Apple macOS is a stable operating system that millions depend on.
The user base has grown over the years, and I switched from Windows to an M1 MacBook Air this February.
Yes, Windows is more popular and accessible as cheaper computers, but macOS is more refined and gets constant (non-annoying) updates.
The latest macOS 13 Ventura adds features like ‘Continuity Camera’ that doubles your iPhone as an HD webcam.
But there are a few flaws that Apple still hasn’t addressed – like a solid backup strategy that is essential for every user.
The built-in Time Machine app creates backups of your important files and folders. But it won’t let you migrate an exact copy of your macOS installation to another machine should your main disk be wiped or corrupted.
For this reason, you’ll need a regular clone or disk image of your computer.
When you have a reliable backup of your hard drive, you don’t have to panic about losing essential data since restoring them is easy if the original file is lost.
Disk cloning on Mac has always been tricky, but this is where the best disk cloning software will make it an intricate task – cloning your hard drive for backup, into a simple one, by restoring it when necessary.
Tons of disk cloning software is available for Mac, but choosing the one that works best for you could be experimental.
I have found the 10 best Mac apps for disk cloning, and this listicle serves as a walkthrough so that you can choose based on the features and pricing.
Best Mac Apps for Disk Cloning
This listicle will guide you to some of the best cloning software heaven-sent for Macs, as they will help you save bit-perfect copies of your precious data.
But before we get to the apps, let’s look at what disk cloning software is for.
What is the purpose of Disk Cloning software?
When users utilize disk cloning software, it reduces the danger of data loss. These apps offer preventative measures rather than enduring data loss and finding solutions to recover essential data on your Mac.
Accidents do happen, and you can safeguard your data by cloning your Mac’s hard drive or creating a backup.
Cloning software for Mac is the ideal choice to protect you against any damage to your Mac’s disk storage.
If and when your Mac’s hard drive fails, you’ll have a backup copy available.
Following are the best disk cloning software for Mac. Most are paid, but you’ll get a free trial.
1. EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac
EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac is the best Mac app for disk cloning.
The software has been available for Windows users for some time and is now available for Mac users.
It has all the latest features you’d expect from a disk cloning tool, along with advanced scheduling and backup compression to save precious disk space.
EaseUS Todo Backup supports off-site backups and allows you to save cloned images to network drives, as well as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
This app’s only flaw is its slow copy speeds, which can be unlocked in the paid version. Overall, it is a great app.
Main features
- Very beginner-friendly
- Wide range of settings and features
- Wide range of support options, including live chat
Drawbacks
- The free version is minimal
- The backup speed could be faster
Pricing: Free to download; $29.95
Download EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac
2. Acronis Cyber Protect
Acronis Cyber Protect is not a name people have heard, making it an underrated disk cloning software.
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office is now gaining popularity as a cloning and backup tool for macOS.
The software can back up both local and network disks with a dedicated Cloud server owned by the same firm.
If you have a NAS drive that doesn’t work with Time Machine, Acronis could be the too for you.
This is a solid suite of applications, with features like file syncing, malware scanners, and full backups of your Microsoft 365 account.
These features are great for those of you who also use Windows machines and need to integrate them with your Mac.
Main features
- The same company offers cloud backups
- It comes with lots of other bundled tools
Drawbacks
- Doesn’t backup Bootcamp partitions
- Writes images in a proprietary format
Pricing: Free to download; $34.99-$87.49
Download Acronis Cyber Protect
3. Clonezilla
Clonezilla offers a great blend of usability and features.
It is a fantastic choice for power users.
The software was an open-source Linux-based program at the beginning with no graphical interface at all. This means you’ll have to type commands into the terminal. If you are not a fan of it, Clonezilla isn’t for you.
But, if you look past this flaw, this app will prove to be a full backup and restoration tool with mind-blowing options and features.
Main features
- Very feature-packed for power users
- Completely free Mac cloning software
- Restore a single image to multiple devices
Drawbacks
- Command-line only interface
- Limited support
Pricing: Completely free
4. Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner is one of the best disk cloning apps for Mac.
It is a standalone tool that lets you clone Mac hard drives. It’s known for its convenient use, legacy, and advice to assist you with the cloning method.
Moreover, the ‘Preferences’ section in the Mac Hard Drive Cloning program allows you to adjust your preferences.
Carbon Copy Cloner has an excellent interface that amateurs and pros alike will love. A Cloning Coach can spot prospective issues with your backup routine.
This is the best cloning software for Mac for most users.
Main features
- 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
Drawbacks
- Bootable backups may create issues
- The interface can be a little complex to work with
Pricing: 30-day free trial, then $39.99
5. ChronoSync
ChronoSync is an intuitive software that offers manual and scheduled backups to a host of destinations.
This includes network-attached storage and professional off-site backups with Google Cloud and Amazon S3.
If you want, you can even send your backups to iPhones or iPads should you feel the need.
When any metadata changes, the backups made by ChronoSync are updated.
Moreover, unnecessary files and cached data are automatically discarded during cloning, and all files are first copied to a location before being checked for errors and corruption.
Main features
- A vast array of settings and options are available
- Able to backup to Amazon S3 and Google Cloud
- Backups discard temporary and unnecessary files
Drawbacks
- No free version, just a 15-day trial
- Menus could be daunting for beginners
Pricing: 15-day free trial, then $24.99
6. SuperDuper
SuperDuper is a well-known disk cloning app for macOS.
It is an expert at making bootable clones of your hard drive. SuperDuper has a Smart Updates setting, so when you enable this option, the software will automatically update a cloned image as it changes.
This means you won’t ever need to set reminders to clone your backups.
SuperDuper lets you view, clone, and restore the automatic snapshots your operating system makes. This way, you will quickly restore your machine if an update causes a system failure.
SuperDuper isn’t the best disk cloning software, but it does the job.
Main features
- User friendly
- Handy incremental backups
Drawbacks
- The best features require a paid upgrade
- Lacks fine control over backups
Pricing: Free to download; $27.95
7. GetBackup Pro
Get Backup Pro is a fabulous disk cloning software.
It uses exceptional tools like disk cloning, archive, backup, and folder sync to keep your data secure.
The software backs up your Mac data, makes bootable and encrypted backup files, and syncs your files and folders.
When you opt for this software, you’ll quickly recover your data in the event of a system failure.
Main features
- Automatically encrypt and schedule the backup.
- Protect your Mac’s Backup Archives.
- Create bootable backups.
- Easily synchronize files and directories.
Drawbacks
- Backup is slightly slower as compared to some of its competitors.
Pricing: 15-day free trial, then $19.99
8. Backblaze
Backblaze is not the typical disk cloning app.
It provides ample tools and options, but the app’s primary function is to back up and store your data in the cloud.
Backblaze is easy to use and automatically begins backing up your files. Backblaze will back up the Documents, Movies, Pictures, and Music folders. You can edit some settings, so the app will also ignore disk image files.
The software’s cloud storage will keep your backups for 30 days, and you can also save data from attached USB sticks and external drives.
Main features
- Very easy to use, with a set-and-forget interface.
- Unlimited cloud storage for a single computer.
Drawbacks
- It can be slow on the first backup.
- It doesn’t offer true cloning of a whole disk.
Pricing: Free to download; $7-$130.
9. Paragon Mac ToolBox
You cannot go wrong with Paragon Mac ToolBox as it covers the entire range of disc errands, and it includes disc cloning of the drive as a whole and other operation.
The software also offers some exciting extra features, like creating a virtual clone of your PC on a USB drive or utilizing the included Recovery Media Builder to create recovery media to start a non-bootable PC.
Main features
- Users can keep their disks properly organized.
- This tool enables users to clone their OS to a USB flash drive and use it.
- Copy or restore files to a hard disk with various sector sizes.
Drawbacks
- The full version is relatively costly.
Pricing: $39.95.
10. O&O Disk Image
O&O Disk Image is a great app and a total disk management software. You can work on the computer, and the backup will continue without losing essential data or time.
Administrators can clone and duplicate whole hard drives and restore them to a system with several computers.
With the new version 17, it’s possible to convert image files made with O&O DiskImage into Microsoft Virtual Hard Disc (VHDX and VHD) image files.
The new version 17 can also make incremental and differential images of virtual drives. You can combine or mount these images.
The software detects when there’s a backup available. When it does, it will only take a few seconds to access any files.
Main features
- Backup disks and files
- Create virtual hard drives
- Incremental and differential backups
- Windows boot system
Drawbacks
- Lacks advanced disk cloning features
Pricing: $49.95
FAQs
Can I use Disk Utility to clone Mac hard drive?
Yes, you can use Disk Utility to clone Mac hard drives, as it is Apple’s built-in solution to clone Mac’s hard drives. Plug the external hard drive into your Mac, and launch the Disk Utility app > go to the Utility folder in Applications > double-click on Disk Utility to open it.
Is cloning the same as migrating OS?
Migrating means moving the user files like Photos, and music, while cloning is an exact copy of the hard drive with all the program’s files unharmed.
Can you tell if a drive has been cloned?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a reliable way to tell if your drive was accessed reliably. There may be indications, but the absence of these indicators does not mean that the drive was not accessed. If the drive is mounted read-only or cloned, no information gets written back to the disk.
Conclusion
These are the 10 best Mac apps for disk cloning.
These exceptional apps will clone your hard drive and offer other essential tools.
If I had to choose one, EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac is the best app as it has many other features that make it the supreme backup tool.
SuperDuper is another straightforward app that easily clones your hard drive.
No matter your choice, all the apps mentioned above are phenomenal and trustworthy tools for your Mac.
