A 2018 study by Backblaze shows that about 78% of computer owners in the United States back up their data annually, which means most of today’s users understand how important it is to keep their data protected. That said, data backups should be performed more frequently. Luckily, nowadays, they are easy to implement as there are plenty of excellent free backup options on the market. Since backup tools have varying features, it is vital that you understand what they all offer so that you can choose the most suitable one. In this article, we look at the best free backup tools to check out in 2021.
What Are the Best Free Backup Tools in 2021?
1. Cobian Backup
Cobian Backup is one of the most advanced free backup tools out there today. This tool offers unique backup configurations, thus providing a fantastic experience.
You can use this software to create backup schedules and archive files to a network location, a local hard drive, and an FTP server. That way, you can keep your data in several locations simultaneously, which allows you to secure it more efficiently.
When it comes to huge backups, Cobian Backup compresses them, allowing you to add more files. Also, this software offers extra encryption that enhances the security of your vital data.
2. EaseUS Todo Backup
If you are a Windows user, then this software has remarkable backup options for you. EaseUS Todo Backup provides these types of backups:
- Incremental
- Differential
- Full
So, how do these backup types actually work? Let’s break them down to get an understanding of which of them is best suited for you.
A full backup means the software copies everything on the computer, including the OS. This backup is usually time-consuming and needs lots of space. However, it’s the best go-to option when switching to a new device.
When it comes to a differential backup, this software backs up all the files that have been changed since your last full backup. Performing a differential backup doesn’t take much time, and restoring your data is always easy. However, you must perform a full image backup after about one or two weeks to maintain the small backup size.
An incremental backup only backs up data that has changed since your last backup, which keeps the backup size small. However, restoring data will take more time because you must deal with each incremental backup cycle separately.
Like Cobian Backup, EaseUS Todo Backup also enables you to schedule and customize backups. One major factor that makes EaseUS Todo Backup unique is its ability to perform automatic weekly backups. This software can sometimes perform a random automatic backup if it senses any changes on your PC. In addition, you can compress your files and encrypt them to save some space and ensure proper security.
If you feel like someone might try to access your backup without permission, then you can separate the most critical data and set a password. That way, no unauthorized person will be able to access your private files.
Another major feature that will make you fall in love with EaseUS Todo Backup is its Image Reserve option. This one enables you to merge or delete old system images to save disk space. Unlike other tools that provide this feature on their premium versions only, EaseUS Todo Backup offers it free of charge.
3. Macrium Reflect
When researching what free backup software is best for a computer, Macrium Reflect is another awesome option you’ll come across. Although this one is mostly used by professionals due to its complexity, do not feel intimidated because you can understand its features easily with some practice.
Macrium Reflect clones disks, schedules backups, and creates full backup images, among other functions. This tool offers full and differential backups on its free version.
4. Paragon Backup & Recovery
Most Paragon Backup & Recovery users say that it’s the best and most straightforward free backup software on the market. This software has a wizard-driven interface that guides you through all features, thus allowing you to understand how everything works quickly. With Paragon Backup & Recovery, you can back up the whole computer, some partitions only, or specific folders or files.
After selecting what you want to back up and creating a schedule, you can let the software do the rest, thus saving time. You can also use Paragon Backup & Recovery as a data management toolkit because it has reliable USB- and CD-based recovery systems. What’s unique about it is that it allows you to retrieve data without needing to boot into Windows.
5. Acronis True Image
Acronis True Image provides many features and secures backups with AI, which makes it a hugely impressive tool. One factor that makes this software unique is how it provides both local and cloud storage backup solutions.
When it comes to primary backup methods on Acronis True Image, you can clone disks to your removable storage devices, create recovery drives, mirror system images, and do much more. Also, this tool offers full, differential, and incremental backups to help you create the best backup strategy.
The best part about using Acronis True Image is that it protects you against crypto-jacking, ransomware, and malware. Also, you can access your backed-up files from any device as this tool uses cloud storage.
This software offers you a one-month free trial to use its premium features. Therefore, you can take advantage of its remarkable features during this trial, back up your files, and later decide whether to pay for a subscription or migrate your data to another app.
6. Google Drive
Google Drive has been around for many years, which explains its popularity. Google Drive gives you limited space to use how you want. So, the number of files that you can store on Google Drive depends on how much space you have left.
This software can’t be used to back up your whole computer or OS. Therefore, you must choose the most important files you want to back up. Google Drive is a straightforward tool that makes it easy to upload, move, and delete particular files.
You can use Google Drive to synchronize data across devices. That way, you can access your crucial files from anywhere and on any device through the Google Drive Web interface. To use this feature, you need the Google Backup and Sync app as it makes uploading files easier.
Conclusion
In this article, we have listed 6 of the most effective and reliable free tools that you can use to back up files and retrieve them in case your hard drive crashes. Therefore, check all of them out. That way, you can easily tell which one is the best fit for you.
If you are still wondering how to choose free backup software, feel free to ask our experts using the comments section below. Also, we can help you send large amounts of data in a safe and secure manner. Try FileWhopper – an easy-to-use, pay-as-you-go tool that allows you to transfer files and folders of any size. It supports simultaneous uploads and downloads, requires no subscription fees, and uses military-grade encryption to protect your data. As of this writing, you can give the tool a try by performing your first transfer of up to 5 GB for free.
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