Top 5 Best Hard Drive Cloning Software of 2022
After reviewing over 20 disk cloning software options from top companies worldwide, we've narrowed down the best hard drive cloning software to just five top picks. Our ranking is based on an unbiased review and comparison of factors such as reliability, usability, popularity, compatibility, success rate, and customer support, with Qiling Backup taking the top spot.
- 1. Qiling Backup
- 2. Macrium Reflect
- 3. Acronis True Image
- 4. Paragon Hard Disk Manager
- 5. Clonezilla
The top 5 hard drive cloning software options are compared in this infographic, showcasing their cloning speeds. AOMEI Backupper Pro emerges as the fastest, with a cloning speed of up to 30 GB/min, followed closely by Qiling Disk Master, which can clone at speeds of up to 25 GB/min.
What's Hard Drive Cloning Software?
Hard drive cloning software, also known as HDD or SSD cloning software, is used to replicate one hard drive or disk volume to another, copying everything block by block, sector by sector, and bit by bit, including the operating system, drivers, software, patches, and data.
After cloning a disk, the two hard drives or disk volumes will be identical, with the same layout, partition style, and content. This process can save time and effort when replacing an old hard drive with a new one, as it eliminates the need to reinstall and reconfigure the system from scratch. Hard drive cloning software is useful for this purpose, making it easier to transfer data and settings to a new drive.
Top 1. Qiling Backup
79% of people prefer a specific hard drive cloning software, which is likely due to its user-friendly interface and efficient data transfer capabilities. This software allows users to easily duplicate their hard drive contents, including operating systems, programs, and files, to a new drive or storage device, minimizing the risk of data loss and ensuring a seamless transition to a new system.
★Trustpilot Rating: Excellent 4.4
Qiling Backup is a Windows backup and recovery program that offers a powerful cloning feature, providing a comprehensive solution for PC backup, system restore, OS migration, and more.
Why People Choose Qiling Cloning Software:
- Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and previous Windows versions are all fully supported.
- Pre-OS can be enabled to ensure that when your computer fails to start, you can still restore a system image to revive the computer or clone a hard drive or partition to rescue data.
- Even if you didn't turn on the Pre-OS function, creating a bootable Qiling Backup can perform the same system restore and data migration task.
- When cloning a system, tick the option "Create a portable Windows USB Drive" to put a customized Windows operating system on a USB drive, which can be used on any other PC, including a Mac, making it useful for Mac users who want to play Windows games.
- The software is very user-friendly and straightforward to use, thanks to its simple and intuitive interface, as well as a helpful guide that provides clear instructions on each step of the process.
- The cloning process allows for the flexibility to adjust the disk layout and resize partition after completion, enabling users to optimize their disk configuration as needed.
- Supports cloning a bigger HDD to a smaller HDD or SSD, allowing for a seamless transition to a newer storage device.
- The direct clone between different partition table types (MBR to MBR, GPT to GPT, MBR to GPT, or GPT to MBR) can be done without a booting issue, ensuring a seamless transition of data and systems. This process involves creating a sector-by-sector copy of the source disk to the target disk, preserving the original partition table and boot sector.
- This software is compatible with all types of storage devices, including internal hard drives, solid-state drives, M.2 SSDs, NVMe SSDs, and hybrid drives.
- To maximumly protect your computer's system and data, consider combining the Windows backup and disk/partition clone features together. This powerful combination allows you to safeguard your important files and operating system by creating a duplicate of your entire system, including all partitions and data, which can be easily restored in case of a disaster or system failure.
- A completely free version is available for essential data backup and restore purposes, and a 30-day free trial with all advanced features is also accessible.
- 24x7 phone call, online chat, email, and remote support are available for assistance.
- Pricing starts at $19.95.
Our Verdict:
Qiling Backup is a powerful, reliable, and high-quality disk cloning tool with simple operations, making it ideal for individuals to upgrade to a faster SSD. Its enterprise editions are best for businesses and IT technicians to create system images, image hard disks, and deploy Windows 11 to multiple computers, enhancing work productivity.
Top 2. Macrium Reflect
67% of experienced users and business people think it's great, according to recent statistics.
★Trustpilot Rating: Excellent 4.7
Though not so user-Macrium Reflect is still a great option for advanced users who can handle a wide selection of features on its menu, but for beginners, it may be overwhelming. The software is regularly featured on lists of the best disk cloning software, and its interface is tidy and packed with useful tools.
Why People Choose Macrium Cloning Software:
- Supports Windows 11 back to Windows XP.
- The feature displays detailed information about a selected disk or volume, including its file system, free space, and total size.
- Comes with Rescue Media Settings based on Windows Boot Menu and ISO file.
- Rapid Delta Cloning is a method that accelerates the cloning process by copying only the changes (deltas) in the file system, rather than the entire system, resulting in significantly faster cloning times.
- Adding a destination disk is flexible, allowing you to either drag partitions to the destination disk or click "Copy selected partitions".
- Supports MBR disk and GPT disk.
- A free version is available for basic backup scheduling, and a 30-day free trial is also available in its Home version.
- The phone call and online support are available.
- Pricing starts at $69.95.
Our Verdict:
Macrium Reflect is a dependable disk cloning product that receives positive comments from users. However, the cloning process can be complex for average users, requiring some learning curve to navigate, unlike Qiling Backup which is more user-friendly. Experienced users may find the navigation straightforward, but average users may struggle to find the entry point for cloning. Additionally, users may encounter errors such as 0, 8, and 9 during the cloning process, which can be resolved by contacting tech support.
Top 3. Acronis True Image
- Most popular though issues were found the most
★Trustpilot Rating: Bad 1.6
Acronis True Image, now rebranded as Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office, is a popular choice for ransomware protection and local/cloud backup. It offers features such as creating disk images for backup, cloning disks, and resizing partitions. Despite receiving criticism for being bloated, having poor support, and experiencing product failures, the brand still has value and specialty, especially considering its long history.
Why People Choose Acronis True Image:
- Multiple OS platforms are compatible, including Windows and macOS.
- A modern and intuitive user interface makes it super easy for beginners to perform a task, allowing them to quickly get started and see results.
- The brand has been a cooperative effort among hardware manufacturers, including M.2 Crucial, Western Digital, and Sabrent.
- It comes with a powerful online cloud backup service.
- To clone a hard drive to another with a different capacity, you'll need to use specialized software that can resize the cloned drive to match the capacity of the destination drive. This process is often called "cloning with resizing" or "cloning with capacity adjustment".
- Besides backup, cyber protection and disk clone, other features such as system cleanup and disk partitioning are also included.
- Pricing starts at $49.99.
Our Verdict:
Acronis True Image has a good design and interface, but its user ratings are low. The company's website and mobile experience are also poor, making it hard to find the download button and remember the new product name, Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office. This, combined with a high price and limited features, makes it difficult to recommend to individual users. However, the Premium edition, which costs $124.99, is a contender for the top best hard drive cloning software.
Top 4. Paragon Hard Disk Manager
56% of people prefer to use High-Density Migration (HDM) to migrate both data and operating system, rather than other methods.
★Trustpilot Rating: Bad 1.4
Paragon Hard Disk Manager is a comprehensive data management software that offers various useful features, including data backup and restore, partition management, disk copying, wiping, and image creation. What's notable is the product's guided tour, which helps visitors explore its features. However, the software's sales approach can be seen as aggressive, as it presents a purchase window that must be closed before returning to the home page.
Why People Choose Paragon Hard Disk Manager:
- A dedicated hard disk management tool designed for both Windows PCs and Macs, offering exclusive features and functionality.
- Recovery Media Builder is now part of the Hard Disk Manager app.
- The interface is Windows-"Hey there! We're excited to introduce you to our new software, designed to make your digital life easier and more enjoyable.
- 4-in-Software lets you protect, maintain and manage your PC's hard disks after a one-time purchase.
- The Copy Disk Wizard is as straightforward as the Qiling Backup process.
- The operating system can be copied to a new drive while excluding specific files and folders, allowing for a more tailored and efficient transfer process. This feature enables users to select which files and folders to include or exclude during the copying process, providing greater control over the data that is transferred.
- Pricing starts at $79.95.
Our Verdict:
Paragon Hard Disk Manager offers a comprehensive solution for managing hard disks and partitions, with features that are not redundant. While it may be expensive, especially for home users, it's worth considering for its speed and success in cloning disks. It's a competitive software suitable for both home users and businesses, although it doesn't offer a free trial.
Top 5. Clonezilla
- The one and only free-to-use disk cloning software for simply all platforms
★Trustpilot Rating: /
Clonezilla is a unique partition and hard disk imaging/cloning program that differs from other utility software. Unlike the previous recommendations, which are all-around utilities for Windows platforms, Clonezilla is designed for all operating systems and offers a free and open-source disk cloning feature. Its command-line interface sets it apart from other software, making it a distinct option for users.
Why People Choose Clonezilla to Clone a Hard Drive:
- The software is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS, among others.
- 100% free without any charge fees.
- This software runs independently of the operating system, allowing users to backup, restore, or clone a hard disk without relying on the OS.
- The software is flexible and easy to use and modify because it's based on command lines, making it highly customizable.
- A single image can be shared across multiple devices at once, allowing for simultaneous restoration to local devices.
- Supports cloning through an image or directly to another physical disk.
Our Verdict:
Clonezilla is a top contender for the best hard drive software each year, thanks to its excellent system compatibility, comprehensive imaging and cloning features, and customizable settings that make it a powerhouse. However, its interface may be intimidating for casual users, requiring system administrators to invest time in learning and typing command lines for even simple procedures.
Guide: How to Clone a Hard Drive with the Best Hard Drive Cloning Software
The five hard drive cloning software we reviewed aim to replicate one hard drive system, data, and applications to another drive, with no data loss. This process can significantly boost work efficiency and productivity, making it a necessary tool for many users.
We're looking for a solution that perfectly aligns with our goals, offering the best value for our budget and top-notch support. After careful consideration, we've found Qiling Backup to be the ideal fit. If you agree, you can start a free trial today.
Step 1. Launch Qiling Backup and click "Tools and utilities" page, where you can find clone and other utilities.
Step 2. Choose the source disk or partition as well as the target disk. (Make sure the space of the target disk is larger than that of the source disk or partition.)
Step 3.The clone process will permanently delete all data on the target disk or partition, so it's essential to have a backup of your data beforehand. If you have a backup, you can proceed with the clone by clicking "OK".
Step 4. Click "Proceed" to start cloning.
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