Carbon Copy Cloner vs Time Machine: best backup software for Mac

[PAR]

I am generally averse to using any proprietary backup software.  Why? Because if you use an application to back up your files you also need to use it to restore them. Add in a dose of reality and this is what will happen:

 

1. You've been backing up for 5 years using an app. Suddenly your computer has a catastrophic failure. Everything is lost. OK you think, I have a backup and will buy a replacement computer. You get it home and try your backup. Oh, you haven't got the backup app on your new computer. No worries. Just download it. Then you find that they're not there, they went out of business six months ago. Or ; Great, here it is downloaded. Now just click restore and ... not recognised. You were using Fab Backup 3. Your new download is years later and they now have Fab Backup 7. Not compatible. Fab Backup 3 is no more and there are no obtainable copies. Your files are there somewhere but it now requires a specialist to retrieve them at some cost.

 

Frankly IMO, although it requires more effort,  it is more secure to just copy and paste your files to an external HDD or, better three of them. If you only make one backup then you have one shot at a restore. Then you find that your one backup drive is corrupt! Make two to try to avoid this using drives from two different manufacturers to minimise production batch errors. The third copy is kept offsite or alternatively try cloud backup for that copy even though it does risk some of the above downsides. It doesn't matter how many backups you keep at home they are not proof against fire, flood, or burglary.

 

Incidentally this is obviously not aimed specifically at mac users but I think that the principles are more universal in application.

 

You can already see people reporting difficulties in restoring from backup apps in this thread alone. That's why I do what I say.