Best of · Software
Best Backup Software for Mac
Time Machine, cloning tools, and cloud backup solve different problems. Here's how the main Mac backup options compare, and which fits which kind of user.
6 min read
Mac app · Apple
Time Machine
Best for: Automatic, set-and-forget local backups and easy file-level restores.
- Best for
- Automatic, set-and-forget local backups and easy file-level restores
- Developer
- Apple
- Price
- Included with macOS
- Our testing
- Not yet hands-on tested
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Watch: Time Machine in action
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Pricing options
Included with macOS
Free
Needs an external drive or network disk you supply
These prices are approximate and have not been checked against the vendor. Plans and prices change, so confirm on the official site before buying.
Features
- Hourly, daily and weekly automatic snapshots
- Browse and restore individual files or whole folders in time
- Full-system restore through macOS Recovery or Migration Assistant
- Backs up to external drives, NAS or Time Capsule-compatible shares
- Optional backup encryption
Benefits and disadvantages
Benefits
- Zero cost and built into macOS
- Truly set-and-forget once a drive is attached
- Makes moving to a new Mac simple
- Restores from inside apps like Mail and Photos
Disadvantages (cons)
- Backups are local only unless you add a second off-site copy
- Not bootable, so recovery takes longer than with a clone
- Network backups can be slow and sometimes need to be rebuilt
- Limited control over scheduling and exclusions
Who should use Time Machine
- Anyone who has never set up a backup
- Users who want effortless file-level restores
- People upgrading or replacing a Mac
Use cases
Jobs this app is used for. Select one to see every app in the directory for that job.
Reviews & coverage
No rating yet. We only rate apps after documented hands-on testing. There is no full review of this app yet. How we review
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