Best Backup Software in 2026: For Windows, Mac, Home, and Business

Losing data is one of the most damaging things that can happen — whether you’re a home user losing irreplaceable photos or a business losing years of client records. This guide covers the best backup solutions for Windows and Mac, from simple cloud backup for home users to enterprise-grade disaster recovery.

Mac Backup: Start with Time Machine

Before spending money on third-party backup, Mac users should make sure Time Machine is set up. It’s built into macOS, free, and backs up your entire Mac automatically to an external drive or NAS. It’s not a cloud backup solution, but as a local backup it’s excellent and shouldn’t be skipped.

Setup: System Settings → General → Time Machine → Add Backup Disk

Use Time Machine as your local backup and add one of the cloud options below for offsite protection.

Best Backup for Home Users

1. Backblaze Personal Backup — Best Home Cloud Backup (Windows & Mac)

The simplest, most affordable cloud backup available. Install it and it backs up your entire computer continuously in the background — unlimited storage for a flat monthly fee. The Mac version is excellent — lightweight, unobtrusive, and works well alongside Time Machine for a complete local + cloud backup strategy.

Windows: ✅ Mac: ✅ Native Mac app, works alongside Time Machine Pricing: ~£7/month or £70/year (unlimited storage)

→ Read our full Backblaze review

2. iDrive — Best Multi-Device Home Backup (Windows & Mac)

iDrive backs up unlimited devices — PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android phones — to a single account. 30-version history on all files provides solid ransomware protection. Best value for households with multiple devices to protect.

Windows: ✅ Mac: ✅ Mac app available, iOS backup included Pricing: From ~$79.50/year (5TB, unlimited devices — priced in USD, UK cards accepted)

→ Read our full iDrive review

3. Acronis True Image — Best for Full System Recovery (Windows & Mac)

Creates full disk images — meaning if your Mac or PC fails completely, you can restore everything exactly as it was. More powerful than simple file backup. The Mac version supports Apple Silicon and works well for full system recovery scenarios.

Windows: ✅ Mac: ✅ Apple Silicon native, full image backup See latest deal

→ Read our full Acronis Cyber Protect review

4. Carbon Copy Cloner — Best Mac-Only Local Backup

Carbon Copy Cloner is a Mac-exclusive backup tool that creates bootable clones of your Mac’s drive — meaning if your internal drive fails, you can boot directly from the backup and keep working immediately. Excellent complement to Time Machine and cloud backup. Mac-only.

Windows: ❌ Mac only Mac: ✅ Excellent, Apple Silicon native, bootable clones Pricing: ~£35 one-time purchase

5. Proton Drive — Best for Private Cloud Storage (Windows & Mac)

Not a traditional backup tool, but worth including for privacy-conscious users. Proton Drive stores files with end-to-end encryption — even Proton cannot read what you store. Good for sensitive documents, client files, and anything you want to ensure stays private. Swiss jurisdiction.

Windows: ✅ Desktop sync app Mac: ✅ Desktop sync app, iOS app Pricing: Free (1 GB); from ~£3.99/month (200 GB)

→ Read our full Proton Drive review

6. Time Machine — Best Free Mac Backup

Built into macOS. Free, automatic, and backs up every hour to an external drive or NAS. Not cloud backup, but excellent for local protection. Use alongside Backblaze for a complete solution.

Windows: ❌ Mac only Mac: ✅ Built in, free Pricing: Free

Best Backup for Small Businesses

1. Acronis Cyber Protect — Best All-Round Business Backup (Windows & Mac)

The strongest all-round choice for businesses running a mix of Windows and Mac. Covers physical machines, virtual machines, and Microsoft 365 from one console, with built-in ransomware detection. The Mac agent is well-maintained and works on Apple Silicon.

Windows: ✅ Full feature set Mac: ✅ Apple Silicon native, managed via same console as Windows See latest deal

2. Veeam Backup Essentials — Best for VM Environments

The gold standard for businesses running VMware or Hyper-V virtual machines. Less relevant for Mac-heavy environments but excellent for Windows server infrastructure.

Windows/VMs: ✅ Best in class Mac: Limited (via agent) Pricing: From ~£340/year (2 CPU sockets)

3. Backblaze Business Backup — Best Value Business Cloud Backup (Windows & Mac)

Unlimited cloud backup per device at a flat rate. The Mac version works reliably for protecting staff MacBooks — a great fit for creative agencies where MacBooks are the primary device. No server backup or bare metal recovery, but excellent for workstation data protection.

Windows: ✅ Mac: ✅ Great for MacBook fleets Pricing: ~£7/device/month

4. Synology Active Backup — Best for Businesses with a NAS (Windows & Mac)

If your business already has a Synology NAS, Active Backup for Business is free (included with the NAS) and backs up Windows PCs, Macs, virtual machines, and Microsoft 365 to your local NAS. No per-device subscription fees — just the cost of the NAS hardware and storage.

Windows: ✅ Mac: ✅ Mac agent available Pricing: Free with Synology NAS

Quick Comparison

Recommended Strategy by Situation

Home Mac user: Time Machine (local) + Backblaze Personal (cloud) = complete protection for ~£7/month

Home Windows user: Backblaze Personal (cloud) + external drive backup = complete protection for ~£7/month

Small business (mixed Windows/Mac): Acronis Cyber Protect per device + Backblaze Business for workstations

Mac-heavy creative business: Backblaze Business for MacBooks + Acronis or Synology for servers + Time Machine locally

Our Top Picks

• Best home backup (Mac or Windows): Backblaze Personal
• Best Mac-only home tool: Carbon Copy Cloner (bootable clone) + Time Machine
• Best business backup: Acronis Cyber Protect
• Best for Mac fleets: Backblaze Business Backup
• Best free Mac option: Time Machine

Try Backblaze Personal Try Acronis Cyber Protect

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best backup software for small businesses in the UK? Acronis Cyber Protect is the best backup solution for UK small businesses — it combines full image backup, cloud storage, and ransomware protection in one product. For businesses primarily using Macs, Backblaze Business Backup offers simple, affordable cloud backup at around £7 per device per month.

What is the 3-2-1 backup rule? The 3-2-1 rule means keeping 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy stored offsite (or in the cloud). For example: files on your computer, backed up to an external drive, and also backed up to a cloud service like Backblaze. This protects against hardware failure, theft, fire, and ransomware.

Is Backblaze good for small businesses? Yes — Backblaze is one of the most cost-effective cloud backup solutions available. Backblaze Personal costs around £7/month per computer with unlimited storage, making it excellent value for home users and sole traders. Backblaze Business Backup offers the same simplicity at a similar price per device for teams.

What is the best free backup software for Mac? Time Machine is the best free backup option for Mac — it’s built into macOS, backs up hourly to an external drive, and allows you to restore individual files or your entire system. It should be used alongside a cloud backup solution like Backblaze for complete protection.

How often should a small business back up its data? At minimum, daily. For businesses that generate important data throughout the day — customer records, invoices, project files — continuous or hourly backup is better. Cloud backup tools like Backblaze and Acronis back up automatically in the background, so you don’t need to think about it.

Last updated: May 2026. Pricing and features subject to change — always check vendor sites for current information.