Defending buyer information is a steadfast precedence of each enterprise, large or small.
Whereas onerous drives supply an economical approach to retailer information, they will fall brief when it comes to velocity and security. Common backups are essential, but the chance of onerous drive failures poses a extreme downside, and restoring information from scratch could be time-consuming and disruptive.
Free onerous drive cloning software program is a life-saver for small companies, providing a sensible and cost-effective answer. By creating an actual reproduction of your onerous drive, you’ll be able to safeguard your information and expedite system restoration in case of {hardware} failure.
To guard your enterprise from monetary loss and reduce downtime, we have put collectively a listing of the highest 10 free onerous drive cloning software program. Let’s evaluate their options and insights from G2 consumer suggestions to make your best option.
10 finest free onerous drive cloning software program in 2024
- Acronis True Picture
- Macrium Replicate
- Energetic@Disk Picture
- O&O DiskImage
- Iperius Backup
- EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise
- Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise
- Daemon Instruments
- AOMEI Backupper
- MiniTool Partition Wizard
How did we choose and consider the very best free onerous drive cloning software program?
At G2, we rank software program options utilizing a proprietary algorithm that considers buyer satisfaction and market presence based mostly on genuine consumer opinions. Our market analysis analysts and writers spend weeks testing options towards a number of standards set for a software program class. We offer you unbiased software program evaluations – that is the G2 distinction! We didn’t settle for cost or trade hyperlinks for product placements on this record. Please learn our G2 Analysis Scoring Methodology for extra particulars.
Prime 10 finest free onerous drive cloning software program of 2024
The free onerous drive cloning software program record beneath accommodates actual consumer opinions from the free onerous drive cloning software program class web page. It’s necessary to notice that within the context of this record, software program that requires cost after a free trial is taken into account free.
To be included on this class, an answer should:
- Copy all information from onerous drives, together with hidden and uneditable system recordsdata
- Deploy drive pictures on to onerous drives
- Automate set up of a drive picture onto a tough drive
- Enable one drive clone to picture quite a few drives
- Remotely entry drive pictures for upkeep and use
This information was pulled from G2 in 2024. Some opinions could have been edited for readability.
1. Acronis True Picture
Acronis True Picture is a well-liked backup and restoration software program for each private and enterprise use. It affords complete options for information safety, together with onerous drive cloning, file backup, and cloud storage.
Execs of Acronis True Picture | Cons of Acronis True Picture |
Wide selection of backup choices | Demanding on system sources throughout backup and restoration operations |
Intuitive interface | Complicated preliminary set up and configuration |
Constructed-in real-time anti-malware and ransomware safety | Gradual cloud backup speeds |
What customers like finest:
“My expertise with Acronis True Picture has been extraordinarily optimistic. The device is user-friendly and simplifies the method of partitioning drives and creating ‘golden’ pictures. This performance makes it simple to handle units successfully, which is essential for environment friendly service supply administration.”
– Acronis True Picture Evaluation, Daniel A.
What customers dislike:
“The consumer interface is much less intuitive and visually interesting, and it lacks help for older {hardware}.”
– Acronis True Picture Evaluation, Souhail B.
2. Macrium Replicate
Macrium Replicate makes a speciality of disk imaging and backup. It affords quick and environment friendly picture creation, incremental backups, and naked metallic restoration. Identified for its simplicity and effectiveness, it is a favourite amongst small enterprise customers for system safety.
Execs of Macrium Replicate | Cons of Macrium Replicate |
Quick and highly effective image-based backup and catastrophe restoration | Licensing could be complicated |
Simple to make use of and setup | Lack of cloud backup choices |
Effectively handles giant information backups | May be sluggish throughout giant restores |
What customers like finest:
“Macrium Replicate’s intuitive interface and step-by-step guides make it simple for newcomers. You’ll be able to schedule backups or create them manually for recordsdata, folders, or whole drives. Macrium Replicate excels at onerous disk cloning, even when the goal disk is smaller, by reallocating free area. Obtainable for each properties and companies, it is a dependable approach to safe important recordsdata.”
– Macrium Replicate Evaluation, Ariya S.
What customers dislike:
“When making an attempt to carry out a system restore from the location supervisor web page, the web page typically occasions out earlier than the method may even start. Usually, to begin a restore, I have to entry the pc immediately and use reflexct.exe or create a restoration disk. This course of is additional difficult as a result of consumer accounts lack the required passwords to entry the information backup repositories. Because of this, I typically should both create a replica of the system backups to exterior media for restoration or briefly modify the permissions on the backup goal.”
– Macrium Replicate Evaluation, Greg N.
3. Energetic@Disk Picture
Though primarily a disk imaging device, Energetic@Disk Picture focuses on creating actual replicas of onerous drives or partitions. It is famend for its simplicity and effectivity in backing up information, with options like selective picture creation and restoration.
Execs of Energetic@Disk Picture | Cons of Energetic@Disk Picture |
Fast to create disk pictures | Lacks cloud backup |
Permits customers to decide on particular partitions or recordsdata for backup | Outdated consumer interface |
Instruments to create bootable rescue disks | No incremental backup choices |
What customers like finest:
“I take advantage of Energetic@ Disk Picture to create duplicate copies of my onerous drive information, permitting me to clone chosen partitions or the complete drive with out restarting my pc. It effectively produces an actual copy in a brief period of time and lets me select to clone solely necessary sectors and recordsdata, making it preferrred for PC upgrades and common backups.”
– Energetic@Disk Picture Evaluation, Lokender Y.
What customers dislike:
“The free model has restricted options, whereas the paid customary model affords choices present in different free backup merchandise. They should improve their choices or rethink the characteristic distribution throughout tiers.”
– Energetic@Disk Picture Evaluation, Dylan S.
4. O&O DiskImage
O&O DiskImage affords complete backup options, together with disk imaging, file backup, and system cloning. It’s used for its user-friendly interface and skill to carry out bare-metal restores even on completely different {hardware}.
Execs of O&O DiskImage | Cons of O&O DiskImage |
Person-friendly interface | Restricted cloud integration |
Complete backup choices | Consumes extra system sources throughout backup and restore processes |
Can restore a system to completely different {hardware} | Excessive prices for superior options |
What customers like finest:
“O&O DiskImage is a necessary device for my crew, enabling us to effectively again up information and simply clone disks. Its clear and intuitive consumer interface makes it easy for everybody on the crew to make use of, even with out intensive technical information.”
– O&O DiskImage Evaluation, Tommy Y.
What customers dislike:
“The primary draw back of O&O AutoBackup is that it doesn’t restore your information, which I want it did. As an alternative, you need to do it manually, which could be time-consuming. Moreover, there’s no possibility for a simple full backup.”
– O&O DiskImage Evaluation, Jasmine M.
5. Iperius Backup
As a flexible device, Iperius Backup stands out for its help of varied backup locations just like the cloud, Community-Hooked up Storage (NAS) and File Switch Protocol (FTP). With a powerful concentrate on disk imaging and catastrophe restoration, it affords environment friendly incremental backups and bare-metal restore capabilities.
Execs of Iperius Backup | Cons of Iperius Backup |
Helps varied backup locations like cloud, NAS, and FT | Steep studying curve for newcomers |
Saves cupboard space by solely backing up modified information | Restricted technical help |
Can restore a system to completely different {hardware} | Person interface shouldn’t be intuitive |
What customers like finest:
“It is simple to make use of and arrange for backing up company-shared recordsdata. Including supply drives or folders and choosing the vacation spot drive, like a USB, is simple. The backup creates a password-protected zip file, making it easy to revive if wanted. If there’s an error, the log file helps establish and repair the difficulty. Plus, you get nightly e-mail alerts with the backup standing.”
– Iperius Backup Evaluation, Marwan M.
What customers dislike:
“The interface is not user-friendly, and a few configuration steps are unclear, leaving you unsure whether or not every thing is about up appropriately. A backup answer ought to encourage confidence, however this one falls brief.”
– Iperius Backup Evaluation, José Román B.
6. EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise
EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise is a backup and restoration answer. It affords disk imaging, file backup, system restore, and catastrophe restoration options. Identified for its user-friendly interface, it is well-suited for companies requiring sturdy information safety methods.
Execs of EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise | Cons of EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise |
Helps varied backup sorts (picture, file, disk, system) | Occasional errors throughout backup or restore processes |
Catastrophe restoration options | Restricted disk administration options |
Helps Alternate and SQL backups | Gradual backup and reload speeds |
What customers like finest:
“I’ve configured EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise to carry out month-to-month backups on my Home windows system, and I’ve solely encountered a minor situation that buyer help promptly resolved. Their fast and environment friendly buyer help minimizes downtime, which is de facto reassuring. Acronis covers every thing—system recordsdata, applications, and even emails. Having used it for over three years, I can confidently say it’s the very best backup program I’ve used.”
– EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise Evaluation, Keith A.
What customers dislike:
“The primary situation with this software program is that the licensing secret is tied to particular variations. When you set up the improper model, it may be tough to take away earlier than reinstalling the right one.”
– EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise Evaluation, Jason W.
7. Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise
Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise holds its mark amongst system directors and IT professionals for its disk administration and information safety abilities. It helps disk cloning, partitioning, information restoration, and backup.
Execs of Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise | Cons of Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise |
Complete disk administration | Demanding on system sources throughout giant scale backups |
Works nicely with varied working techniques and {hardware} configurations | Restricted backup options |
Efficient storage administration | Restricted buyer help choices |
What customers like finest:
“For one among my consulting gigs, I assisted a startup in demonstrating their skill to keep up enterprise continuity within the occasion of a catastrophe, making certain they might securely switch information to an offsite location. Paragon’s efficiency was spectacular, and in consequence, I helped the startup safe a authorities contract, giving them a major increase in direction of enterprise success.”
– Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise Evaluation, Brad E.
What customers dislike:
“Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise has a number of drawbacks. The shopper help shouldn’t be very dependable, and the software program could be buggy, displaying glitches at occasions. Moreover, it affords restricted help for outdated working techniques and could be pricey for small enterprises.”
– Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise Evaluation, Tarun M.
8. Daemon Instruments
Daemon Instruments is primarily a digital drive software program, permitting customers to mount disc pictures as digital drives. Whereas indirectly associated to disk cloning, it may be used not directly to again up or switch information by creating disc pictures. It stands out for its skill to emulate varied disc codecs.
Execs of Daemon Instruments | Cons of Daemon Instruments |
Wonderful digital drive emulation | No disk administration or backup options |
Helps varied picture codecs | Potential compatibility points |
Person-friendly interface | Can embrace undesirable bundled software program |
What customers like finest:
“Utilizing Daemon Instruments, I can simply create disk clones and take a look at ISO pictures. I’m very happy with this system and would suggest it for normal use. It’s my favourite disk emulation device for Home windows, operating flawlessly almost each time. Creating digital disks has by no means been simpler, and regardless of just a few minor hiccups, I have been utilizing this software program reliably since 2006.”
– Daemon Instruments Evaluation, Godfrey C.
What customers dislike:
“Daemon Instruments can wrestle with broken ISO recordsdata, typically failing to open them if there is a small dangerous sector. The extreme banners within the software could be visually overwhelming and tiresome.”
– Daemon Instruments Evaluation, Haydar S.
9. AOMEI Backupper
AOMEI Backupper is a backup and restore software program catered in direction of small enterprise homeowners. Praised for its feature-set and aggressive pricing, AOMEI Backupper helps system, disk, file, and partition backup, in addition to disk cloning and restoration.
Execs of AOMEI Backupper | Cons of AOMEI Backupper |
Helps varied backup sorts and restore choices | Restricted disk administration options |
Strong information safety capabilities | Restricted cloud backup choices |
Person-friendly interface | Steep studying curve for newcomers |
What customers like finest:
“AOMEI Backupper affords low licensing prices in comparison with rivals and encompasses a easy setup with intuitive notifications.”
– AOMEI Backupper Evaluation, Matthew W.
What customers dislike:
“AOMEI Backupper takes an unusually very long time to course of paperwork and affords restricted flexibility. You’ll be able to solely use backups inside their system and can’t convert them to common codecs like .zip, .rom, or .iso. The settings menu lacks intensive management and choices, which might be useful. Whereas this system works nicely for my wants, extra decisions and settings might enhance its usefulness in varied conditions.”
– AOMEI Backupper Evaluation, Lucia O.
10. MiniTool Partition Wizard
MiniTool Partition Wizard is a partition administration device with disk cloning capabilities. It affords options like resizing, merging, and creating partitions. Past a main focus, it supplies dependable disk cloning performance for customers needing primary partition administration duties.
Execs of MiniTool Partition Wizard | Cons of MiniTool Partition Wizard |
Highly effective disk partitioning | Restricted backup and restoration options |
Person-friendly interface | Lacks superior options for enterprise use |
Strong characteristic set for a free device | Velocity could be affected by disk measurement |
What customers like finest:
“One of the best model for organizing disks in Home windows lets you merge and resize partitions, handle information, and management reminiscence effectively. It additionally helps migrating information and producing bootable drives for Home windows, making it preferrred for managing varied software program installations in your PC.”
– MiniTool Partition Wizard Evaluation, Maria U.
What customers dislike:
“I dislike the dearth of tremendous calibration for area task, similar to resizing partitions by only a few megabytes. The software program doesn’t settle for actual area values when entered textually, forcing me to regulate the partition margins manually with the mouse, which isn’t very exact.”
– MiniTool Partition Wizard Evaluation, Andrea L.
Comparability of the very best free onerous drive cloning software program
When you really feel overwhelmed by the wealth of details about free onerous drive cloning software program, this comparability desk will allow you to with all of the necessary features:
Software program | G2 ranking | Free plan | Paid plan |
Acronis True Picture | 4.4/5 | Free trial obtainable | Beginning at $49.99 per yr |
Macrium Replicate | 4.3/5 | Free trial obtainable | Beginning at $65 per yr |
Energetic@Disk Picture | 4.3/5 | Free trial obtainable | Beginning at $39.99 per yr |
O&O DiskImage | 4.1/5 | Free obtain obtainable | Beginning at $49.95 for lifetime entry |
Iperius Backup | 4.5/5 | Free obtain obtainable | Beginning at $77 for lifetime entry |
EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise | 4.8/5 | Free trial obtainable | Beginning at $49 per yr |
Paragon Onerous Disk Supervisor Enterprise | 4.6/5 | Free trial obtainable | Beginning at $99 per yr |
Daemon Instruments | 4.6/5 | Free trial obtainable | Beginning at $2.99 per thirty days |
AOMEI Backupper | 4.6/5 | Free trial obtainable | Beginning at $39.95 per yr |
MiniTool Partition Wizard | 4.5/5 | Free plan obtainable | Beginning at $59 per yr |
Regularly requested questions on free onerous drive cloning software program
Q. What options ought to I search for in free disk cloning software program?
Prioritize options that permit you to clone each your working system and information to a brand new drive. Search for help for various drive sizes and kinds (HDD, SSD), sector-by-sector cloning for actual copies, and choices for resizing partitions throughout the cloning course of.
Q. Are there any limitations to free onerous drive cloning software program?
Free disk cloning software program typically have limitations in comparison with paid software program. These can embrace restrictions on drive measurement, restricted technical help, lack of superior options like dynamic disk help, or watermarks on the cloned system. Discover paid onerous drive cloning software program for superior options.
Q. How do I select the fitting free onerous drive cloning software program?
It depends upon your particular wants. Take note of consumer interface simplicity, compatibility together with your {hardware}, and the software program’s popularity for reliability. Testing the software program on a non-critical partition will help you assess its efficiency and ease of use earlier than cloning your whole system.
Q. Can I clone a bigger onerous drive to a smaller one utilizing free software program?
Sure, but it surely’s necessary to make sure the goal drive has sufficient area for all important information and the working system. You may have to manually choose partitions or use the software program’s built-in resizing choices.
Q. Is it protected to make use of free onerous disk cloning software program?
One of the best free disk cloning software program choices mentioned on this article are protected to make use of. Nonetheless, as with all software program, it’s important to again up your necessary information earlier than initiating the cloning course of.
Q. What occurs if the cloning course of fails?
If the cloning course of fails, your information is perhaps in danger. That is why backing up necessary information beforehand is essential. Some cloning software program affords rollback or restoration choices in case of failures.
Mirror, mirror on my drive!
Safeguarding your enterprise’s vital information is crucial for its success. A tough drive failure can disrupt operations and result in potential losses. Through the use of free onerous drive cloning software program, you’ll be able to create a reproduction of your onerous drive, defending your information and minimizing downtime in case of surprising points.
Whereas cloning is a beneficial device, it is necessary to do not forget that it is not an alternative to common backups. By investing a small period of time in organising a cloning answer, you’ll be able to considerably cut back the chance of knowledge loss.
Improve your information safety technique with dependable backup software program.
Edited by Monishka Agrawal