[POLL] What is your favorite Backup Software for 2026?

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

This is the definitive Best Backup Software of 2026 official thread. 

It covers both free and commercial backup software, as well as those built into or bundled with operating systems.  Use this as a starting point for researching back-up software.
 
The previous year's thread can be found here.
 
If your choice of a back-up solution is not listed, please choose the appropriate Other option(s) and specify in the comments.  The poll is multiple choice, so if you use more than one solution, you can select all of those. 

Be sure to share which ones you are using this year,and any planned upgrades in the comments. 
  
Regards, 
  
Aryeh Goretsky

[energie10]

I use several, including a couple not in the list, but my favorite is Macrium Reflect.

[goretsky Supervisor]

On 03/02/2026 at 17:57, energie10 said:

I use several, including a couple not in the list, but my favorite is Macrium Reflect.

Hello,

What was missing from the list?

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky
 

[+Warwagon MVC]

Syncback pro! But the free is awesome too.

For cloning I like True Image 2016.

 

[energie10]

Sorry, I forgot to mention I sometimes also use O&O Diskimage, Hasleo Backup Suite and Drive Snapshot.

[neoraptor]

Syncthing is cool, works on mobile as well.

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

My answer has changed since last years poll where I was using ARQ at home.

I'm now using Vorta, which is a desktop client for Borg Backup. The reason for the change is ARQ doesn't have a Linux client, otherwise i'd have been quite happy to continue using that.

I chose Vorta / Borg for the same reasons though. My backups are deduplicated and compressed, then encrypted with a key I've created which doesn't leave my personal machine.
Like with ARQ I’m not locked in to a particular vendor to store my cloud backups.

At work I'm still using Veeam - it's tried and tested and can reliably backup everything required.

[+TRS-80 MVC]

As we know there are various types of backup software for Windows and some backup software has various methods of back up.

1.  There is the "can't read any of the backup data" unless you restore it type.

2.  There is the manuaL copy file and/or folder software with or without opitons, eg, one way or two way.

3.  There is the automated copy file and/or folder software with or without options eg one way or two way.

4.  ???

 

I use option #2 for my apps executable, data files, pictures and video files.   I stopped backing up the system drive and/or the registry or anything on the system drive with Windows 8.   As a result with Windows 8 and 8.1 I had to do a number of clean reinstalls of the OS, using MCT.  I used it only a couple of times with Windows 10.  I haVe yet to have to reinstall Windows 11.

I stopped keeping my apps executable, data files, pictures and video files on the system drive when the Microsoft OS first allowed the creation of additional drives besides "C".   I tried restoring Windows from a backup a few times years ago.  It never worked for me so I stopped and went to a clean install when needed.   I have never used that many Windows apps so manually reinstalling them after a clean Windows reinstlall has never been a problem or much of a time consumer.