This Mac clone hard drive software smoothly clones Macintosh HD, Recovery HD and Local Volumes to another destination like a hard drive, network drive, volume, or a folder. The created clone is an exact copy of your Mac's hard drive and it can serve as a backup in situations of crisis such as a system crash, hard drive damage, data loss. Acronis True Image WD Edition Software is another good hard drive cloner software for Windows. The clone hard drive option is available under Tools menu. Click on Clone Disk option to open a new pop up window to choose manual or automatic cloning. A clone also comes in handy for troubleshooting, because you can use it to run third-party utilities on your ailing drive. (Your Mac's built-in OS X Recovery features include Disk Utility, but.
To start the cloning process, select the source drive and then click the blue Clone this disk link listed underneath the drive in the main window. A new window prompts you to select a destination. A key feature of the software is the ability to clone a large disk to a smaller SSD drive. Sectors and partitions are copied over, along with key files such as boot.ini, NTLDR, BCD, winload.exe.
In this article, we will discuss the best software to clone your MacOS.
As its name suggests, a cloning app is used to create a bootable backup of your Mac hard drive. Not only this you can use cloning apps to clone Mac hard drive to SSD and vice-versa. While there is no denying that Mac is one of the sturdiest systems in the world, however, it is still a machine and is subject to wear and tear over time. This is one of the many reasons that you need a Disk Cloning App. So, if your system gives way or you wish to transfer your data from one system to another, you have a backup to fall back to. While more the features the better it is, a few features that you must look out for in the best disk cloning app for mac are, secure, reliable, compatible and simple to use.
5 Best Cloning Software for MacOS
Keeping in mind the above features, we bring to you the 5 best disk cloning app for Mac.
1. Stellar Drive Clone
Apple Hard Drive Clone Software Free
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Stellar Drive clone is one of the best disk cloning app for Mac. It creates an identical, ready to use copy of the hard drive. The Clone software creates partitions in the same way as that of the actual hard drive. The tool supports various types of cloning like, HFS-to-HFS, FAT-to-FAT and NTFS-to-ExFAT. You can take a backup of any file or folder that you wish to. That is not all, the tool can also clone encrypted Mac drives and volumes. It can clone the Mac Hard drive from Hard Drive to SSD and vice-versa. The disk image will be your savior in case you feel that there is data missing on your disk.
2. EaseUS Todo Backup For Mac 3.4.19
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Todo is a multipurpose tool for data recovery. The software has a Mac Clone Utility Tool which clones the hard disk bit-by-bit. This would make the process of upgrading a disk or replacing it much easier and hassle free. The tool also allows the user to migrate their Mac Data from HDD or SDD with much ease. Apart from cloning the software has other features such as, File Synchronization on Mac and Backup. The latest version of the software also supports APFS format disks.
3. Carbon Copy Cloner
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One of the most popular cloning software, Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC), creates a backup of Mac OS boot drive and clones the disk. It has a simple and easy to use UI. The tool smoothly transfers files from one disk to another. The best part of the cloner is that it transfers everything block-level, disk to disk instead of file to file (which takes a longer time). The cloner also archives all old versions of files. It creates a backup of the hard drive and disk image. CCC schedules backup at regular intervals of time. For those new to the software, they have a feature called cloning coach which assists the user to make the right choices. Lastly, CCC lets you encrypt the disk and can also use it to migrate to a new Mac.
4. ChronoSync
An excellent app to clone Mac OS, Chrononym is a great option to backup data and clone hard drive. The app creates a backup of all the redundant and useless files on the Cloud. This also creates more space on the system. A simple and interactive UI makes it easy to use. Apart from manual running of tasks the software allows user to schedule automatic disk cloning process from time to time. One of the best features of ChronoSync is that it allows user to transfer optimized files on Mac using Chrono Agent. This software can be used for multipurpose, to back personal data like photos and ensuring the safety of important data.
5. SuperDuper
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Super Duper is an excellent cloning app for Mac and definitely deserves a place in our list of top 5. while it does have a free version, it also offers a paid version which has exhaustive features. You can download the free version to clone your hard disk, however if you wish to avail other features like scripting, scheduling and smart updates you will have to buy paid services. It has a user-friendly interface which is easy to understand and use, even for first time users.
The need to clone Mac cannot be underestimated. We hope that this article could help you choose the best disk cloning app for Mac according to your requirements.
10 Responses
There are so many types of backup software you can get for macOS. Most of them offer features that allow you to take incremental backups, sync features, and more. Nevertheless, what you need most of the time is a hard drive cloning software for Mac with an excellent set of features, control, and performance.
Not just for the safety of it, but it is convenient to restore a complete copy of your system instead of getting a file. And, when you have a clone of your HDD, there is nothing to worry about. Even in an event where you have to erase the entire hard disk, you can start where you left off with the help of an HDD clone backup.
For all these, however, you need a reliable, robust, and easy-to-use hard drive cloning software for Mac. There are so many of these backup tools in the market. But this isn't a place where you can try your luck. Don't worry; we did the hard work, so you don't have to.
In this article, we have covered everything you should know about hard drive cloning and the best tools you can use for cloning your Mac's hard drive.
Quick Summary
Stellar Drive Cloneis a straightforward hard drive cloning software from the lot. It lets you clone your Mac's hard drive to multiple targets without any hassle. You also get some standard features to ease the restoring process.
Carbon Copy Cleaner is a bootable hard drive cloning software. This trusted piece of software lets you make backups that you can boot up and load the OS from. Compared to other tools, CCC offers advanced features that Pro users will love.
ChronoSync brings the best from backup and hard drive cloning software for Mac. You can check out ChronoSync if you want backup scheduling options. CS is a professional-grade software that you can count on when it comes to a variety of backup-related tasks.
What Is Cloning Software for Mac?
As we mentioned earlier, hard drive cloning is the process of copying everything from your hard drive to an external source or another drive that you have mounted on your Mac. This can be another hard drive, a mechanical drive like SSD, a USB stick, or even a small SD card. Some advanced programs also let you create a disk image of the contents in your hard drive. The point is to have a complete copy of your hard drive that you can easily use for restoring needs.
A Mac cloning software helps you simplify this process. Instead of merely copying everything on your hard drive, you can use a wizard-based interface for the procedure. In this way, you won't miss essential files or folders. For instance, if you have installed a new SSD and want to migrate all your data from an old HDD, a hard drive cloning software is the place to go.
More importantly, hard drive cloning software come with some advanced features. For instance, you would be able to restore the entire system in a single click. This feature is quite helpful when your Mac faces issues like hard drive corruption or HDD erasure.
It is difficult to give you a homogenous definition of hard drive cloning software, though. Most of the popular Mac cloning software have some exclusive features. We'll discuss these so that you can make the right pick.
Who Should Get A Hard Drive Cloning Software for Mac in 2020?
Personally speaking, everyone should.
You would understand the amount of peace a drive cloner provides only when you come across data storage issues. Think about an untoward incident where you had to erase the whole hard drive. Now, you can copy and re-install everything you want, but drive cloner software makes things painless than ever.
So, you should get a hard drive cloning software for Mac if,
- You are planning to do something that might affect your hard drive and cause corruption/erasure.
- You want an easy way to transfer data from one Mac to another
- You need a bootable backup drive for emergency scenarios. We are talking about a drive where you can keep a copy of the entire system.
- You are a professional who deals with multiple hard drives and storage solutions. And you can use cloning software for extra convenience.
We should mention that a lot of drive cloning software solutions have a backup option integrated to them.
How We Tested and Picked the Best Hard Drive Cloning Software for Mac in 2020
We followed some detailed criteria to ensure that we are choosing the best-in-class hard drive cloning tools from the vast options.
- Security was our first and foremost concern while picking cloning software. There are two aspects of security. One, nothing should happen to your Mac HD or the destination drive. Two, every bit of data should be tight-secure.
- Ease of Use is something we cannot compromise while choosing software. It's 2020, and we won't be okay with drive utilities that require commands. So, we have chosen products based on how easy they are to use.
- Performance refers to how quickly the software can perform tasks. We were looking for tools that utilize the maximum speed from both drives. This way, you don't have to spend your valuable time in front of a sluggish software.
- Features are also necessary if you are planning to use the tools for backup. We've given bonus points for features like incremental backup, synchronization options, and other utility-focused features. Of course, we stay unbiased towards how useful they really are.
- Pricing is also an essential factor while choosing the right cloning tool. You don't necessarily have to spend hundreds of dollars on an advanced backup software if all you need is a simple solution to create disk clones.
After considering these points and much research on the web, we have chosen the five best drive cloning software for Mac in 2020. You don't have to doubt any of these tools in terms of security, performance, and reliability.
Our Picks: Best Hard Drive Cloning Software for Mac in 2020
1. Stellar Drive Clone — Easy-to-use Hard Drive Cloner for Mac
Stellar Drive Clone is one of the easiest ways to clone your Mac hard drive. This straightforward software is also pretty secure and takes care of partitions. We also found that Stellar Drive Clone supports a variety of file systems — making the software a suitable pick for most people.
The User Interface of Stellar Drive Clone is straightforward to understand. There are five tabs that you can use for actions like Cloning, Imaging, Restore, Backup, and Tools. If you are getting started with disk cloning, this will be a great choice.
Coming to features, there are plenty. First of all, Stellar Drive Clone allows you to clone Mac hard drive and logical drives with ease. You can either clone the drive to an SSD or create a system image. The second option gives you some control over removing bad sectors.
It's also worth noting that Stellar Drive Clone supports all the file systems you'd possibly need — including HFS, HFS+, FAT, and ExFAT. This, once again, gives you the freedom to create a bootable backup or HDD clone that works on devices that you want.
While you can use this software to create a bootable disk image, there aren't many customization options. Yet, you can count on this easy-to-use software during worst-case scenarios. On that note, we found those from Stellar to be quite helpful.
How to print screen on macbook. Last but not least, Stellar Drive Clone provides a good speed while cloning hard drives. Of course, the actual transfer rates depend on the source/destination type and how much data you have stored. Still, you get to save a lot of time in the long run.
You can download Stellar Drive Clone for free, but the full version costs $39.
2. EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac — macOS Backup Solution with Drive Cloner
EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac is not a standalone hard drive cloner for macOS. Instead, it's a well-equipped backup management program with some extra features. As it happens, one of the additional features allows us to clone hard drives to other destinations.
You won't have trouble getting used to the UI, but it's not graphical as the other ones. The software comes with separate sections for Backup, Archive, Clone, and Synchronize. Within each of these sections, you can create and keep projects.
By creating a new project, you can first set the frequency and time for the cloning process. After that, you've to select the source and destination drives. EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac will also recommend actions concerning the file system.
For instance, if your Mac is on AFPS, the destination drive should also be on AFPS. Don't worry; you can do the re-formatting without any hassle. And, once you press the Play button, the tool will initiate the cloning task. You can also schedule it if you want.
But the real beauty of EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac is that it allows you to manage backups, clones, and other archives from the same window. For instance, the Synchronization section is quite useful as it keeps all your data readily available at all times.
You won't be getting any advanced features in this package, though. For example, there is no option to make a bootable backup disk or drive clone. But on the bright side, you don't have to worry about getting amidst so many options.
EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac is available for $29.95, but it offers an evaluation period of 30 days.
3. Carbon Copy Cloner — Best Hard Drive Cloning Software with Advanced Features
Suppose you are kind of a Pro when it comes to drive management on macOS. And, you need a drive cloning software that keeps up with your requirements. In that case, you should try Carbon Copy Cloner. This tool has been in the industry for years and is an expert favorite as well.
Carbon Copy Cloner comes with a genuinely advanced User Interface. It offers sufficient control for experienced users while keeping things simple enough to learn. As you can see, there are hints and pointers to guide you through the process.
Because it is a standalone hard disk cloning software, the procedure is relatively easier. You have to select the source, destination, and schedule by clicking on the respective buttons. And after that, pressing a single button will start cloning the Mac drive.
The real advantage of Carbon Copy Cloner is with how it helps you find and arrange tasks. You can create a variety of tasks belonging to different categories like Bootable Backup, RAID Backup, and Scheduled Backups. Advanced options are available on each of these tasks as well.
There are also some convenience-oriented features in the package. For instance, you can set up the software to send you an email when cloning is complete. This feature comes in handy if you use the program in some professional environments.
You can also control pretty much everything via the Preferences pane. At any point in time, you can enable Tips, and Carbon Copy Cloner will guide you through the challenging areas. If you ask us, a user-friendly but robust drive cloner can't be better than this.
Carbon Copy Cloner costs $39.99, but you can evaluate the free trial for 15 days.
4. ChronoSync for macOS — Best Drive Cloning Experience with Synchronization
ChronoSync for macOS is the perfect choice if you are looking for an all-in-one solution for disk management needs. And, one of the many things ChronoSync can do is creating drive clones in a hassle-free manner. It is an expensive shot, though.
First things first, ChronoSync for macOS has a rather complex User Interface. You don't get tabbed views or simple buttons. Instead, you have to figure out what to do with different sections and entries. Moreover, it works through Synchronizer tasks.
Ssd Hard Drive Clone Software
To get started, you have to create a new Synchronizer task. Once you have selected the source & destination drives, you can go ahead and dictate the rules and preferences. There are even options to analyze the results from a task and plan a sub-task. It has a setup assistant that helps you with all tasks.
But, if you are looking for a Mac drive cloner tool with advanced control, ChronoSync for macOS makes a lot of sense. In addition to regular clones, you can create cloud backups and bootable backups. While the task takes some more time, the results are impressive.
There are so many minute details inside ChronoSync for macOS that we can't possibly list all of them. Rest assured, all of these features contribute to making your storage options secure. Just like CCC, ChronoSync for macOS is a favorite of experts in the field.
Well, we don't recommend ChronoSync for macOS for absolute beginners, though. If you mess up with the wrong drives and partitions, things can take a bad turn. Nevertheless, everything is okay as long as you work based on the given tutorials.
ChronoSync for macOS costs you $49.99, but there is a free trial for 15 days.
5. SuperDuper — For Straightforward Bootable Hard Drive Cloning
You should consider SuperDuper if you are looking for advanced features but need a simple UI. Just like CCC and ChronoSync, SuperDuper also lets you create bootable backup drives. The difference is that you do not have to be an expert in the field.
As you can see in the screenshot, the UI of SuperDuper is quite simple. You can choose the source as well as the destination from the drop-down menu, and you are good to go. Whether you want to check out additional options is entirely up to you.
This is where we think SuperDuper is excellent: it allows you to organize your entire disk management flow in a single place. The tool itself comes with a variety of scripts built into it. You can use these scripts to back up and restore various content from your system.
As we move towards advanced options, SuperDuper allows you to dictate terms and control how backups and restoring impacts your Mac. For instance, you get to control what happens to a bootable drive and what happens when copying is complete.
There are also some ultra-geeky features like shell scripts and package installation. But, SuperDuper has got all these features without compromising the simplicity of usage. So, despite all these features, when you just want to clone a hard drive from Mac, you can do that without trouble.
So, we would recommend SuperDuper if you are looking for the best of both worlds: simple UI and optional advanced features. It does not matter whether you are a developer or an expert, but the tool has at least a few features for you.
SuperDuper is a free hard drive cloning software, but Smart Scheduling features come at $30.
Conclusion
We hope you found our list of the best hard drive cloning software Mac useful. We have listed both free and paid software in this list. Depending on the features you need, and whether you can spend, you can choose from the list. Rest assured, all these tools are secure.
In light of our testing, we think Carbon Copy Cloner is the most performance-friendly. At the same time, we loved how SuperDuper is bringing so many excellent features and a simple User Interface at free of cost. Also, it's super-advanced. Did we miss any of the excellent hard drive cloning tools? Do let us know in the comments section.
