Best Free Macrium Reflect Alternative for Disk Image and Clone

If you want to find a Macrium Reflect alternative to make up for its shortcomings, AOMEI Backupper is the best free solution with more complete features.

By @Delia Last Updated October 16, 2024

Use Macrium Reflect to backup Windows or clone disks but get stuck on some error messages? Find Macrium Reflect lacks some features you need? It's time to get a Macrium Reflect alternative.

Best Free Macrium Reflect alternative in Windows 11/10/8/7

Most people use Macrium Reflect to back up and clone files or systems, and when it comes to these functions, the first choice for Macrium Reflect alternative is AOMEI Backupper. It is a considerable option with complete features and high compatibility.

You can download it to have a try:

AOMEI Backupper
Best Free Macrium Reflect alternative

  • Capable with Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista.

  • Enables you to back up or clone disks just as Macrium Reflect free edition.

  • Supports file/folder backup, incremental and differential backup, etc.

Download Freeware Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7
100% Secure

After a simple downloading and installation process, you will the see the full view of AOMEI Backupper Standard. It has a graphical user-friendly interface with nothing confusing even for newbies. 

It contains complete features like backup, restore, clone, sync, etc. I'll show you some of them as following.

Clone larger disk to smaller disk intelligently with AOMEI Backupper

If you want to replace the hard disk with another one, or copy it to external drive as a backup, you may need to use the disk clone feature. Comparing to Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper offers you more flexibility. For example, the default intelligent mode will copy only the used sectors and skip the bad and unused ones, which supports you to clone a larger HDD to smaller SSD or something like that. 

*The Standard edition supports cloning all the data disks. If you want to clone disk with Windows installed, please turn to AOMEI Backupper Professional.

Here I'll give an example to clone larger disk to smaller disk.

πŸ”Ή Steps to use the disk clone feature:

  1. Connect the target disk along side the old one. If you have only one drive bay, connect it trough an USB-to-SATA adapter.
  2. Install and launch the software, select Clone and choose Disk Clone.

  1. Select the hard disk you want to clone, and then the target disk.

  1. If the destination is an SSD, tick the SSD Alignment option to accelerate its reading & writing speed. Then Start Clone.

πŸ“’Notes:

  • Sector By Sector Clone - with this option, all the sectors on the source disk will be cloned. So if want to clone a larger disk to a smaller one, don't tick it.
  • Edit Partitions - it enables you to adjust the size and drive letter of the partitions on the destination disk. Available in advanced editions.

Backup files & folders for free with AOMEI Backupper

As one of the biggest limitations of Macrium Reflect, file backup can only be performed in premium editions. But in AOMEI Backupper Standard, it’s a basic function totally for free. If you are an ordinary PC user who wants to backup some important files just in case, it could be the backup mode you use most.

πŸ”Ή Steps to perform file-level backup:

  1. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper. Navigate to Backup tab and choose File Backup.

  1. Choose Add File or Add Folder to select source files, then specify a destination directory. In addition to local disk, you can also backup files to NAS, cloud drive, network location, etc. for better security.

  1. Adjust settings in Options, Schedule or Scheme if needed. For example, setting up a schedule can make your backup task performed automatically on a regular basis. Then hit Start Backup to begin the process.

  1. Click Finish to end the wizard. Next time you want to restore the files, just launch AOMEI Backupper again and find the backup task under Home tab, or go to Restore tab and select the corresponding image to get start.

πŸ“’Notes:

  • As an alternative to Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper also provides System Backup for all system files, Partition Backup for specific partition or volume, and Disk Backup for entire disk.

  • If you are concerned the PC may fail to boot due to system errors, you can also create a bootable media for emergency rescue.

  • Schedule applies to any task on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. You can also upgrade to paid editions to enjoy the auto backup options of Event triggers and USB plug in.

  • Scheme can create a backup scheme to auto delete your older backups and therefore save disk space. It’s available in Professional and higher editions. Perform incremental backup manually or automatically in AOMEI Backupper

An incremental backup means to back up only the changes and newly added files since the last incremental backup. It will obviously save your storage space as well as the backup time.

Luckily, incremental backup in AOMEI Backupper Standard is also a free feature, and you can do it either manually, or automatically on a regular basis.

πŸ”Ή To do incremental backup manually:

You can click the three-stripe button of the backup task on Home page, choose Backup > Incremental Backup in the drop-down menu.

πŸ”Ή To do incremental backup automatically:

Incremental backup is the default mode of scheduled backup, which means once you set a schedule for auto backup, it will be incremental backup by default. You can find different backup methods in Backup Scheme > Backup Method.

πŸ“’Notes:

  • All the image files in an incremental backup series share a sequential relationship, if any incremental image file in the sequence is damaged or missing, then subsequent image files will be invalid.

  • In addition to incremental backup, you can also perform differential backup manually for free, or arrange scheduled differential backup in advanced editions.

Why need alternative to Macrium Reflect?

Macrium Reflect is an image based backup and clone software for both commercial and non-commercial users. It enables you to backup Windows, disks, individual files/folders into a compressed archive file for disaster recovery, or clone disk for OS and data migration. But in practical use, it also has some limitations:

πŸŒ“ Most editions of Macrium Reflect are designed for business clients or enterprises with huge data to protect, like Workstation, Server and Server Plus, and the prices are certainly not cheap. πŸŒ“The free version for personal users lacks some basic features, like incremental backup and files & folders-level backup. Also, it does not provide technical support. πŸŒ“It is not very intelligent in some operations, such as cloning larger disks to smaller disk.

What's more, Macrium Reflect is no longer free. If you are a personal user who wants to perform disk imaging, cloning and recovery with simple operation, compared to Macrium Reflect, its alternative - AOMEI Backupper may be more suitable for you.

FAQs about Macrium Reflect Alternative

1. Why should I consider an alternative to Macrium Reflect?
 
Macrium Reflect, while popular for disk imaging and cloning, has limitations, especially for personal users. Its free version lacks essential features like incremental backups and file-level backups, and the paid editions can be costly. AOMEI Backupper offers a more comprehensive solution without these restrictions.
2. What should I consider when choosing a Macrium Reflect alternative?
 
When selecting an alternative, consider factors like feature set (incremental backups, cloning options), ease of use, compatibility with your operating system, customer support, and cost. Assessing these elements will help you find the best solution for your needs.
3. Can I clone a larger disk to a smaller disk using AOMEI Backupper?
 
Yes! AOMEI Backupper provides an intelligent disk cloning feature that allows you to clone a larger HDD to a smaller SSD by copying only the used sectors. This flexibility makes it easier to manage your storage without data loss.
4. How does AOMEI Backupper compare to Macrium Reflect in terms of the user interface?
 
AOMEI Backupper is known for its user-friendly graphical interface, making it easy for beginners to navigate. In contrast, Macrium Reflect's interface can be more complex, which may be challenging for less experienced users.
5. Can I use AOMEI Backupper on multiple computers?
 
Yes, AOMEI Backupper Standard can be installed and used on multiple computers, making it a flexible choice for personal users with more than one device.

Conclusion

As one of the best free Macrium alternatives, AOMEI Backupper Standard is capable to bring you better experience while managing backup and clone on your computer. And just like Macrium Reflect, there are multiple editions of AOMEI Backupper to meet your different levels of backup requirements.

If you are not satisfied with the speed or features of free version, AOMEI Backupper Professional shall be a better choice. And if you are running a small business, AOMEI Backupper Workstation or Sever edition may help you better.