Backing up your data is an invaluable practice.
The good thing is that some of the best software for this task is absolutely free.
Backing up your data is necessary, though most of us only realize how vital it is when something has gone wrong and we can’t access the computer or get to the data anymore.
You might lose data to one of the many reasons – it might be a ransomware infection, data theft or failure in hardware.
So, where do you start?
You can create a backup by simply copying the important files to a separate hard drive, but this can be long and tedious.
It makes a lot of sense to automate the process so that you don’t have to run single commands each time.
Having a regular backup is vital especially when you own a small business which handles other peoples’ personal information.
Additionally, if you are based in the EU, you have the obligation to protect data that is sensitive such as the name, address or IP address.
To do this automatically, you need to use software for the purpose. Let us look at the top 10 free software to use.
Article Contents
Best Free Backup Software Solutions
1. EaseUS ToDo Backup Free
You can back up a lot of files using this software – individual files and folders, whole partitions and drives and even creating a full backup of the system. You can back up the files in common locations or even use cloud storage for the task.
You can opt to run the backup as scheduled, or go for backups that run incrementally depending on what your goals are.
The free edition of the software has all the features that the premium edition offers. You won’t miss a lot by using the free version compared to the premium version.
2. Paragon Backup and Recovery
This software makes the process of backing up files seem simple. All you have to do is to use the wizard driven interface to set up the commands. You can choose to back up a few files or the whole partition. You can back up the files based on the type or location.
Once you choose the type of backup, select a schedule and let the software run on its own.
Apart from this, the software helps get your data back even if your Windows OS is corrupted.
3. Cobian Backup
If you are an advanced user, then this is the software for you. You can customize it highly to make it suit your needs. Though it might be a tough nut to crack for new users, advanced users can easily use it to make things work for them.
If you know exactly what you want and how to do it, then you can enjoy the software. You can archive your files to a local drive, network location or FTP server, if you have one.
The only downside to this software is that you won’t have a way to restore your data automatically. You have to copy the data manually back to their original storage.
4. FBackup
The Office-inspired interface makes this software slightly unappealing to many users. However, the features make it appealing to many users, both new and advanced.
You get automatic scheduling with this tool, and a wizard-based setup that allows you to customize the various options the right way and much easily. The scheduling function is on hand to make sure your backups are always up to date.
You can create easy backups that comprise both files and folders, which you can save on local or remote drives, Google drives or removable disks.
5. Aomei Backupper Standard 4
The software has the most features for a free version. These include file backup, imaging, plain file syncing and disc cloning. It also has multiple scheduling options.
Additionally, the CPU usage during the backup processes is light.
6. Macrium Reflect Free 6
This is a pioneer in the free backup software market. If you wish to quickly image and restore your system, Macrium is the best tool for the task.
The software has an old-school design to it, which gives you fewer options and less clutter to help you make the best out of your imaging needs. The tool is limited to disk imaging or for individual partitions.
The tool offers extensive scheduling options and it also allows you to set retention rules such as how long you want to keep the files and when to delete the files.
It supports both MBR and GPT discs.
7. MiniTool ShadowMaker
If you are looking for a tool that makes backup quick and easy then the MiniTool ShadowMaker is one to consider. The free version has all the features that you need as an average user.
The whole tool is a mere 70 mb download, and installs with just a click. It installs all the tools you need to run a successful backup and scheduling task.
The interface is clean and smart, giving you all the features you need in the same interface. For step-by-step tasks, the tabbed dialog makes everything easy and fast.
The tool backs up full partitions as well as entire drives. The tool is easy to use even for less technical users.
The free version gives you the ability to do incremental backups as well, which backs up only the changes you have made since the last backup.
8. Comodo Backup
This is one of the top free backup software available for home users. The tool allows you to backup not just media files and documents, but emails, chat histories as well as registry emails.
You can back up the files to the local drive or cloud. To make this possible, the company offers free cloud storage (up to 10GB) to its customers.
9. Genie Timeline Free
This tool gives you one of the most intuitive interfaces on the list. You can back up files to your local computer or to a network files.
The tool allows you to exclude file types which you don’t want to add to the backup. You also get the chance to edit out the individual files and folders from the back up list.
The unique feature that makes the tool unique is the availability of an iOS app which lets you monitor your backups from the phone or iPad.
10. Free Easis Drive Cloning
If you are looking for software that is easy to use, then this is the one you need. At the moment, the software comes with various options to use – image creation, restoring images and cloning drives.
It is ideal for newbies who don’t want a lot of customizations for their backup processes.
The tool can back up not just the sectors with data but also those that have free space.
Conclusion
These tools help you back up your data automatically. Take time to choose the right software so that you achieve your backup goals the right way.
