Top 10 Free Backup Software Titles

Before starting to list our top 10 favourite free backup solutions (which is just below if you want to jump straight there), here are a few quick tips and things to look out for when choosing free backup software for your device:

Free or Open Source Software

One of the first things to be aware of when choosing free to use backup software is the difference between a free version of a premium backup solution (often with some limitations on the functionality) and a fully function backup solution which is open source (meaning anyone can download and use the software for free).

Typically speaking, many backup software developers will offer a free version of a premium software product in order to help with further testing, development and promotion of the software as a whole. This approach means customers can get often gain access to a limited, but still often highly functional version of a product with no initial upfront costs due (although it is important to check what functionality might be missing from a free version as we will discuss later on).

An open source backup solution, on the other hand, will offer free to use software on the basis that said software is often community built and community supported (although in some cases commercial companies might sponsor and support open source software development). Whilst open source software can (at first glance) appear to be very good value, it is important to factor in that support might often be limited (in many cases being delivered by the software’s community via a support forum).

What Features are Included

As was briefly mentioned above, free backup software is often provided as a limited version of a premium solution with some functionality removed so as to keep it separate enough from the premium version and justify it being available for free. Whilst the remaining software will in many cases still be a competent product, it is important to take careful note as to what features are included (and which ones might have been removed).

Typically speaking, free versions of premium backup solutions might be lacking in cloud storage support, disk imaging options, encryption strength (or no encryption at all) and they might have less automatic scheduling options available amongst many other features which cloud be watered down or removed. Being this the case, always check what features a piece of free backup software has and be sure that it will meet your own needs before making a decision.

File vs Image Backups

Whilst this might not have been the case just a few years ago, many free to use backup solutions are now available which feature full disk image based backup technologies as a part of their offering. Put simply, whilst file level backups will focus on backing-up individual files and folders on your device, a disk image backup will backup the entire device by taking an “image” (1:1 copy) of the hard disk itself (and in doing so it ensures that everything on said disk including files, folders, software applications and the operating system itself are all included in the back-up).

NB – For more information on the differences between these two methods please see our guide to system image vs file level backups.

Network, Cloud or Local Storage

Where to store your backed-up files is a very important consideration when making any kind of backup, especially so when using free backup software given that you might find these storage options could be limited when compared to a premium product!

Most premium backup software titles will allow for the storing of any backed-up data either locally on an external hard drive, on a locally available NAS device or in the cloud (either via the developer’s own cloud storage service or that of a 3rd party provider). When making use of a free version of a premium product you might find that these options are limited, for example (in various cases) free versions of backup software might only allow for locally available storage to be used (with cloud support only in the premium version of the tool).

The Upgrade Path

Whilst it might be the case that free backup software meets your backup requirements at the time of deciding to make use of it, this might not always be the case, especially so given that your backup needs might change over time. With this in mind, it is always worth thinking about the upgrade path when deciding to make use of free backup software and what might happen should your start to require more from your chosen backup solution.

Given that many free to use backup solutions are simply free versions of premium products, before committing to use the free version it is worth also checking out the premium version as well. When doing this, be sure to check that the premium functions are plentiful and cover any potential changes in your own backup circumstances which you might anticipate. Also look at the pricing options and how easily the software developers have made it to upgrade from the free version to the premium version (as this cloud help to save a lot of time if you do cross this path).

Other Features to Look Out for

Some other very valuable features to keep an eye out for when choosing free backup software might include strong file encryption (ideally AES 256bit or stronger), folder synchronisation tools, live CD recovery media and 3rd party cloud storage support amongst many other useful additions often found within free backup software.