per computer for 50 GB of storage from one computer, or $9.99/month for 125 GB of storage from up to three computers Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows, iOS
Norton Online Backup $49.99/year for 25 GB of storage from up to 5 computers Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows
NTI Shadow 5.0.0.35 $39.99 Yes Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows
Offsite Backup Solutions Pricing starts at $25/month for up to 5 GB. Yes 10.5-10.6 Linux, Windows Uses AhsayOBM software.
Parachute 1.1 $39.00 see note 10.5-10.6 Can save multiple (full) backups OR back up incrementally, but not both.
Personal Backup 10.6 (part of Internet Security Barrier X6) $79.95; 5-user Family Pack, $109.95 Yes Yes 10.5-10.6
Prolifix $5/GB per month Yes 10.5-? Linux, Windows Uses AhsayOBM software.
QRecall 1.1.4 $40.00 ($30 introductory price) Yes 10.5-10.6
QuickBack
(part of SpeedTools Utilities 3 Pro)
$89.95 Yes 10.5-10.6
Retrospect Desktop 9.0 $129 Yes [a] Yes 10.5-10.7 Windows
Rhinoback 5.5.5.3 Prices range from free (500 MB) to $79.95/month (40 GB). Yes 10.5-? Linux, Windows Uses AhsayOBM software.
RipCord 1.0b15c10 donation suggested Yes 10.5-?
SilverKeeper 2.0.2 free Yes 10.5-10.6 (see note) Will not be updated to support Lion.
SmartBackup 3.2 15 € (about $22); App Store version, $12.99 Yes Yes 10.5-10.7
SpiderOak 3.0.9200 2 GB free; $10/month or $100/year per 100 GB Yes 10.5-10.6 Linux, Windows
Stellar Drive Clone $39.00 Yes 10.5-10.6 Also creates a bootable restore DVD.
SugarSync 1.5 Prices range from $2.49/month (for 10 GB) to $24.99/month (for 250 GB). Yes (see note) 10.5-10.6 Windows, iOS Can sync between Macs (and PCs and handhelds). Keeps up to five previous versions of files.
Super Flexible File Synchronizer
Standard Edition 5.61
$34.90 Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows, Linux
Super Flexible File Synchronizer
Professional Edition 5.61
$59.90 Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows, Linux
SuperDuper 2.6.4 $27.95; free “clone-only” version available Yes 10.5-10.7
Sync!Sync!Sync! 4.5.0 $15.00 Yes 10.5-?
Synchronize Pro X 6.3.1 $99.95 Yes Yes 10.5-10.7
Synk Standard 7.0.12 $40.00 Yes [a] Yes 10.5-10.6
Synk Pro 7.0.12 $60.00 Yes [a] Yes 10.5-10.6
TechTool Pro 6.0.2 $99.99 Yes 10.5-10.6
Time Machine included with Leopard (1.0), Snow Leopard (1.1), and Lion (1.2) Yes 10.5-10.7
Tri-Backup 6.0.4 $69.00 Yes Yes 10.5-10.7
Tri-Backup Pro 6.0.4 $99.00 Yes Yes 10.5-10.7
Warehouse 1.1 $9.99 Yes 10.5-10.6
Wuala 1.0 ("Hottingen") Free. Includes 1 GB of online storage. Additional storage plans range from €19/year (10 GB) to €229/year (250 GB), or you can trade storage on your own disk for cloud storage at no cost. Yes 10.5-10.6 Windows, Linux, iOS
Xupport 3.6.0 $19.90 Yes 10.5-10.6

Synchronization and Copying Products
AASync 2.1.6 free for local syncs only; $29 for local<->remote 10.5-10.6 Windows
ArchiveMac 1.2.7 $24.99 10.5-10.6 Designed only for archiving files to optical discs.
arSync 0.4.1 free 10.5-?
BackJack Continuum 1.0.6 Free, not counting MobileMe or S3 fees. 10.5-10.6 Offers simplified offsite storage (on either iDisk or S3) for Time Machine users, but can store a maximum of 10 GB of data.
Carbonite 1.1.0 $49.95 per year for unlimited storage of files from a single computer 10.5-10.6 Windows Currently in public beta testing; some features may not work correctly.
Compare Folders 3.4.3 $24.97 10.5-? Doesn’t advertise itself as being a backup program.
DV Backup Lite 1.4.3 $20.00 10.5-10.6
EasyRsync 0.1 free 10.5-?
FilesAnywhere (FA Sync 1.3.1.4) 1 GB free; $8.95/month for 5 GB; additional storage extra 10.5-? Windows Same software as AASync (earlier version). FilesAnywhere’s Windows software offers many additional features.
FileSync 2.2 free 10.5-?
Folder Backup 3.1 15€ (about $22) 10.5-10.6
Get Backup Freeware 2.5 Free Yes See note 10.5-10.6 Freeware version offers “versioned” backups but not incremental updates.
GoodSync for Mac 1.3.4.0 $29.95 see note 10.5-10.6 Windows Can save only one previous version of each file.
GrabBack 1.4.2 $9.95 10.5-?
iBackup 2011 (7.3.1) free 10.5-10.6
iBackupIT 1.7 free ? I was Unable to get iBackupIT 1.7 to run under Leopard.
iMsafe 2.0 $39.00 10.5-?
LaCie 1-Click Backup 1.2.1 free with LaCie hard drive 10.5-? Windows
MagicMirror 1.41 free ? I couldn’t get MagicMirror to copy any files under Leopard.
Martian LifeBoat 1.0.1 $13.99 10.5-10.6
Match 1.3 $49.00 10.5-?
Snap Backup 4.4 free 10.5-10.6 Linux, Windows
StuffIt Archive Manager 14.0.0
(part of StuffIt Deluxe)
$79.99 10.5-10.6 Windows
Synchronize X Plus 3.8.2 $29.95 10.5-10.7
Time Warp $25 10.5-10.6
Twin 1.5.1 $49.99 10.5-10.7
Volume Snapshot for Mac OS X $39.95 see note 10.5-10.6 This application saves the contents of your disk to a disk image, which can then be used to restore your Mac to a bootable state. But you can’t boot directly from the disk image.

Feature Explanations for This Table

Bootable Duplicates: If the software can create an exact copy of your entire startup disk such that you can use the copy to boot your Mac, it gets a “Yes” in the Bootable Duplicates column. Note, however, that not all such programs are created equal. For example, those marked with footnote [a] can perform the unusual feat of making a bootable backup on a drive connected to another Mac on your network. Also see the Metadata Support column on the Other Features page, as faithful copying of metadata is important for a good duplication program.

Versioned Backups: A versioned backup starts with a complete copy of all the files in one or more folders. The next time the backup runs, your backup software could make another complete copy, but because most of the files probably have not changed in the meantime, that would use up a great deal of space—and also take a long time. So backup programs typically perform an incremental update. This means that on subsequent runs, the software scans the folders you’ve designated and copies only those files that are new (or newly modified) since the last backup. By definition, versioned backups must be additive, meaning the backup program adds the new or changed data to the backup without overwriting the files already there. That way, you can retrieve many different versions of a given file, and if you delete it on your hard disk, you can still find it in your backup.

Mac OS X Compatibility: All the programs listed here should run in 10.5 Leopard; most of it also works in 10.6 and 10.7; and many of them also work in earlier versions of Mac OS X (although I don’t track earlier versions). If a program says “10.5-10.6,” that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t run under 10.7; it only means (except as noted) that I have not yet determined Lion compatibility. A “?” in this column simply means the developer hasn’t specifically stated compatibility (beyond the version listed, if any).

Available for Other Platforms: A number of Mac backup programs also come in versions for Linux and/or Windows. This might be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the program. If you need to back up several computers running different operating systems, you may appreciate the convenience and familiarity of a single tool that works on all of them. Usually, though not always, if you create versioned backups with a multi-platform program, you can open and restore your files from another platform than the one you used to back them up. On the other hand, a few of the cross-platform programs have truly hideous user interfaces that were either written in Java without any consideration for the Mac aesthetic, or very badly ported from another operating system.