AOMEI Backupper vs Macrium Reflect, Which One Suits Better?

AOMEI Backupper vs Macrium Reflect, Which One to Choose?

If you are intending to protect your computer with a powerful backup software, there are two popular Windows backup utility you might want to use: AOMEI Backupper and Macrium Reflect. But AOMEI Backupper vs Macrium Reflect, which one suits you more?

As a matter of fact, both of them have their own advantages, you should treat the differences dialectically. What’s the difference between AOMEI Backupper Standard and Macrium Reflect Free? Don’t worry, just see the details below.

Let's have glance at the content:

• Comparison | Macrium Reflect vs AOMEI Backupper

• Tutorial | Steps to Back up Hard Drive Using Free AOMEI Backupper

• Tutorial | Steps to Create Disk Backup with Free Macrium Reflect

Comparison | Macrium Reflect vs AOMEI Backupper

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free backup software for users to backup and clone entire hard disk, OS, partition(s), file/folders and sync data in Windows PC systems, such as Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, Vista, XP (all versions of 32-bit and 64-bit). 

Macrium Reflect Free is the free version of Macrium Reflect to backup and clone the hard disk, OS or partitions for users in Windows PCs and WHS. Popular as it is, users find Macrium Reflect is no longer free now. However, if you have downloaded and installed Macrium Reflect Free before, you can continue using it.

The following charts showing their similarities and differences in main aspects.

Compare the Free Editions

Product	AOMEI Backupper Standard	Macrium Reflect Free
Specifications
Price	Free	Free
OS Supported	Windows PCs	Windows PCs & WHS
Backup Types
Files and Folders Backup	√	-
Full Disk Backup	√	√
Incremental Backup	√	-
Differential Backup	-	√
Schedule Backup	√	√
Backup Destinations
Local or External Hard Disk	√	√
Removable Media	√	√
Network Share	√	√
CD/DVD	-	-
Cloud Drives	√	-
Features
Compression	√	√
Splitting	√	√
Encryption	-	-
Email Notifications	√	-
Retention Policy	-	√
File Synchronization	√	-
Disk or Partition Clone	√	√
Disk or Partition Backup	√	√

Chart 1: AOMEI Backupper Standard vs Macrium Reflect Free

Compare the Paid Editions

If you prefer to try the advanced editions of the both, below chart shows the difference. By the way, the two backup software offers 30-day free trial for advanced users.

Product	AOMEI Backupper Professional	Macrium Reflect Home
Specifications
License	1 PC / License	1 PC / License
Price	from $39.95	$69.95
OS Supported	Windows PCs	Windows PCs & WHS
Backup Types
Files and Folders Backup	√	√
Full Disk Backup	√	√
Incremental Backup	√	√
Differential Backup	√	√
Schedule Backup	√	√
Backup Destinations
Local or External Hard Disk	√	√
Removable Media	√	√
Network Share	√	√
CD/DVD	√	-
Cloud Drives	√	-
Features
Compression	√	√
Splitting	√	√
Encryption	√	√
Email Notifications	√	√
Retention Policy	√	√
File Synchronization	√	-
Disk or Partition Clone	√	√
Disk or Partition Backup	√	√

 Chart 2: AOMEI Backupper Professional vs Macrium Reflect Home

As you can see from the above chart, Macrium Reflect vs AOMEI Backupper, AOMEI Backupper Standard provides more features for you to protect data, like File Synchronization, get email or SMS notification after the backup finished, backup data to cloud, etc.

To some extent, Macrium Reflect Free offers more features, like Retention policy to delete old backup images to free up space, differential backup.

Just choose the suitable free backup software to protect your data from system failure, hardware failure, virus attack, ransomware, etc. Below is an example to create a disk backup in Windows 10 with AOMEI Backupper and Macrium Reflect Free.

Tutorial | Steps to Back up Hard Drive Using Free AOMEI Backupper

Assuming create a disk backup to external hard disk in Windows 10, here is the steps:

Step 1. Please download, install and execute AOMEI Backupper Standard, choose Backup > Disk Backup subsequently.

Step 2. Click + Add Disk button to choose the Windows 10 hard disk as the source disk. Rename the Task Name if need be.

Tip: You could backup multiple hard disks at the same time.

Step 3. Select the external hard disk as the destination to save the Windows 10 system image file.

Step 4. Hit Schedule, choose a mode: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event Triggers, or USB plug in feature. Then, go to Backup Scheme below and select Incremental Backup under the Backup Method. 

Tips: The Event Triggers and USB plug in, and scheduled differential backup are premium features, which available in AOMEI Backupper Professional or higher edition. Options allows you to encrypt (Premium feature), split, compress the backup image, comment on the backup task, use VSS, intelligent sector backup, enable email notification, etc. Scheme allows you enable backup scheme to delete old backup images automatically when the backups exceed the number you specified.

Step 5. Press Start Backup >> button to automatically create Windows 10 system image backup to external hard disk on regular basis.

Tutorial | Steps to Create Disk Backup with Free Macrium Reflect

Download Macrium Reflect Free and open the software to create disk backup in Windows 10 as the following:

1. On the main window, click Image this disk....

2. Choose a destination for the Windows 10 disk image, and check Use the Image ID as the file name, and press Next >.

3. Edit the plan for this backup, and click Next >.

> Select a template for your backup plan, there are 5 templates: None; Grandfather Father Son; Differential Backup Set; Incremental Backup Set; Incremental Forever.

> Add/Edit Schedules: click Add Schedule, and select Full, Incremental (paid), Differential. Set up the settings.

> Define retention Rules: set the backups you want to keep.

4. Click Advanced Options, It allows you use Intelligent sector copy, or make an exact copy of the partitions, encrypt the disk image, comment on the backup task, send email, etc.

5. Preview the Windows 10 disk backup settings, and click Finish. 

Conclusion

That's all for the comparison of AOMEI Backupper and Macrium Reflect. Both of them are popular backup and cloning software for Windows users indeed and have earned many loyar users these years. 

However, according to your backup demands and budget, you may choose the most suitable one for a long-term backup strategy. From my perspective of view, AOMEI Backupper Professional is more suitable for beginners who may want to enjoy effortless backup trip with limited budget and less computer knowledge.