Top 3 Best Cloning Software for HDD and SSD
Overview of Disk Cloning
Cloning software allows you to create an exact copy of a hard drive, including system files, to another disk. This can be useful for backing up data, upgrading to a new hard drive, or creating a duplicate for testing purposes.
- To recover lost/damaged data
- To upgrade a hard drive
- To save a failing drive
- To transfer system, applications, or a large amount of data onto a new computer, hard drive, or SSD, you can use a tool like Acronis True Image or Qiling Backup to create a full system image, or use a cloning software like Clonezilla to clone the entire drive, including the operating system, programs, and data. Alternatively, you can also use a USB drive or external hard drive to manually transfer files and settings, or use a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox to transfer data.
When encountering situations like upgrading or replacing a hard drive, you may want to find and download the best disk cloning software to manage the task efficiently. The top three best cloning software in 2021 for HDD or SSD clone include.
Top 1. Qiling Backup
Qiling Windows backup software is a powerful tool for backup and recovery, disk cloning, and image recovery, providing complete data protection for laptops, PCs, and workstations through system, disk, file backup, and disk/partition clone functions. It is safe, easy to use, and highly effective.
Key features:
- Copy HDD to SSD or clone SSD to larger SSD
- To migrate your Windows 10 OS to a new SSD, you can use the built-in Windows feature called "Clone" or a third-party cloning software such as Acronis or EaseUS. The cloning process will create an exact copy of your existing OS on the new SSD, including all installed programs, settings, and files.
- Make cloned OS, HDD/SSD bootable after cloning
- Support Cloning OS to a Portable External USB
- Set a backup schedule to automatically backup data, ensuring your important files are safe and secure.
- Support PC/laptop, internal/external hard drive, USB drive, Micro card, Camcorder, and more
Price: $39
Supported OS: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP; Windows Server 2016/2012/2008/2003
The supported file system types include FAT 12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS5, ext2/ext3, HFS+, and ReFS.
Step 1. Launch Qiling Backup and select the "Clone" feature from the list on the tool page.
Step 2. The current system partition and boot partition will be automatically selected and click "Next".
Step 3. Choose a destination disk, which can be another HDD/SSD or an external USB hard disk, and ensure it's larger than the source disk.
Step 4. Preview the disk layout, tick the option "Optimize for SSD" under "Advanced options" when the destination disk is an SSD for improved results, and click "Proceed".
Top 2. Macrium Reflect
Macrium Reflect is a Windows backup utility that allows users to create a backup image of partitions, disks, or individual files and folders, and use the image to restore the disk, partitions, or individual files and folders. It is primarily designed for business clients or enterprises with large data sets to protect, and offers advanced cloning features.
Key features:
- You can clone an entire hard drive or specific partitions on a hard drive using software tools like Acronis True Image, Qiling Backup, or Macrium Reflect. These tools allow you to create a sector-by-sector copy of the hard drive, including the operating system, programs, and data.
- Boot the target disk on the same system after cloning
- Clone HDD or SSD to another HDD or SSD
- Rapid Delta Cloning is a method that significantly boosts cloning speed by copying only the changes or "deltas" in a file system, rather than the entire system, resulting in faster cloning times.
Price: $69.95
Supported OS: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP
Supported file system: FAT 12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, ReFS
Top 3. Clonezilla
Clonezilla is a disk cloning, imaging, and data recovery program that comes in three versions: Clonezilla live, Clonezilla lite server, and Clonezilla SE (server edition). Clonezilla live is ideal for a single device, whereas Clonezilla lite server or SE is designed for multiple device deployment, backup, and recovery.
Key features:
- It allows you to clone a disk or partition to a separate hard drive, effectively creating a duplicate of the original data.
- The cloned data can be saved as an image file or as a duplicated copy of the data.
- The clone file can be used to restore the original system to its previous state, effectively undoing any changes made during the cloning process. This is achieved by using the clone file to restore the system to its previous configuration, thereby reverting any modifications or updates made during the cloning process.
- Online imaging/cloning is not implemented yet
- The partition to be imaged or cloned needs to be unmounted.
Price: Free
Supported OS: Windows, Linux
Supported file system: FAT 12/16/32, ext2/3/4, NTFS, HFS+, UFS
Final Comparison
Qiling Backup VS Macrium Reflect
Qiling Backup and Macrium Reflect offer similar backup and cloning capabilities. However, Qiling Backup is compatible with a wider range of operating systems, including Windows PCs, Windows Servers, and macOS, whereas Macrium Reflect is only compatible with Windows OS.
Qiling Backup VS Clonezilla
Qiling Backup is considered better than Clonezilla in terms of clone functions and operational convenience. It has a user-friendly graphical interface, whereas Clonezilla's developer screen is more geared towards technical users, making it less accessible to ordinary users.
Related Articles
- USB Bootable Software & Bootable USB Creation Tool
- How to Clone Hard Drive in Windows 7 32 Bit or 64 Bit to Another Hard Drive
- Best Alternative to Carbon Copy Cloner for Windows
- Copy a Flash Drive to Another Flash Drive on Windows & Mac