Best Mac Backup Software in 2024: Top 6 Ranked
We tested the best Mac backup software for home users, creative professionals, and businesses. Here's what actually works.
Quick Comparison
| Rank | Product | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Backblaze Personal Backup | 9.4 /10 | $99/year |
| #2 | Arq Premium | 9.1 /10 | $49.99 one-time or $29.99/year |
| #3 | Time Machine | 8.8 /10 | Free (need external drive) |
| #4 | Carbon Copy Cloner | 8.5 /10 | $49.99 one-time |
| #5 | SuperDuper! | 8.1 /10 | Free / $27.95 for scheduling |
| #6 | iCloud Drive | 7.2 /10 | 50GB free / $2.99/mo for 200GB |
Bottom Line
Time Machine is the best free option; Backblaze is the best cloud backup; Arq is the best for power users who want full control.
Losing your Mac data is one of the most painful tech experiences imaginable. The good news: protecting yourself completely costs less than $10/month. The bad news: most Mac users are running zero backup protection right now.
The professional recommendation is the 3-2-1 backup rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media types, with 1 copy offsite. For most Mac users that means Time Machine to an external drive plus Backblaze to the cloud.
The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy for Mac Users
Copy 1 — Time Machine to external drive: Catches accidental deletions and gives you fast local recovery. Keep a 2TB drive plugged into your Mac or on your home network.
Copy 2 — Backblaze cloud backup: Protects against theft, fire, flood, and drive failure. Runs silently in the background. $99/year for unlimited storage.
Copy 3 — Your Mac itself: Your working copy counts as one of the three.
This two-product combination costs under $120/year and covers every realistic data loss scenario.
What About Time Machine Alone?
Time Machine is excellent — but it only protects you from accidental deletion and hardware failure if you catch it quickly. If your Mac and your Time Machine drive are stolen together, or destroyed in a fire, you lose everything. Cloud backup is not optional if your data matters.
FAQ
Is iCloud Drive a backup? No. iCloud Drive syncs your files — it doesn’t back them up. If you delete a file, it deletes everywhere. If your account is compromised, you lose everything. Use it for convenience, not protection.
How long does Backblaze initial backup take? Depends on your internet upload speed and data size. A 500GB Mac typically takes 3–7 days for the initial backup. After that, continuous backups run in the background with minimal impact.
Can Time Machine back up to a NAS? Yes — Time Machine supports network drives including Synology and QNAP NAS devices. This is a great option for home users who want automatic network backups without a drive plugged in.
What’s the best backup for a Mac mini home server? Carbon Copy Cloner or Arq for local backups, plus Backblaze B2 cloud storage for offsite protection.
Full Rankings
Backblaze Personal Backup
$99/year
Best cloud backup — unlimited storage, automatic, set-and-forget.
Pros
- ✓ Unlimited storage for $99/year
- ✓ Fully automatic continuous backup
- ✓ 30-day version history (extendable)
- ✓ Fast restore via download or USB drive
Cons
- ✗ Cloud only — no local backup
- ✗ Initial backup takes days on slow connections
Arq Premium
$49.99 one-time or $29.99/year
Best for power users — backs up to any destination including your own storage.
Pros
- ✓ Backup to any cloud or local destination
- ✓ Strong encryption — you own your keys
- ✓ Highly configurable retention policies
- ✓ One-time purchase available
Cons
- ✗ More complex to configure than Backblaze
- ✗ No included cloud storage
Time Machine
Free (need external drive)
Best free option — built into macOS, reliable, and dead simple.
Pros
- ✓ Completely free — built into macOS
- ✓ Hourly, daily, and weekly backups
- ✓ Easy file recovery via Finder
- ✓ Works with any external drive
Cons
- ✗ Local backup only — no cloud protection
- ✗ Requires dedicated external drive
Carbon Copy Cloner
$49.99 one-time
Best bootable backup — creates an exact clone of your Mac you can boot from.
Pros
- ✓ Creates bootable backup drives
- ✓ Excellent scheduling options
- ✓ SafetyNet protects deleted files
- ✓ 30-day free trial
Cons
- ✗ One-time $49.99 purchase
- ✗ Overkill for casual users
SuperDuper!
Free / $27.95 for scheduling
Best simple cloning tool — fast, reliable bootable backups.
Pros
- ✓ Simple, clean interface
- ✓ Free for basic cloning
- ✓ Fast incremental backups
Cons
- ✗ Less feature-rich than Carbon Copy Cloner
- ✗ Scheduling requires paid upgrade ($27.95)
iCloud Drive
50GB free / $2.99/mo for 200GB
Best for documents — not a full backup solution but great for syncing files.
Pros
- ✓ Seamless Apple ecosystem integration
- ✓ Automatic sync across all devices
- ✓ 50GB free, affordable upgrades
Cons
- ✗ Not a true backup — deleted files sync deletions
- ✗ No system or app backup