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Backup · head to head

AOMEI Backupper vs StorageCraft ShadowProtect

AOMEI Backupper logo

AOMEI Backupper

Backup

Complete backup and restore solution for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StorageCraft ShadowProtect logo

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

Backup

Fast and reliable image-based backup

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AOMEI Backupper has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AOMEI Backupper windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11; StorageCraft ShadowProtect host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
  • They diverge on capability: AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AOMEI Backupper and StorageCraft ShadowProtect actually diverge.

Attributes where AOMEI Backupper and StorageCraft ShadowProtect differ
AttributeAOMEI BackupperStorageCraft ShadowProtect
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux, Web
Founded20102003

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Backup).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AOMEI Backupper

  • System backup
  • Disk clone
  • File sync
  • Real-time sync
  • Universal restore
  • Bootable media
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive

Only in StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Image-based backup
  • VirtualBoot
  • Bare metal recovery
  • Hardware-independent restore
  • Incremental imaging
  • ShadowStream replication
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AOMEI Backupper

  • Free disk and file backup on a personal Windows machinenot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • System image and bare metal recoverynot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Cloning a drive when upgrading to a larger disk on the paid editionsnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect
  • Scheduled incremental backupsnot StorageCraft ShadowProtect

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Backup and disaster recovery (legacy)not AOMEI Backupper
  • System image backup and recoverynot AOMEI Backupper

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AOMEI Backupper

  • Windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11
  • The free Standard edition is licensed for personal use; business use requires a paid edition from $39.95
  • Differential backup, cloud backup and system cloning are all withheld from the free edition, which clones data disks only
  • The free edition reads from disk more slowly than the paid ones
  • Email notifications on Standard are limited to Gmail and Hotmail servers
  • Support on the free edition is business hours rather than 24/7

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

  • Host-based backup requires Windows Server 2016 or above on the Hyper-V host, and desktop, client and Pro editions are not supported
  • Host-based and agent-based backup are mutually exclusive installation modes in ShadowProtect 8.0; one machine cannot run both
  • Switching from agent-based to host-based requires a clean reinstall rather than an in-place upgrade
  • Host-based backups are not compatible with VirtualBoot
  • Granular file and folder recovery is not available for host-based backups; the whole backup must be restored to a .vhd or .vhdx first
  • Host-based backup jobs do not report status to ShadowControl
  • Advanced Verification in ImageManager 8.1 is not supported for host-based backups
  • All host-based backups go into a single folder by default, so separating them per VM means creating a separate backup job for each
  • Host-based licence keys are generated only through the Arcserve MSP portal

Pricing, plan by plan

AOMEI Backupper

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Free forever
    • 1 PC license
    • Data disk cloning only
  • Professional$39.95/one-time
    • 1 PC license
    • System clone
    • Differential backup
  • Workstation$49.95/one-time
    • 1 PC license
    • System clone
    • Differential backup

StorageCraft ShadowProtect

$15/month
  • ShadowProtect SPX$15/month
    • Image-based backup
    • VirtualBoot
    • Bare metal recovery

Which should you pick?

Choose AOMEI Backupper if

  • You need system backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want disk clone.
AOMEI Backupper review

Choose StorageCraft ShadowProtect if

  • You need image-based backup.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
  • You also want virtualboot.
StorageCraft ShadowProtect review

Questions people ask

Is AOMEI Backupper or StorageCraft ShadowProtect better?
Neither clearly leads. AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and StorageCraft ShadowProtect at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AOMEI Backupper or StorageCraft ShadowProtect?
AOMEI Backupper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AOMEI Backupper and $15/month for StorageCraft ShadowProtect.
Does AOMEI Backupper or StorageCraft ShadowProtect run on more platforms?
AOMEI Backupper runs on Windows. StorageCraft ShadowProtect runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
Can I use AOMEI Backupper for free?
Yes. AOMEI Backupper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. StorageCraft ShadowProtect starts at $15/month.
What is AOMEI Backupper best used for?
AOMEI Backupper is most often used for free disk and file backup on a personal windows machine, system image and bare metal recovery, cloning a drive when upgrading to a larger disk on the paid editions, scheduled incremental backups. Of those, free disk and file backup on a personal windows machine and system image and bare metal recovery are not what StorageCraft ShadowProtect is typically brought in for.
What can AOMEI Backupper do that StorageCraft ShadowProtect cannot?
AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Disk clone, File sync, Real-time sync. StorageCraft ShadowProtect covers Image-based backup, VirtualBoot, Bare metal recovery, Hardware-independent restore. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AOMEI Backupper: Is AOMEI Backupper free?

Yes, AOMEI Backupper Standard Edition is free forever. Professional Edition costs $39.95 and Workstation Edition costs $49.95 as one-time purchases, with a 90-day money-back guarantee.

Source
StorageCraft ShadowProtect: How much does StorageCraft ShadowProtect cost?

StorageCraft no longer maintains independent product pricing. The domain redirects to ArcServe, and ArcServe does not publish specific pricing on its homepage. Prospective customers must request a trial, demo, or contact sales.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: Can AOMEI Backupper clone system drives?

System drive cloning requires Professional Edition ($39.95) or Workstation Edition ($49.95). The free Standard Edition supports data disk cloning only.

Source
StorageCraft ShadowProtect: Where can I find StorageCraft pricing?

StorageCraft's website (storagecraft.com) now redirects to ArcServe.com. ArcServe does not publish pricing publicly. To obtain pricing information, users can start a trial, request a demo, or contact ArcServe's sales team.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: How many PCs can one AOMEI Backupper license cover?

Each AOMEI Backupper license covers 1 PC only. Separate licenses are required for multiple computers.

Source
AOMEI Backupper: What backup features are included in each edition?

Standard is free but limited to data disk cloning. Professional ($39.95) and Workstation ($49.95) both include system cloning, differential backup, and cloud backup. Workstation also offers faster task execution speeds.

Source
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