Well known as a free to use Windows backup solution, FBackup is the highly functional backup application from Softland, the longstanding developers behind the excellent Backup4all software (which I have also previously reviewed on this site).
Now on version 9.9 as of my latest review, FBackup is a longstanding backup solution for Windows devices which, despite being 100% free-to-use for both individual and commercial purposes, still manages to squeeze in a lot of highly useful functionality. Some notable features of FBackup include automatic (scheduled) backups, ZIP-based file storage, encryption and compression, the ability to include cloud drive contents within backup sets, cloud backup integration plus the ability to backup open files which are in-use at the time of backup.
I have reviewed older editions of FBackup and have been impressed by both its easy-to-use wizard-based interface, an interface which simplifies backup configuration and the high degree of functionality Softland has retained. With several other notable free backup solutions available from mainstream software providers to compare this to, it will be interesting to see what FBackup 9.9 can bring to the table.
Time to install FBackup for myself and check out how the latest version of this top-rated free backup software performs – Vamos.
Key Features
New & Enhanced Features:
- Easy-to-use Software: An improved wizard-based interface makes the creation of customised backups easy and straightforward.
- Enhanced Cloud Functionality: Integrated support for backing up directly to Google Drive and Dropbox.
- Cloud Backup Sources: Easily select files & folders from cloud storage providers for inclusion within FBackup backup sets.
- Optimised Performance: Version 9.9 of FBackup brings multiple improvements relating to backup performance.
Already Proven Features:
- Backup Plugins: Ideal for specifying application specific backup settings and providing enhanced backup and restore operations.
- ZIP or “Mirrored” Formats: Make use of convenient ZIP-based backups or FBackup “mirrored” backup technology for enhanced file copying performance.
- Scheduled Backups: Make backups automatically via the use of a basic scheduling tool available within the application.
- Backup Encryption: FBackup includes support for applying up to strong AES 256-bit encryption when utilising the ZIP archive format.
- Exclude Items via Filters: Easily exclude specified items from a backup set (e.g. all ISO or video files).
- Multiple Storage Options: Make use of external hard drives, mapped network drives, optical media (CD/DVDs) and cloud storage within FBackup.
- Backup Open Files: Backup files already in-use via support for the Volume Shadow Copy service within Windows.
- Run Actions Before / After Backups: FBackup allows actions such as running specific applications before and after backups automatically.
Licensing & Pricing:
- 100% Free to Use: FBackup is free for both personal and commercial use.
- Easy Upgrades to Backup4All: From just $29.99 per PC.
- 30-Day Free Trial: A full 30-Day free trial of Backup4All is also available.
FBackup Usability
In this section I will be sharing my hands-on experience with this latest edition of FBackup. I will walk through the download and installation process and then explore the application’s many features with a focus on how easily and reliably a full Windows backup can be made.
This process begins via the official FBackup website where FBackup 9 is available to download for free (no registration is required either).
What’s new in FBackup v9?
The latest edition of FBackup (version 9.9 as of time of writing this review) boasts a wide range of new and upgraded components compared to previous versions. Some of the more notable additions include the following:
- Enhanced Performance: Key improvements to the software mean that FBackup 9 now performs backups faster and more reliably than was the case in previous versions.
- Backup files from Dropbox and Google Drive: Select and backup files stored upon popular cloud drive services Google Drive and Dropbox.
- Multiple source types: Combine multiple different backup sources including local folders, plugins and cloud storage drives all within a single backup job.
- Track time for cloud operations: Monitor the time it takes to upload or download files when using integrated cloud storage drives as either a source or destination.
- HTTP fallback for updates: If a HTTPS connection fails when checking for updates, FBackup will automatically try again using HTTP (helping to ensure the software stays up-to-date).
Installing FBackup
Installing FBackup begins at the official FBackup website where the software application itself can be downloaded. Unlike some other free-to-use backup applications I have tested recently, FBackup allows everyone to download and use the software both for free and without the need to register or sign-up for an account beforehand (making this a very privacy friendly backup solution as well).
Once running, the FBackup installer requires just a couple of clicks to get things moving and, whilst it does allow users to specify where the software is installed to (the path within Windows) everything else is taken care of automatically meaning minimal user intervention is required thereafter.
As can be seen in the screenshot above, once the installation process has completed, we are immediately greeted by the main FBackup homepage from which we can start building a new backup set straight away.
Making Backups using the Backup Wizard
Once FBackup is installed and running, one of the most important features which most users will undoubtedly be making use of is the built-in backup wizard, a tool which makes getting an initial backup in-place both stress-free and straightforward. Launching the backup wizard is as simple as selecting the “New” button on the main application menu (see below) and then by entering the destination for storing the contents of this new backup set upon.
With the storage destination now specified, the next step is the selection of any items to be included within the backup set. The FBackup wizard makes it easy both to select individual files, folders and drives as well as pre-determined configurations including CD/DVD contents, Mozilla Firefox profiles and Microsoft Outlook OST files amongst other options.
Moving on and the “Filters” page is the next one up in the wizard, a page where we can easily specify the types of items to be always excluded or included within the backup set. For example, as can be seen below, I have configured my backup set to always exclude any ISO files (.iso) so as to help ensure the resulting file size is kept as low as possible.
On the next page of the wizard, we can specify the type of backup we want to be made, in this case a choice between making full backups (using the ZIP storage format) and the FBackup “mirror” copy method (using a more efficient but less compatible storage format), as well as being able to turn on password protection.
Moving on and we can also set a basic but useful schedule for the set (allowing it to automatically run every day, week or month) including being able to also leave it on manual for backups sets which are not required to be run automatically.
Finally, the backup set can be assigned a name (we can utilise multiple backups sets within FBackup) and also assigned its own icon and description should anyone wish to do so. Once saved, the new backup set will then be visible in the main application view from where it can be manually run at any time.
And with that this first backup set, built using the backup wizard, has been completed and run. I will look at the restore process a little later on and in the next section expand more upon how the advanced backup configuration and cloud storage functionality can be made use of.
Making Advanced Backups
Alongside the backup wizard (which can be seen above), FBackup also includes an advanced tool for building more complex backup sets which is ideal for anyone seeking more depth and granularity when configuring their backups. This “Advanced” configuration tool can be accessed by clicking on “New” to open up the new backup wizard (as seen before) and then by clicking on the “Advanced” button found on the bottom left of the window.
As can be seen above, when accessing this advanced view, the first page we see is that of the “Destination” page where we can specify upon which media our new backup set should be stored. In this example I am going to be using my Dropbox account for the backup, but it should be noted that the ever-popular Google Drive is also supported within FBackup as well.
NB – If you require more cloud storage options other than just Google Drive and Dropbox, consider upgrading to Backup4All from the same developers (Softland) which features support for many other cloud providers including Microsoft OneDrive and Amazon AWS S3.
As I have already mentioned, I will be configuring Dropbox as the cloud storage provider for my new backup set, a process which involves first authenticating the FBackup app with my Dropbox account and then specifying which Dropbox folder is to be used.
NB – The process of integrating Dropbox within FBackup is fairly straightforward and involves authenticating the FBackup application via a web browser. This authentication process, however, might differ when configuring storage form other cloud providers.
Next up, via the “Sources” page, we can add any items which are to be included within this advanced backup set. This can be as simple as adding individual files, folders and even drives to the set as well as the ability to add already configured cloud storage locations to the backup set as well.
Moving on and, as before when using the backup wizard, we can make use of filters for excluding certain types of files or locations should we need to as well as being able to specify the backup type to be used. As can be seen below, I will this time be utilising the FBackup “Mirror” option, a backup type similar to the full backup option which facilitates faster backups thanks to it utilising its own high-performance propriety technology and not making use of zip-based compression or encryption which can often slow running backups down.
Moving on and as with the wizard-based backup set seen earlier on, we can also specify a schedule for running this advanced backup set automatically alongside compression and encryption options as well (when using a backup type such as “Full” which supports both of these options). Also available is an “Advanced” page from where we can fine tune the backup including being able to turn on smart file scanning, automatic recourse allocation for optimising performance on slower PCs and automatically running actions (such as shutting down the PC) before or after the backup completes.
NB – FBackup does not allow for the specification of any historic versioning settings during either the wizard-based or advanced set-up processes. The reason being that FBackup does not support recovering from historic versions of a backup and in doing so could provide less value as a backup solution.
Finally, we can name this backup set using the “General” tab as well as setting an icon and description for the set should this be required. At this point the advanced backup set can then be saved and run manually (or on a schedule) as required or set to run immediately after saving. Once saved, the backup set will become visible on the main application homepage alongside the wizard-based backup I configured earlier on.
Restoring Data from within FBackup
So far, we have seen how FBackup handles backing up data via both the advanced and wizard-based interfaces. In this section I will look at restoring some of this backed-up data, a process which begins by selecting “Restore” from the relevant entry on the homepage or via the “Restore” item found on the application’s main menu.
As can be seen above, we can elect to restore items directly to the location that they were initially backed-up from or, alternatively, specify a separate location for recovering to (an option I always like to see within any piece of backup software). It is also visible here that FBackup makes clear we are always restoring the latest version of any files in the current backup set due to FBackup not supporting historic versioning functionality.
NB – If historic versioning is important then consider upgrading to Backup4All, the premium version of FBackup with more core backup functionality (and historic versioning) included by default.
After selecting any options form this main recovery options page we can then, at the next stage in the process, select the individual items or “modules” (such as the Firefox profile backup) to be recovered. A useful option allowing only certain items to be selected form a potentially large backup set thus helping to speed up the data recovery process.
Once all files have been selected there is little else to do other than start the recovery process running. Once running, this is a process which can easily be monitored in the main application homepage view and via the built-in notification pane which will show details on the operation and produce an alert when it has completed.
FBackup Security
Whilst FBackup is clearly very focused on the core task of backing up and restoring data, it does (as with many other backup solutions) also help play an important role in the overall security of a Windows PC and any important data which might be stored upon it.
As can be seen above, when using a ZIP-based backup set within FBackup, we can also (optionally) specify that the set be password protected as well. This means, providing the PC in question has installed a modern ZIP utility such as 7-ZIP, WinZip or ZIP Pro 4 (amongst many others), up to AES 256-bit encryption is available for protecting any backed-up data.
NB – It is always recommended to encrypt any important or sensitive backed-up data, especially so if such backups are being stored offsite or upon cloud storage making them potentially vulnerable to a multitude of security-related issues.
It is also important to reiterate in this section that FBackup does not support historic file versioning meaning that, without special precautions being made, any backups made using FBackup could still be vulnerable to certain cybersecurity related threats (especially so from ransomware which can maliciously encrypt files making them completely unusable afterwards).
By making available multiple versions (i.e. older copies) of all files within a backup set, we would still have access to older, uncompromised versions of any files should the worse happen and a PC become infected with such malware. With FBackup in its current stance, effectively saving only a single version of any files (the latest copy), should any files get backed-up after the malware has done its damage then the only backed-up copy of all files will also have been affected.
It could be possible to quite easily mitigate this issue within FBackup itself by making multiple full backups and then manually copying these full backups else ware (e.g. to a safe, unconnected third location such as a cloud drive) making for a de facto versioning system (although I would recommend looking at the premium Backup4All if you believe such functionality might be important).
FBackup Support
Softland provide a useful help and support portal including a useful set of FAQ-based documents, a user-based support forum plus the ability to contact the Softland team via a web-based contact form when required.
Anyone seeking product documentation will find FBackup includes this within the backup software application itself, this can be accessed via the “File” menu and then the “Help” entry found on the left side main menu.
FBackup Pricing
FBackup is 100% free to use both for personal and business or commercial based use cases. This makes FBackup an ideal choice for anyone seeking a budget friendly backup solution alongside the premium upgrade, Backup4all, which adds much more functionality for a small premium starting at just $29.99 per licence.
NB – A 30-day free trial of Backup4All is available via the official Backup4All website.
FBackup FAQs
Yes, FBackup is 100% free to use for both personal and business-related purposes.
Yes, FBackup is fully compatible with Windows 11 as well as other modern edition of the operating system including Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
The key feature of FBackup is how simple and straightforward the software makes getting a basic but functional backup set in place and protecting data on a Windows PC. This software also makes it easy to restore data when required as well as interface with cloud storage services to provide an additional layer of data protection which naturally comes from storing such data offsite.
Yes, although only offering support for a limited number of cloud storage providers (currently this is only Google Drive and Dropbox), FBackup supports both backing up to cloud storage as well as including data already saved in the cloud within locally run backups (meaning FBackup can be used to backup cloud storage accounts).
NB – If you are seeking a solution with excellent all-round cloud backup support then be sure to check out the premium version of FBackup, Backup4all which supports Microsoft OneDrive and AWS S3 cloud storage amongst many other providers.
FBackup fully supports backing up to and from any external hard drives which might be connected to the PC upon which the software is installed. Whilst the premium upgrade to FBackup (Backup4All) does provide very strong NAS backup capabilities, FBackup is more limited in only supporting only network drives which have already been pre-mapped to the system in-use.
Yes, certain backup types within FBackup (this being the full backup option, not the “mirrored” option) do support encrypted backups being made. This encryption is applied via the ZIP-based archive files used to store the backup files and, providing the PC in question has suitable archiving software available (such as WinZip, ZIP Pro 4, 7-ZIP or similar) means that up to AES 256-bit encryption can be utilised when backing-up via FBackup.
No, as of the latest version at time of writing (this being version 9.9), FBackup only supports making file-level backups and does not include any type of disk imaging or disk cloning functionality.
FBackup Alternatives
In this section I will be looking at some good alternatives to FBackup. This will be comprised of similar Windows backup software titles which provide a good set of core backup functionality and are 100% free-to-use as FBackup itself is.
Remember, any ratings and opinions given below reflect my own personal views and should be treated only as a guide. When purchasing any form of PC backup software, always be sure to carefully check the details of the offering out and try and to make use of any free trials, whenever possible, to help ensure the solution is right before committing to a purchase.
1) EaseUS ToDo Backup Free
ToDo Backup, available in both free-to-use and premium editions, is the leading multi-functional backup application from software experts, EaseUS. Available across both Windows and Mac OS devices, ToDo Backup Free stands out as a top choice thanks to its high degree of backup functionality and remains one of the few free backup applications to offer both file-level and full disk image backups making it an ideal alternative to FBackup.
Whilst being able to make both file and disk image backups from a free backup application will undoubtedly appeal to many, ToDo Backup Free also brings many other useful backup and system maintenance related tools along too. Some notable features of the free to use edition include support for using both differential and incremental backup methodologies, cloud storage integration, automated scheduling, secure AES 256-bit encryption and support for recovering to dissimilar hardware amongst many other features.
NB – EaseUS ToDo Backup Free remains a top backup choice and one which forms a great alternative to FBackup thanks to its enhanced set of features including the ability to make both file-level and full disk image backups plus the option to use version history for enhanced data and malware protection.
Other notable features of ToDo Backup Free include:
- Disk & Partition Cloning: Integration of robust disk cloning technology, even in the free edition, helps ToDo Backup stand out as a highly useful backup, recovery and system maintenance utility.
- Bootable Recovery Builder: Build WinPE bootable recovery media directly from within the ToDo Backup application itself, ideal for recovering from disk-imaging based backups or recovering an entire system across to dissimilar hardware.
- Easy to Use Interface: A well-designed interface helps make ToDo Backup Free one of the easiest tools available for getting a device backed up with the minimal of fuss.
- Muli-path backup storage options: Easily implement 3-2-1 backup rules thank to integrated support for various storage targets within ToDo Backup, this includes cloud storage drives, NAS devices and external hard drives.
- Easy to use software
- Disk image backups
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Universal restore
- Disk cloning tools
- Cloud storage support
- From $39.95 / year
EaseUS ToDo Backup is available as a free to use edition alongside the premium “Home” edition with more features and functionality baked in from just $39.95 per year or $59.95 for the perpetual edition (with free lifetime updates included for just $79.95). A fully functional 30-day free trial of ToDo Backup is also available via the official EaseUS website.
2) ASCOMP BackUp Maker
BackUp Maker is the excellent free backup solution from expert software developers, ASCOMP. Despite being completely free to use for individuals (or available at a very competitive cost for business use), BackUp Maker doesn’t hold back on providing many great backup-related features making it an ideal alternative to FBackup.
One notable aspect of this application is the wide array of backup-related features on offer alongside the well-designed and easy to use wizard-based configuration interface. Key features include being able to make multiple backups sets utilising multiple storage targets (including support for several top-tier cloud drives), support for file compression and strong AES 256-bit encryption, use of backup profiles for easily backing up pre-determined aspects of a PC, strong scheduling functionality plus the option to specify custom historic versioning and data retention policies.
NB – ASCOMP BackUp Maker is an amazing backup solution with many great features for a free-to-use application. It doesn’t quite match EaseUS ToDo Free given it is lacking disk imaging backup options, but does still prove an excellent alternative to FBackup with the option to set custom historic file versioning periods also providing enhanced malware protection.
Other notable features of ASCOMP BackUp Maker include:
- Easy to Use Profiles: Easily select all documents, photos, videos, web browser profiles and more when configuring backup sets thank to this easy-to-use profile tool.
- Full or Incremental Methods: Save time and disk resources by utilising partial (incremental) backups or opt to maximum resiliency with the full backup option.
- Advanced Scheduling Options: BackUp Maker offers a comprehensive set of scheduling options making it easily one of the best free backup applications when it comes to automating the backup process.
Before & After Actions: Support for running applications and scripts automatically both before and after backup sets are run.
- Easy to use interface
- Cloud & WebDAV backups
- Incremental backups
- Scheduled backups
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Free for personal use
- Business licence @ $39.90
- No disk imaging
ASCOMP BackUp Maker is 100% free for personal use with a business licence covering commercial use being very competitively priced at just $39.90 across two individual PCs. More information on BackUp Maker and the full range of ASCOMP software can be found via the official ASCOMP website.
3) Ashampoo Backup Lite
Backup Lite is the free to use backup application from longstanding software experts, Ashampoo. It is a simple but effective Windows backup application with a great set of features in its own right as well as serving as a more lightweight alternative to the Ashampoo’s premium backup application, Backup Pro 25.
Despite being the lightweight edition, Backup Lite still retains many useful backup-related features from its premium counterpart making it a genuinely useful free backup option. The ability to make both file-level and full disk image backups is included as is support for making simple automated schedules (daily and weekly), making use of network (shared) drives for storage, user-specified version history plus the ability to make more accessible backups which can be browsed using Windows Explorer when restoring data.
NB – One of the strongest reasons Ashampoo backup Lite should be considered a great alternative to FBackup is its support for keeping multiple previous versions of any backed-up files, potentially providing much stronger protection against data-loss and the damages of ransomware.
Whilst clearly a useful set of features have been retained in this free-to-use edition, Backup Pro 25 still makes for a meaningful upgrade bringing with it strong cloud storage support, backup encryption and compression, pre-made backup templates, real-time backup scheduling, automatic backup verifications (vs manual only in the Lite edition) and email-based reporting amongst many other features.
Other useful features of Ashampoo Backup Lite include:
- Multiple Scheduling Options: Help keep a PC backed up automatically with several automated scheduling options made available.
- File-level & Full Disk Image Backups: Select between fast and effective file-level backups or achieve enhanced full-system protection via the included disk imaging functionality.
- Enhanced Ease of Use: Utilising the same interface as Backup Pro 25, Backup Lite retains the same excellent user interface making backup configuration both quick and intuitive.
- Full Historic Versioning Control: By supporting the retention of multiple historic versions of any backed-up files, backup Lite provides enhanced protection against cybersecurity and ransomware threats.
- Easy to use software
- Incremental backups
- Multiple backup sets
- Disk image backups
- Scheduling support
- 100% free to use
- Upgrade from $18 / year
- Limmited cloud options
FBackup Review Summary
FBackup remains a solid and dependable free backup solution for Windows PC users, one which is ideal for both personal and businesses use cases and remains an ideal choice for anyone seeking a simple and straightforward backup solution.
With an easy-to-use interface which makes getting backups in place really easy, FBackup is enhanced by several useful features including file type filters, cloud service integration, ZIP based compression and encryption plus the ability to backup via a basic scheduling module thus making the software a fully automatic solution. Despite this solid core offering, FBackup does still fall behind its premium counterpart (Backup4all) in several areas by providing support for only a single historic version of any backups been kept, limited cloud storage integrations (currently only Dropbox and Google Drive), limited backup related reporting and no built-in support for backing up Microsoft Outlook.
Overall, FBackup remains a great choice for anyone seeking a quick and simple solution for getting a basic Windows backup in place with no upfront licencing costs to pay. The premium counterpart to FBackup (Backup4All) is a much more powerful edition of the tool and should be a consideration for anyone seeking something a little more flexible and powerful than FBackup, albeit with a similar look and feel to that of FBackup.
