Best Backup Software | Tips and tricks

Backup is a necessity if we keep important files on our computer or office computer.

In fact, more and more often it is necessary to work from home in smart working and for this reason we store on our PC files of value subject every day to risks of various kinds, such as:

• Involuntary elimination;
• Possible hard disk malfunctions, which can make files unrecoverable;
• Ransomware, which is a malware that could encrypt them and for which an important ransom may be required for decryption, the payment of which is often useless.

In all three cases, recovery options can be tried, but the most effective are usually very expensive, and are not always successful.

So how can we protect our sensitive files from these dangerous threats? An excellent solution is to use a program that makes a backup, that is a copy of our sensitive files, perhaps on an external drive (a hard disk or a particularly large USB stick or a tape drive), on the hard disk of a other machine, or on the cloud.

Security experts generally recommend backing up important files at least once a day, and on at least three different storage devices and to avoid the risk of data loss in the event of natural disasters, it would be better that at least one copy of the themselves were located away from our location – this is why many choose the cloud.

Manually copying your files every day can be a daunting task and not very reliable, as it is often postponed for weeks “to the next day”, for this reason comfortable programs have been created to which this guide is dedicated.

But backup programs are not just for securing our files, as they can also be very useful for cloning the contents of one disk to another, without data loss.

If you are looking for the best backup program, here is a list of software that we recommend, following the tests carried out by us, indicating for each one its strengths and weaknesses.

The best backup programs

Acronis True Image (Windows e Mac)

It is one of the most popular backup programs as it allows you to make copies of your data both locally and in the cloud. Unfortunately, this is not a free solution, as you can use it for free only for the 30 day trial period (it will be mandatory to create an account). Back to the positives, we also like Acronis True Image:

• the possibility to choose between various backup options which are three: Full, Differential and Incremental and all allow you to secure your files rather quickly;
• the availability of a Mac version;
• the availability of 1 TB of space on Acronis Cloud (available, however, only in the most expensive plan);
• the convenient cloning function that allows you to make a 1: 1 copy of a mass storage unit;
• the practical possibility of creating recovery units;
• complete AI protection against malware, cryptojacking and especially against dangerous ransomware.

We don’t particularly like the size of the client about True Image, as although rich in features, it has a size of 800 MB. In any case, we must appreciate the renewed graphics that allow you to easily find the desired options and to extricate yourself quite easily between the different functions of the program. Prices for personal use aren’t exactly cheap and that is why Acronis is one of the most suitable solutions for companies with rather advanced backup needs.

In conclusion, if Acronis has convinced you you can download it directly from the manufacturer’s page.

Uranium Backup (Windows)

This is the backup software we most often recommend, because compared to other solutions it is powerful, simple to use and does not require any type of registration. Furthermore, on the Uranium backup site there are valid guides that help us in every aspect of use, so as to allow even newbies to get used to it quickly and to take advantage of all the functions to the fullest.

Uranium Backup unlike Acronis and many of its competitors, allows you to perform many operations for free:

• allows you to schedule automatic backups (so we no longer run the risk of forgetting to do them manually);
• you can choose to compress your backups so that they take up less space;
• you can configure the sending of e-mail notifications on the outcome of each backup;
• allows us to encrypt our backups so as to keep them adequately safe.

Furthermore, you can try the full version for 21 days without paying anything.

But let’s get to the point, here’s what we particularly like about Uranium backup:

• the fact that the basic functions (such as copying files and folders) are free and that the prices of paid licenses are very low: starting from € 80 with updates and technical support included;
• the great availability of features of the paid versions and the presence of many options that can also be used in the free version;
• the lightness of the program;
• the comfortable and intuitive interface;
• the ease with which it allows to create the image of entire drives (Drive Image) and virtual machines (functions that allow rapid Disaster Recovery, but available only after purchasing the license);
• the simplicity with which it allows you to simply make backups not only on physical drives, but also on FTP servers or on cloud spaces (function reserved for those who have purchased the license);

We don’t like the lack of the Mac version of Uranium, we would have loved to be able to use this handy software on our Apple devices as well.

If you want to use Uranium Backup just perform the “Download”From the official website and when the download is complete, click on the executable to start the installation wizard (also in Italian).

Genie Backup (Windows)

This is a fairly simple solution to use, but less complete than the first two proposals above. It is not a program properly indicated for the professional field, while it is good in the home one.

In any case, the main functions are all there, Genie allows you to:

• schedule backups both locally and in the cloud;
• receive e-mail notification of completed backups;
• choose between three types of backups (Full, incremental, and mirror);
• criptare i nostri backup;
• choose to save only some file types and not others;
• intelligently manage resources so as not to hinder our work with the PC.

Unfortunately, Genie Backup only offers a free 30-day trial and none of its features are usable for free. If you want to try it, just go to the manufacturer’s website and click on the “Download Trial“.

Macrium Reflect (Windows)

It is a very popular and widespread software for backup on Windows. It has many features, and the most basic ones are available for free. Macrium Reflect often more than for canonical backups it is used for 1: 1 cloning of system drives. This is a very useful feature when you want to replace a computer’s mass drive. The created images can be conveniently mounted and then explored as if they were USB sticks. The app is really very useful for fixing PCs that won’t boot.

The backup function of individual files and folders is one of those that can be unlocked by opting for one of the paid plans. To try out all the functions of the paid version, you can use the trial version for free for 30 days.

The application is not translated into our language and is only available for Windows. Fortunately, the interface is well organized and quite intuitive.

If you want to use Macrium Reflect you can download it directly from the manufacturer’s website, even in this case the installation is very simple.

Cobian Backup (Windows)

It is a handy free backup software (freeware) which unfortunately has not been updated for several years, but that continues to do its job properly. Despite the slightly old interface (and not in Italian) Cobian offers many of the competing functions for free:

• allows you to make complete backups of drives, folders or single files;
• allows you to schedule the execution of a backup;
• you can choose to backup to a compressed file;
• you can choose to upload an online backup via FTP, however it does not support cloud services.

The software is only available for Windows, you can easily download it from the project page.

Other backup software solutions

Here are a number of minor solutions, but which may still work for you:

• Google Drive (Windows and Mac), Google’s cloud service is convenient and highly regarded. It also has a convenient desktop client that allows you to choose which folders to keep synchronized with those in the cloud. The free service is limited as it only offers 15 GB of free space, if you want to expand it you have to pay.
• One Drive is Microsoft’s answer to Google’s service, it offers less free space, but is well integrated with Office 365 and with Windows. Also in this case you can choose to automatically synchronize files and folders.
• iBackup, it is the backup solution integrated in MacOS, it offers basic but functional options, it is very simple and obviously the integration is a significant plus.
• Veeam, is one of the preferred solutions in the enterprise field, this is not surprising, it is one of the most complete backup software, but the high cost and complexity of use make it unappetizing to small companies and professionals who prefer to address their look towards cheaper and easier to use solutions, without sacrificing reliability.