Free backup software can be useful for backing-up devices and keeping data safe without any licencing or ongoing subscription fees. For this reason, amongst many others including learning about how backup software works and how it can help protect important data, free backup software is a great place to start when creating your first backup set.
In this specialist and informative guide, I will be assessing some of the best free backup software titles in order to help make the process of choosing a free backup solution as simple as possible. This includes covering the features usually found in such software, functionality which is usually missing in free editions, the types of storage supported, upgrade paths to premium editions plus the differences between free and open-source backup software.
Free backup software can be a great way of protecting important data both quickly and without the need to pay for licences nor cloud subscriptions. Time to get into the pros and cons of such backup software and how it can be of great help to many PC and Mac OS users alike.
- Disk image backups
- Cloud backup support
- Zero-knowledge encryption
- Bootable recovery media
Tips for Selecting Free Backup Software
Before listing my top 10 favourite free backup software titles (which is further down in this guide if you wish to jump straight there), here are a few quick things to look out for when choosing such free backup software for yourself.
Free vs Open-Source
One of the first things to be aware of when researching free backup software is the difference between a free edition of a premium product (often with limitations on functionality) and a fully functional backup software title which is open-source (meaning anyone can download and use it for free).
Generally speaking, when dealing with free-to-use software of any nature, developers will often offer a free version of a premium product in order to help with further testing, development and promotion of their software line as a whole. This approach means customers can gain access to a limited (but still functional) edition of a product with no initial costs due (although it is important to be aware of what functionality might be missing in such free editions).
Top 5 Free Backup Software Choices:
Below is a quick look at the top 5 backup software solutions mentioned in this guide, scroll down for the full and detailed list of free backup software titles.
| Provider | Solution | Upgrades | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | ToDo Backup Free | Home edition from $39.95 / year | |
| 2 |  | BackUp Maker | Business use licence @ $39.90 | |
| 3 |  | Backupper Standard | Pro edition from $39.95 / year | |
| 4 |  | Backup FREE | Backup Pro 26 from $18 | |
| 5 |  | ShadowMaker Free | ShadowMaker Pro from $3 / month |
Open-source backup solutions, on the other hand, will also provide free to use software on the basis that said software is often community built and supported (although in some cases commercial companies do sponsor such development as well). Whilst open-source software can appear to be very good value initially, it is important to factor in that support could be limited as could any further development or new features (in many cases, support for open-source software will be delivered by the software’s community using a forum).
Included Functionality
As mentioned earlier, free backup software is often a limited edition of a premium backup software solution with some functionality removed (so as to justify the product been free). Whilst the remaining software will almost certainly still be a competent product, it is important to take careful note of what features are still included and which ones are reserved for premium editions only.
Generally speaking, these free editions might be lacking in cloud storage support, disk imaging backups, encryption strength (or might lack encryption completely) and might also have fewer scheduling options amongst many other features which cloud be missing. Being this the case, always check what features any free backup software title has retained and ensure such software will meet your own backup needs before committing to it.
File vs Disk Image Backups
Whilst this might not have been the case a few years ago, many free-to-use backup software solutions now feature making full disk image backups as a core part of their offering.
Put simply, whilst file level backups focus on backing-up individual files and folders, a disk image backup will back up an entire device by making an exact image (or 1:1 copy) of the entire hard disk thus ensures all data on said disk including files, folders, installed applications and the operating system itself are included. By including everything via an image-based backup, we begin to see many benefits come to fruition including no data being missed, the ability to recover (or migrate) to new hardware during recovery plus the ability to protect the operating system and user settings making for less configuration work after a full system recovery takes place.
NB – For more information on disk image backups and how they differ with file-level backups, please see my guide to system image vs file level backups.
Whilst this disk imaging functionality is often considered a premium feature, there are now several free backup software titles providing disk image backups as a core part of their offering. This includes my current favourite free backup software choice EaseUS ToDo Backup Free amongst several others.
NB – Multiple software developers now include the ability to create bootable recovery media from within their free backup software titles. This can help in recovering unbootable systems and can also be useful when migrating to a new or otherwise dissimilar hardware also.
Network, Cloud or Local Storage
Where to store data files is a very important consideration when performing any kind of backup operation, especially so when using free backup software given that these storage options could be limited compared to a premium backup solution.
Most premium backup software titles will allow for the storing of backed-up data either locally on an external drive, on a NAS device (or shared folder) as well as on cloud storage (which cloud be available via the developer’s own cloud service or that of a third party). When making use of free backup software you might find that these storage options are limited. For example, in various cases it might be that free backup software only allows for utilising local storage or NAS devices (with cloud storage only available in premium editions).
With limitations such as this in mind, it is important to think not only about what data will be protected during a backup, but where and how this data will be stored and how accessible it will be should recovery be required in the future. For example, backups kept on storage devices physically near to the device being backed up could be vulnerable to many of the same dangers (including fire and theft) as the device itself – something which would not be the case if cloud storage was being used.
The Software Upgrade Path
Whilst it might be the case that free backup software meets your requirements at the time of choosing such software, this might not always be the case (especially so given that backup requirements tend to change over time). With this in mind, it is always worth thinking about the upgrade path for any free backup software and what might happen should you start to require more from your chosen solution in the future.
Given that many free backup solutions are simply free editions of a premium counterpart, it is always worth checking out the premium edition of the tool and what additional functionality it provides. When doing this, be sure to check that the premium features are plentiful and cover any potential changes in your own backups circumstances which you might anticipate. Also look at the pricing options for these premium editions and how easily the developers have made it to upgrade from the free edition (as this cloud help to save a lot of time if you do decide to upgrade).
NB – Be aware that an increasing number of backup software developers are now offering cloud storage as a core feature of their premium backup software. If you are seeking some of the highest levels of data protection and simplicity, then such a backup solution with everything included might be a good way to go, even if a fee is payable for the service.
Security and Privacy Concerns
Finally, but still very importantly, the security and privacy of any backups should be taken very seriously when making use of free backup software.
Securing backups using strong zero-knowledge encryption (using AES 256-bit encryption or higher) is often accepted as one of the most reliable and effective means for protecting such important data. In fact, even if your backup storage is compromised (e.g., an external hard being stolen or lost) then the use of strong encryption will ensure any backed-up data remains safe given that such encryption is virtually impossible to break.
NB – When applied correctly and with a strong password, AES 256-bit encryption is considered all but impossible to break. For this reason, it is always recommended to encrypt all backups regardless of where the data is eventually stored.
Free Backup Software FAQs
Free backup software is, without doubt, the easiest and most effective method for backing up important data from a PC or MacOS device for free.
Such free backup software has developed a long way in recent years and, whilst once considered little more than a free trial for a premium title, free backup software can often be found with many useful functions including disk imaging, cloud storage support plus AES 256-bit data encryption included by default.
As of my recent testing in April 2025, EaseUS ToDo Backup Free remains my favourite free backup solution with ASCOMP BackUp Maker a great alternative.
Whilst the premium edition of ToDo Backup does provide a comprehensive backup solution which is almost unrivalled in the home and small business backup sector, the Free edition retains much of this advanced functionality. This means EaseUS ToDo Backup is a great “go to” choice for anyone seeking a free yet still highly functional backup solution.
Some key features found in EaseUS ToDo Backup Free include cloud storage support, full disk image backups plus the ability to apply strong zero-knowledge encryption to any backups made (features often reserved for premium editions by many other software developers).
The downsides to free backup software will naturally differ depending upon the person making use of such software and the specifics of what is required from it.
Generally speaking, one of the biggest downsides to using free backup software is that certain features will be missing (or limited) when compared to the premium edition of the same product. This can have the negative effect of making backups harder to configure as well as more time consuming and stressful to use in the process.
By offering less features, free backup software might see users having to compromise on what is backed-up from their device, how it is stored and (crucially) how well their device is protected. If your backup requirements are fairly basic and a free backup solution works for you, then such software can be a great option. Otherwise, it might be worth considering premium backup software and evaluating how the additional functionality can be of help.
Whilst it is commonly acknowledged that free backup software will be limited in its functionality compared to premium titles, the exact nature of these differences can vary.
One common area in which free backup software is limited is in the available storage options for saving backups. Whilst premium solutions often allow multiple backup storage options to be used (including third party cloud storage services and cloud storage provided by the developers themselves), free backup solutions might be limited to using just locally accessible storage (e.g., external hard drives or NAS devices).
Other limitations of free backup software might include a lack of encryption functionality, a lack of advanced scheduling options, the inability to apply compression plus the inability to make use of advanced backup methodologies including making incremental backups amongst other limitations.
As of my latest testing in April 2025, Duplicati stands out as a top-rated and highly featured open-source backup solution.
Whilst being free-to-use is undeniably a big highlight of Duplicati, the software itself also includes many great features such as support for integrating many S3 compatible cloud services, zero-knowledge encryption, historic file version retention, command line tools plus a web-based interface which, whilst a little unconventional at first, is actually fairly easy to use.
NB – For more information on Duplicati and the full set of backup features it offers, be sure to read my full Duplicati review.
Top 10 Free Backup Software Titles
Here I will be listing 10 of my favourite free backup software titles as per my own experience and the testing and reviews found right here on BestBackupReviews.com.
Remember, any ratings and rankings given below reflect my own personal opinions and that the software titles with the highest ratings might not necessarily be the best for your own personal needs. With this in mind, please refer to my detailed reviews of each entry on the list for more information on the software itself and how it might help with your own individual backup requirements.
1) EaseUS ToDo Backup Free
ToDo Backup Free is a highly functional, easy-to-configure and free-to-use backup solution for Windows from highly rated software developers, EaseUS.
As an easy-to-use backup solution, ToDo Backup Free stands out by offering support for both file-level and disk image-based backup sets. Key functionality in this free edition includes support for full, differential and incremental backup, flexible scheduling options for automation, backup encryption plus the ability to save backups to local drives, external hard drives, NAS, and cloud storage (including Google Drive and Dropbox).
ToDo Backup Free also allows users to create WinPE emergency bootable media which can be useful for disaster recovery purposes when utilising the disk image backups functionality.
- Free for personal use
- Disk image backups
- Secure cloud backups
- Automatic scheduling
- AES 256-bit encryption
- WinPE recovery media
- 30-Day Pro trial
- Pro edition from $39.95
EaseUS ToDo Backup Free is 100% free for personal (non-commercial) use. A premium edition (ToDo Backup Home) with more advanced features is also available from $39.95. More information can be found via the official EaseUS website.
2) ASCOMP BackUp Maker
BackUp Maker is a highly regarded Windows backup solution from software development experts, ASCOMP offering both free and premium options.
Available as a Standard edition which is 100% free for personal (non-commercial) use, BackUp Maker provides a solid range of backup features. Core functionality retained in the free edition includes flexible scheduling options for automation, unlimited historic versioning and strong AES 256-bit encryption. It supports various backup methods and allows saving to various destinations including locally attached drives, external hard drives, network locations, FTP/SFTP/WebDAV servers and cloud storage (often working via desktop sync applications).
- Easy to use software
- Free for personal use
- Secure cloud backups
- Automatic scheduling
- AES 256-bit encryption
- FTP/SFTP & WebDAV
- Pro from $39.90
BackUp Maker is free for personal use with a premium edition supporting commercial use also available (priced at $39.90 for use across two PCs). More information on BackUp Maker can be found via the official ASCOMP website.
3) AOMEI Backupper Standard
Developed by leading software developers AOMEI, Backupper Standard stands out as a well-designed and easy to use backup solution, one capable of making both file-level and disk-image backups making it ideal for keeping Windows devices safe.
The free edition of Backupper supports full and incremental backup methodologies, disk and partition image backups (including sector-by-sector imaging), flexible automatic scheduling and support for multiple historic backup versions. It also includes a built-in tool for creating recovery media (CD/DVD or USB) and offers Basic File Synchronisation capabilities. Backups can be saved to local drives, external drives, network / shared drives and cloud storage via local synchronisation folders.
- Free & easy to use
- Automatic scheduling
- Custom historic versions
- Disk Image backups
- Sector-by-sector imaging
- Recovery media builder
- Folder synchronisation
- Pro from $39.95
AOMEI Backupper Standard is 100% free for personal, non-commercial usage. Premium editions (starting from $39.95) offer additional features including differential backups, encryption and disk cloning options. More information on all editions can be found via the official AOMEI website.
4) Ashampoo Backup FREE
Backup FREE is the free-to-use edition of Ashampoo’s excellent Backup Pro Windows backup software line. Despite being the free alternative, Ashampoo includes significant functionality making this tool a great choice for a reliable free backup solution from a reputable provider.
Fully updated and optimised for Windows 11, Backup FREE is well-designed, easy to use and supports both file-level and disk image backups using an efficient incremental methodology. Key features include user-definable historic file versioning (allowing many versions), scheduling options for automation and built-in tools for creating recovery media. Note that features like encryption and compression are reserved for the premium edition of the software (Ashampoo Backup Pro 26).
Furthermore, all backups made within Backup FREE are compatible with the Pro version ensuring a seamless upgrade path between the free and premium editions of the tool when required.
- Easy to use software
- 100% Free to use
- Automatic scheduling
- Historic file versioning
- Disk Image backups
- Recovery media tools
- Easy pro upgrades
- Pro from $16 (3x PCs)
Ashampoo Backup FREE is 100% free to use. The fully featured Backup Pro line is also available on a yearly subscription for $16 or as a perpetual license for $60. More information on both editions can be found via the official Ashampoo website.
5) MiniTool ShadowMaker Free
ShadowMaker is a powerful, yet easy to use suite of PC backup and hard disk utility tools from PC software experts, MiniTool. Supporting all modern versions of Windows up to the latest Windows 11, ShadowMaker Free is a great tool for making PC backups at no cost.
Key features include file, partition, and disk image backups using full, incremental, and differential methodologies. It also offers automatic backup scheduling (daily, weekly or monthly), data compression, automatic file/folder sync plus the ability to create and restore via WinPE-based bootable media.
While ShadowMaker Free provides a very capable backup solution including multiple backup methods, ShadowMaker Pro enhances this with features such as backup encryption, event-triggered scheduling (e.g., backups on USB plug-in), disk cloning (the free version supports disk cloning) and advanced functionality within the WinPE recovery environment.
- 100% Free (personal use)
- Easy-to-use backups
- Disk image backups
- Automatic scheduling
- Incremental backups
- File & folder sync
- WinPE bootable media
- Pro from $79 / lifetime
ShadowMaker Free is 100% free for personal (non-commercial) use. ShadowMaker Pro is available with several licensing options, including a perpetual license priced at $79. More information on all editions can be found via the official MiniTool website.
6) Hasleo Backup Suite Free
Hasleo Backup Suite Free is a powerful yet free-to-use Windows PC backup solution, one which is ideal for anyone seeking to make file or disk image backups with the minimal of fuss and with zero upfront cost.
As mentioned, the core backup functionality includes support for making highly configurable file-level backups alongside support for disk, partition and full system image-based backups which provide enhanced data protection. Furthermore, support for automated scheduling, strong AES 256-bit encryption, file filtering, disk partition editing plus support for specified or original restore locations help reaffirm that Hasleo have delivered a powerful free backup solution.
Mounting of backup images with a Windows drive letter is also possible within Hasleo Backup Suite allowing users of this free tool even more data recovery choices. This includes being able to mount both file-level and disk image backup files and even being able to write data to the drive once mounted (although note that this written data will be lost upon dismounting the drive later on).
Also bundled in this free-to-use backup tool is a highly useful disk cloning module which allows for the direct cloning of disks and partitions (including active system disks). Whilst a powerful addition in its own right, this disk cloning module also supports editing and optimising target disks including editing partition sizing, automatically expanding partitions when using a larger target disk and even converting MBR disks to GPT partition tables when required.
- 100% Free-to-Use
- Disk Image Backups
- Automatic scheduling
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Windows Drive Mounting
- Disk Cloning Module
- Additional Utility Tools
Hasleo Backup Suite Free is a powerful free backup utility providing a good set of core file-level and disk imaging-based backup features alongside many great additional tools such as a dedicated disk cloning module. More information on this and other similar tools can be found on the official Hasleo website.
7) Duplicati Backup
Duplicati is a free, open-source, and cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) backup solution, one renowned for excellent cloud storage integration and many advanced (premium-like) features.
Managed via a web interface (plus command-line tools), Duplicati excels at file and folder backups. Its core strength lies in its backup method utilising block-based processing, meaning only changed parts of files are backed up after the initial run. Combined with built-in deduplication (removing redundant data blocks) and compression, this dramatically saves storage space and network bandwidth making backups highly efficient.
Duplicati also offers automatic scheduling, robust versioning capabilities, strong AES-256 encryption, and supports a wide array of destinations including many mainstream cloud providers (like AWS S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive and OneDrive) and standard protocols (including FTP, SFTP and WebDAV).
Unlike most other backup solutions in this list, Duplicati is open-source software meaning it is built and supported by its own community of users and contributors. Whilst this has many benefits in producing free-to-use software, some aspects of this approach might not be ideal for some users (e.g. support is delivered by a community forum which could at times be slow to respond).
- Free & open-source
- Good cloud support
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Web-based management
- Command-line tools
- AWS S3 cloud support
- FTP, SFTP & WebDAV
- Automatic scheduling
- Community supported
Duplicati is open-source software which is 100% free for both personal and business or commercial use. More information on Duplicati and resources to download the software can be found via the official Duplicati website.
8) Iperius Backup
Iperius Backup is a highly versatile Windows backup application capable of performing efficient file-level backups using efficient incremental methods alongside many useful features including compression, encryption, and scheduling.
Iperius Backup stands out with a strong set of free features available for Windows devices. This includes incremental backups (saving only changes after the initial full backup) and providing effective historic file versioning for enhanced data protection. The tool also offers strong AES 256-bit encryption, ZIP-based compression, automatic backup scheduling, support for saving backups to local disks, USB drives, NAS devices and network shares, plus the ability to manage unlimited backup jobs.
Iperius also offer premium editions of the tool with enhanced functionality including cloud backup support (including support for AWS S3 and Backblaze B2), the ability to make full disk-image backups, specialist disk cloning tools plus support for backing-up database services including MySQL and SQL Server directly.
- Powerful free edition
- Easy-to-use software
- Disk image backups
- AES 256-bit encryption
- ZIP-based compression
- Automatic scheduling
- Recovery media builder
- Pro edition from €29
Iperius Backup is available in a highly usable free edition which retains many great backup features alongside several premium editions which enhance this offering even further. More information on both the free and premium editions of Iperius Backup can be found via the official Iperius website.
9) Paragon Backup & Recovery CE
Long regarded as a leading free disk imaging backup solution for Windows (64-bit versions only), Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition (CE) offers robust functionality despite being free-to-use for non-commercial purposes, making it a highly valuable tool.
Its standout capability is creating reliable full disk image backups for complete system protection, alongside flexible support for more targeted file-level backups when applicable. The Community Edition enhances efficiency by utilising Full, Incremental and Differential backup methods. Users can manage multiple backup sets within the application, automate operations with flexible scheduling, apply password protection, create bootable recovery media, utilise compression and save images in common VHD or VHDX formats.
For users requiring advanced disk management, the premium Paragon Hard Disk Manager suite builds upon these core backup features, integrating tools for direct disk cloning, secure disk wiping, partition management, and other capabilities.
- Powerful free edition
- Easy-to-use software
- Disk image backups
- Automatic scheduling
- Password protection
- VHD & VHDX formats
- Recovery media builder
- Pro edition from $19.95
Backup & Recovery CE is 100% free for non-commercial use. The premium Hard Disk Manager suite is available with options such as a yearly subscription starting from $24.95 or as a perpetual license for 3 PCs at $79.95. More information on Backup & Recovery CE can be found via the official Paragon Software website.
10) Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Free is a robust free backup software solution from Veeam, suitable for protecting data on home PCs, workstations, and laptops used within a business.
Despite being free, Veeam’s core backup technology is industry-proven and highly reliable. This free agent supports flexible backup options including image-based (full PC), volume-level and file-level backups. It also utilises efficient incremental backups after the initial full backup to save time and space.
Key features of the tool include automated backup scheduling, support for locally attached storage (like USB drives) and network storage (NAS) targets, secure AES 256-bit data encryption and a built-in bootable recovery media builder for bare-metal restore scenarios.
- Powerful free edition
- Easy-to-use software
- Business use supported
- Disk image backups
- Automatic scheduling
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Recovery media builder
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows is 100% free for personal and business use. Veeam also offers more comprehensive, centrally managed backup solutions for broader business requirements. More information on Veeam Agent can be found via the official Veeam website.
11) FBackup
FBackup is a functional free backup solution for Windows from Softland, the longstanding developers behind the excellent Backup4all software.
FBackup has for a long time been a well-known free backup solution thanks to its ease of use for those seeking essential file protection. Key free features include support for managing multiple backup jobs, automatic scheduling and backing up files from local/USB drives or synced cloud folders (like Dropbox/Google Drive). Destinations can include local drives, USB/Firewire devices, mapped network locations, or synced cloud folders.
FBackup offers two main backup types, these include the “Full Backup”, which compresses files into standard ZIP archives with optional password protection and “Mirror Backup”, which creates an exact replica of the source files without compression nor versioning. Note that FBackup performs file-level backups only (no disk imaging) and does not offer incremental or differential methods, nor advanced encryption like AES.
For users requiring more advanced capabilities, Softland’s premium Backup4all software includes features like incremental, differential, and block-level backups, direct backup to numerous cloud services (beyond local sync folders), strong AES encryption plus more sophisticated versioning.
- Free backup software
- Easy-to-use backups
- Multiple backup jobs
- Automatic scheduling
- Password protection
- Pro edition from $29.99
FBackup is 100% free to use for both personal and business users. The enhanced Backup4all tool is available from just $29.99 with more information on both versions available via the official FBackup website.
Best Free Backup Software Summary
The use of free backup software, including the titles mentioned in this guide, can often prove some of the best solutions for getting a backup in place without having to first pay any licence fees or subscriptions.
Despite being free-to-use, such backup software titles can often provide a lot of backup functionality and, in my own opinion at least, much more than was typically available from such free titles just a few years ago. However, despite bringing a good degree of backup functionality to the table overall, it is still important to note the limitations of free backup software (be it a free edition of a premium product or an open-source solution) and fully understand how any chosen title will meet your own backup requirements before being put into place.
Ultimately, whilst free and open-source backup software can be a great choice for some, it is important to be realistic about the value of the data being protected and if more advanced functionality or additional support is required, to then recognise the need to look for a premium backup solution in certain cases.
