Best Mac Hard Drive Clone Software In 2024
We know how important data backups are especially in situations like data corruption or a more vicious malware attack? But, there are times when simple copying and pasting when backing up data won’t just cut. Let’s assume that your aim is also to replicate your Mac’s operating system or you want to replicate data and settings sector by sector, in that case, you will need a Mac hard drive cloning software. Using a drive cloning app for Mac you can easily reboot and restore your Mac to an earlier version.
Also Read : How To Fix It: External Hard Drive Not Showing Up On Mac
What Is Cloning?
Cloning means making the exact copy of the original disk along with its content. While you can copy the content, it can also clone bootable operating system files. The cloning also works in a well-balanced way when you need to backup all the data, upgrade your drive, or transfer the data to a new machine. While you wish to upgrade your drive to SSD from a hard disk, cloning can help you move the content from one location to another.
*Adding elaborative features in detail*
Why Is Cloning Required?
Cloning is not a harmful thing to do. You can always rely on this because of the reasons mentioned below.
- Cloning gives you a full backup of your drive so that all the essential data is stored in one place safely.
- It helps you when you are trying to migrate to a new machine. The data is very easy to transfer.
- While you wish to upgrade your drive to SSD from a hard disk, cloning can help you move the content from one location to another.
We all believe that Mac is a robust machine; however, every device tends to slow down, due to wear and tear over time. Hence, it is advisable to keep the backup of your data with any of the Mac hard drive cloning apps so that you can transfer it from one system to another whenever required. So, here are some of the most reliable hard drive cloning software for Mac free explained below.
Pro TipWhere Hard drive cloning software maintains the health of the system at one end, one shall also keep the system optimized to save from accidents that could cause loss of data instantly. So how could one keep their system optimized in a better way? Using this free mac cloning software, CleanMyMac X!
CleanMyMac X is a powerful tool to leave Mac clutter free and frees up space for saving files in the future. It handles the responsibility of protecting your system by uninstalling the unwanted apps, cleaning the browser history & cookies, and removing the heavy CPU consumers side by side.
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How To Select Cloning Software For Mac?
You can look for the attributes mentioned below to find if the software you have come across is worth testing.
- Advanced features like extraction of data when needed, getting volume video files, etc.
- Easy to use and understand for a beginner who is new to technology and in a hurry to get the data copied.
- It must be compatible with all the latest versions of macOS like Catalina.
- The software must not be tagged with viruses, malware or adware that hampers the overall security of the system.
Keeping these factors in mind, we have collated some software that helps in hard drive cloning of Mac.
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Pro Tip: When a hard disk cloning app needs to be searched for, you must know that there are different requirements and budgets that should be looked upon. Go for a free trial of all the available cloning software and check the features before making a final purchase.
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Best Mac Hard Drive Cloning Software:
| Software | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. EaseUS Todo Backup | Disk cloning
Image backup Cloud backup |
Starts $29.95 (30 days trial) |
| 2. Carbon Copy Cloner | Transfers files from block level instead of file to file.
Cloning coach to assist in making the right choice. |
Starts $39.99 |
| 3. Clonezilla | MBR & GPT partitions supported
AES-256 encryption supported |
Free and Open source |
| 4. SuperDuper | Straightforward bootable hard drive cloning
Organize disk management flow |
Starts $30 |
| 5. ChronoSync | Creates a backup on the cloud.
Schedule automatic cloning of disk. |
Starts $40 |
| 6.GetBackup Pro | Backup, clone or archive the data
Synchronizes files and folders without intervention |
Starts $19.99 |
1. EaseUS Todo Backup
Whether one wants to look for mac hard drive cloning for commercial or non-commercial purposes, this disk cloning software for Mac never fails to amuse Mac or Windows users. It is compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina and secures your data from getting lost when you set it up in an automated stealth mode for backup. Cloning your disk volume allows you to boot the disk at any moment and migrate to a new device.
Platforms supported: Supports all Mac including macOS 10.15 Catalina
- Allows easy scheduling of cloning and backup
- Offers image backup and cloud backup at the same time
- Secures data storage on a safely basis
Pros:
- Offers full and differential backup
- Snapshot navigator
- Easily migrate to new drive
- Schedule/ pause backups
- Compress backups
- Encrypt backups
Cons:
- Server functionality is limited
- Sometimes fails to read external drives
Download: EaseUS Todo Backup
Verdict: EaseUS ToDo is a very reliable tool when it comes to the support of file backup. A newbie or an inexperienced user would totally be in awe of this tool to clone their data but experts may want to refrain.
2. Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner is pretty much standing alone for hard drive cloning of Mac. It is because of the legacy, ease of use, and many pointers & hints to guide you through the process of cloning. You can easily arrange your tasks in the tool ranging from Bootable backup, RAID backup, scheduled backup, etc. Whenever you are facing difficulties in running the system, ask for tips or solutions. Moreover, you can even control your preferences via the Preferences tab with the Mac Hard Drive Cloning tool.
Platforms supported: Supports macOS 10.10 or more
- Get speedy backup features during cloning
- Transfers files from block level instead of file to file.
- Cloning coach to assist in making the right choice.
Pros:
- Backup folders
- Guided setup
- Task preview
- Backup audit to see what was copied
- Advanced file filtering
- Import and export tasks
Cons:
- Bootable backups may create issues
- Interface can be a little complex to work with
Download: Carbon Copy Cloner
Verdict: Carbon Copy cloner is an amazing and comprehensive tool and is known for best customer support apart from speedy backups.
3. Clonezilla
Clonezilla can be called the best free cloning software for Mac that helps in system deployment, metal backup, and recovery. File systems supported include ext, FAT, HFS+, VMFS3 and more, LVM, etc. The good thing about Mac cloning software is AES-256 encryption to secure the data and its storage.
Platforms supported: All Intel-based macOS
- Security of AES 256 encryption supported by the tool
- Supports a number of file systems like ext2, ext3, ext4, xfs, jfs, etc.
- MBR & GPT partitions supported
Pros:
- Supports many file systems
- Free and open-source
- Operating system independent
- Highly customizable
- Advanced users can use compression algorithms to reduce total storage volumes
Cons:
- Command-line only, suitable for advanced users
- Support is limited
Download: Clonezilla
Verdict: A good open-source disk cloning and imaging software but some users feel that one cannot easily navigate the interface.
4. SuperDuper
The reason why SuperDuper is called the best Mac hard drive clone software is its simple user interface and ease of use even for a beginner. Once you explore inside, you will find the disk management flow and variety of scripts built inside the tool which can be later used to back up the data. Not just this, advanced features allow the user to control which files need to be copied or ignored from one drive to another. And yes, if anything goes wrong, then you can always roll back the system to avoid unexpected errors. Quite apt and worthy of trying the software for hard drive cloning of Mac.
Platforms supported: Supports macOS 10.10 or more
- Straightforward bootable hard drive cloning
- Organize disk management flow
- Friendly for beginners to navigate and use the software
Pros:
- Simplistic design
- Smart update feature
- Copy script feature helps get more grip of what’s being cloned
- Easily creates fully bootable backup
- Smart wake feature ensures backup happens even when Mac’s asleep
Cons:
- Users have reported issues in cloning data to external SSD
- As compared to some competitors, cloning can be time-consuming
Download: SuperDuper
Verdict: SuperDuper allows taking backup of the whole system and allows rolling back to the system so that errors could be avoided.
5. ChronoSync
As this free disk cloning software for Mac saves your chosen cloned data on the cloud, it naturally makes space in the system side by side. In the beginning, you need to create a synchronizer task where the selection of source and destination drive is being made. Along with this, you can make rules and preferences as per your requirements. This will help you to create a backup. You may find that completion of tasks may take a little longer, but impressive results would want you to download this fantastic cloning software for Mac.
Platforms supported: Supports macOS 10.10 or more
- Smart file and folder synchronization for better storage
- Creates a backup on the cloud.
- Schedule automatic cloning of the disk.
Pros:
- Offers file syncs, bootable backups, and Mac cloud storage
- Various options for backup scheduling
- Event-triggered scheduling
- Supports incremental backup
- Comprehensively compares the existing state of files with the last state of files
- Advanced filters using which you can include/ exclude files from backup or sync
Cons:
- A little unclear in what is being synced and what task is taking ling
- Interface can prove to be a little complicated for some users
Download: ChronoSync
Verdict: Chronosync is a free disk cloning software which allows you to make rules as per your requirements. Create an easy backup and restore the best kind of results here.
6. GetBackup Pro
Get Backup Pro is an amazing and advanced tool for Mac as it can manage backup of the drive, archiving it, disk cloning as well as folder synchronization. This helps in creating bootable and encrypted files so that the data can be easily restored when there is a machine failure or major errors showing up. The section of data backup helps in disk cloning very easily so that the copy can be done. Now that this disk cloning software provides you with hard linking of original files, backup folders do occupy very less storage space than the original one. Clone your Mac hard drive easily from here!
Platforms supported: Supports macOS 10.10 or more
- Synchronizes files and folders without intervention
- Choose between a full or incremental backup archive, and encrypt it using AES-128, AES-256, Blowfish, or Triple DES.
- Synchronize files and folders on your Mac
Pros:
- Prompt customer support
- Not just the traditional HFS+ but even the new APFS is supported
- Clone disk that can boot at any moment
- Sync files and folders
Cons:
- Backup is slightly slower as compared to some of its competitors
- Some bugs are noticeable
Download: GetBackup Pro
Verdict: GetBackup Pro is a fast and secure application which justifies the plan of cloning the system very swiftly.
Conclusion
All the cloning software for Mac that are discussed above are exceptionally amazing. When you talk about SuperDuper, it is very straightforward in cloning your hard drive whereas when it comes to EaseUS Todo, it comes with lots of other features which is why the world trusts it. We also recommend EaseUS Todo as the cloning software as the verdict as this tool is known for years now, secures storage space, and offers the image as well as cloning of the hard drive.
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