Best Free File-Based Backup Program

Introduction

The theme of this category is to provide reviews for the most popular and best free file-based backup programs that provide adequate features, ease of use and ability to set and forget. File-based backup programs do not usually support the creation of a system boot restore disk. The intention behind backup software is to backup important data you create, not generally to restore your operating system or applications. There are other options for creating system restore disks and restoring applications.

Use backup software to save document files, browser favorites, pictures, videos and other data, documents and media. Some of the backup programs are easier to use than others usually at the cost of some features. Downloading and trying two or three different programs to perform a test backup may be preferable to determine the proper fit for your needs and experience.

Backup programs do have their own nomenclature for processes. Please take the time to educate yourself on the process and terminology. Gizmo's has several articles for reference including this Recommended Reading and the Freeware Forum to post questions.

Important Features:

Shadow Copy or VSS - Comodo Backup
GPT drives - EaseUS - AOMEI
Incremental & Differential Backup - Comodo, Backup Maker
AES Security Encryption - Comodo, Backup Maker

Rated Products

Backup Maker

Complete with most extensive sets of options for customizing backups.

Our Rating:

Gizmo's Freeware editor award for the best product in its class!

License: Free (Private/Educational use)

Has many features for basic and advanced selection. Nice scheduling options. Clean console, helpful wizard.

No Shadow Copy

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FBackup

Built with a wizard featuring plugins for ease of backups

Our Rating:

License: Free (Limited features)

Easy to use wizard featuring plugins to make it easy to back up data from various other programs, like browsers, email clients, or media players.

Lacks partial backup ability, no Shadow Copy, no high level encryption. Free version restricted functions.

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EaseUS Todo Backup Free

Designed to be user friendly by simplicity without a wizard.

Our Rating:

License: Free (Limited features)

Cloning and imaging features. Straight forward user interface.

No Shadow Copy, no differential backups, lacks a wizard.

Read full review...

Honorable Mention

AOMEI Backupper is well worth a mention in this category because of its additional ability to quickly make backups of files and folders. The latest edition at time of writing is 2.0.1 and now has a few extra features such as the ability now to select multiple files and folders at the same time for backup along with support for performing a backup or restore across a network or NAS (Network Attached Storage), in addition you are now able to import and export all the backup tasks in XML format. The developers at AOMEI are constantly improving on their software whilst still maintaining a clean and easy to use GUI.

Since version 2.8.0 they added the ability to schedule the synchronization of files and folders automatically to HDD, USB and NAS, the current version is 3.2

Please follow this link for a full review and rating: AOMEI Backupper.

Editor

This software category is maintained by volunteer editor AndyR. Registered members can contact the editor with any comments or questions they might have by clicking here.

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Comments

They'll all backup subfolders, new or otherwise, typically with the default settings.

free file sync now has that ability however it is very basic and does slow down operations slightly when your accessing said folder.

In my opinion, and I'm sad it didn't make the list yet, but Cobian backup is probably the best free backup software available. UNFORTUNATELY, last Novemberish (2013) the developer has stopped releasing updates and sold off the source code, but its still free and the current version is as stable as cement. :)

It also unfortunately requires .Net 3.5 for VSS. If you happen to be trying to minimize all the versions of .Net...

That said it is very reliable and will work without old .Net if you don't want VSS.

As noted above, I've been using Cobain for data backup so don't really need VSC. It works very well without and thus no need for old .NET

I just downloaded all of the free versions from AOMEI
Make sure you'all get the bigger download (does XP and later OS's)
Even if you only need it for Win 7/8 get the other one (XP and Win 7/8)
The reason being with the bigger one, you can create a bootable Win PE CD.
And if you follow my instructions and only image when Windows is closed (ie use a bootable CD), then only the Win PE CD allows that.

Rob

PS I have the latest FF, and CANNOT LOG IN to here to make comments. Had to use an alternate browser (Comodo Dragon)

I got the smaller download. It included the ability to create the WIN PE. But you have to download the separate ISO for the Linux CD. Stick it in the root directory and it can create the Linux CD also. Or you can burn it with something like free ImgBurn.

Keep in mind AOMEI is an imaging tool. It now has data backup capability but accessing data in images is more involved that accessing simple file copies. That it includes boot discs is wonderful for such an occasion, if you needs are simple and you just want to image everything.

Myself, I'm now trying AOMEI for imaging because Windows has handicapped the imaging tool in v8 (stupid) and I use free Cobain (11.2) for data backup, without compression. Unless you need to compress, it's another possible point of failure and slow-down in backups.

Just remember - simple and reliable is what you need for backups.

Hi crombierob, You also have the option to create a Linux based boot CD / ISO though the Win PE CD / ISO is much more comprehensive (as in you have almost all the same options available to you, as you have discovered) what I tend to do is have the Win PE ISO stored in the same location as my current weekly backups and use EasyBCD to create a boot from ISO menu entry for it, so I have two boot options Win7 and also Aomei Win PE, whilst this method has its advantages and disadvantages depending on what it is you wish to do and should not be used as your only emergency recovery method, though for day to day use I find that method is more convenient for me personally.

AOMEI Backupper DOES support file and folder backup now.
Download free version 2.0.1 from their site.

http://www.backup-utility.com/help/file-backup.html

Hi jeffegil, Thanks for the additional information. I plan to update the reviews that need doing so ASAP including AOMEI Backupper, incidentally that is the one I am currently using for a personal backup solution.

FBackup is now on version 460. It DOES have shadow copy.

Paragon Backup and Recovery 2014 Free, features list;

"NEW: Back up changes since the full, or the latest incremental image. It's allowed to maintain several incremental chains based on one full image, provided each chain contains changed data of a particular backup object(s). pVHD based incremental imaging works much faster and rock-stable in comparison with the old PBF."

(http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/features.html)

"The developer has fixed the system slowing or freezing when drilling down directory trees that one of our user's pointed out."

Please be reminded for the sanity of all us pedants that 'users' doesn't have any apostrophe.
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe
We bow to your superior knowledge and skills. Showing us your impeccable grasp of teh language will cement our reverence, and make impossible any form of pecc.

It would be helpful for those unfamiliar with the modi operandi of the various utilities for the ways they work to be mentioned. For example, I installed a backup utility with seemingly much to recommend it, which disappeared a terabyte of data when the drive on which it was installed failed. This has been claimed to be a valid event and not cause for complaint, but those of us who need our backups to be relatively safe will need to know about things like 'is it a "block" backer-up or not?' and 'if the backup app is uninstalled, will the frigging backed up files still be there?'

If this stuff has in fact all been made clear, I will have to re-read and, on re-reading, understand a lot better. Perhaps to break up the reviews into paragraphs could make them a little easier to digest for the inexpert user.
I might need to distill the info into bullet lists of functionalities, attributes and drawbacks, and then research the items i.e it's not that clear to this particular self-taught philistine. Or maybe make up a table.

Thanks for these reviews. I will cautiously try a new app.

Hi, Thank you for your input and suggestions, you make a valid point regarding if the backup files will still remain or not after uninstalling the software as I do recall one I tested a couple of years ago actually deleted the backed up files though I do not recall exactly what its name was / is offhand. The general guideline for any form of sensitive backup data is to keep it off the main system as in use a removable HDD for example to store the backups. However in most cases the software will create it's own file type extension that is not compatible with similar software, there are way's and means around this in certain circumstances but that is not for me to advise here as you can get in a very big mess real quickly.

There's another layer to this point.
If you uninstall the software and the backup is in a proprietary format, you will have no access to it. This is why you want it to use standard ZIP (easily accessed even from DOS) or simple file copy. The second is the most dependable.

Same issue if you move the backup to where the software is not installed.

Imaging software like AOMEI is slightly different. The good ones include a boot disc which would give you access. The software does not need to be installed/running to access the backup. But it's also another reason why imaging for the OS (which you don't typically need to pull files out of) and data backup for your files are often handled distinctly.

In the event of a problem, you need the data while the Image is needed for a restore.

I don't think you can describe Comodo Backup as unrestricted freeware. When I installed it, I unticked a box so it didn't install their cloud backup service.
When I tried to set up a file backup it forces you to log in or register. The register option takes you to a webpage that then forces you to sign up for one of their cloud backup services. They all cost money. The first offers "90 days free" which indicates after 90 days they will charge you.
That isn't unrestricted freeware in my book.
I did not want 'cloud storage' so didn't register and removed the software.

If I understand your comment correctly, you seem to have misunderstood Step 2 and the selection of a backup destination. You are not forced to use Comodo Cloud, but it is the default destination. There are 4 other options you can select listed in a row. Look for where it says Comodo Cloud, My Computer, CD/DVD, Network, FTP Server, EMail. Try clicking the one that says My Computer.

Agreed. But the COMODO interface is not exactly straightforward, nor does it behave in a logical way. It also defaulted to backing up to my C users folder when I had set it otherwise. It doesn't have a settings save so appears to miss things.

For Backup Maker (Personal Edition), it says "32 and 64 bit versions available", but at the listed address http://www.ascomp.de/products/show/product/backupmaker , i can't find a 64 bit version, there is only free and professional.

If you look at the lower right side of the page you referenced, under supported operating systems it says 32 and 64 bit.

It may "support" 32 and 64 bit operating systems, that doesn't make the software 64 bits.

I installed it and it installed in the x86 section, so it's 32 bit, "not" 64.

Where can i download the 64 bit version?

Our information has been updated to 32bit but 64bit compatible.

I have some VERY basic questions!
- When proprietary OS and programs (read Microsoft) are backed up, and where they originally required an unlock code for proof of purchase, can they be reinstalled after a crash without needing that information?
- Are all current updated drivers (and MS updates) backed up?

1. Yes. 2. Yes. This is the reason I included AOMEI Backup in my review as it does just what you're asking and will create a system boot disk. Others reviewed may perform the system backup but they won't create a boot disk to restore from.

Thanks. Very clear answer. I think the most important consideration in choosing backup programs and strategies is which will get you back up (pun intended) and running just the way you were before disaster struck. That is, without needing days or weeks of reinstalling programs and getting them back to the setups that took maybe years of gradual adjustments to get your computer just the way you like it. That is what I would want. So, which do that, and how much storage capacity (relative to your HD usage) will that facility require. Then go for it. I'll certainly be looking into AOMEI. Bill

hi,
what about Cobian backup?
any words about this free software?

Thank you for the tip, I'll take a look at it.

I've downloaded Backup maker because I'm hoping it will compress my backups better and preform backups quicker than the built in Windows back up tool ( I'm using Win7 ) but I'm confused about this feature mentioned on their website , the feature to upload your backups to a webserver through an FTP/FTPS upload , what does this actually mean ? what does this feature do ? does it mean I can back up my files to for example Skydrive or Dropbox using this software or is it something else completely

FTP and Cloud backup services like Skydrive and Dropbox are different. FTP is a file transfer protocol to transfer files to a server over a network or the internet. If you have an account with someone that hosts an FTP server you could have Backup Maker upload your backup files to the FTP account. For further clarification and discussion, post your question about the difference between cloud storage and ftp storage in the Freeware Forum. Thank you.

thanks for your reply I've only just noticed it .

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Best Free File-Based Backup Program

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