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Backup · head to head

Apple Time Machine vs Clumio

Apple Time Machine logo

Apple Time Machine

Backup

Built-in backup for every Mac

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Clumio logo

Clumio

Backup

Serverless AWS backup with published per-gigabyte rates and explicit restore charges

From
$0.01/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apple Time Machine has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apple Time Machine apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume; Clumio restore is charged at $0.040 per GiB plus data transfer out, so recovering a hundred terabytes in an incident costs thousands of dollars on top of the storage fee, a bill nobody budgets for.
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, Clumio covers Air-gapped backups.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple Time Machine and Clumio actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple Time Machine and Clumio differ
AttributeApple Time MachineClumio
Starting priceFree$0.01/month
Pricing modelfreePer GiB-month protected
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacWeb, API
Founded1976Unknown

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 Apple Time Machine

  • Automatic backup
  • Hourly snapshots
  • Visual restore interface
  • Network backup
  • Encryption
  • System restore
  • macOS
  • AirPort Time Capsule

Only in Clumio

  • Air-gapped backups
  • Fifteen-minute recovery points
  • S3 SecureVault
  • Backtrack
  • Terraform provider
  • Compliance attestations

What people use each for

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

Apple Time Machine

  • Automatic versioned local backups of a Mac to an external drivenot Clumio
  • Restoring a Mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup historynot Clumio

Clumio

  • An AWS-native company needing backups outside its own account so a compromised root credential cannot delete themnot Apple Time Machine
  • A team that has to model recovery cost before an incident rather than discover it during onenot Apple Time Machine
  • An organisation protecting billions of S3 objects where per-object charges dominate per-gigabyte chargesnot Apple Time Machine
  • A regulated business needing SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI-DSS attested backup without running backup serversnot Apple Time Machine

Where each one falls short

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

Apple Time Machine

  • Apple states the Time Machine backup disk should be used only for Time Machine backups and not for storing other files, unless you split it into a separate APFS volume
  • Apple recommends the Time Machine volume be twice the storage capacity of the Mac being backed up
  • It requires an attached external storage device or network disk; there is no built-in cloud destination
  • It backs up Macs only

Clumio

  • Restore is charged at $0.040 per GiB plus data transfer out, so recovering a hundred terabytes in an incident costs thousands of dollars on top of the storage fee, a bill nobody budgets for.
  • Per-object charges of $1.50 per million managed objects per month mean estates with billions of small objects pay far more than a per-gigabyte estimate suggests.
  • The archive tier is cheaper to store but restores begin only after 24 to 48 hours, which is incompatible with most recovery time objectives, and early deletion inside six months incurs a fee.
  • It is an AWS product; Azure workloads are on the roadmap rather than shipping, so multi-cloud organisations still need a second backup platform.
  • The Commvault acquisition means Clumio now overlaps with Commvault own cloud protection, and buyers should ask directly how the two portfolios converge before signing multi-year terms.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Time Machine

Free
  • Built-inFree
    • Automatic backup
    • Visual restore
    • Network backup

Clumio

$0.01/month
  • S3 SecureVault Standard$0.025/month
    • $0.025 per GiB-month plus $1.50 per million managed objects per month
    • Restores $0.040 per GiB instant access and $0.09 per GiB retrieved
    • $0.025 per 1,000 API requests, data transfer out charged separately
  • S3 SecureVault Archive$0.01/month
    • $0.010 per GiB-month plus $1.50 per million managed objects per month
    • Restores begin after 24 to 48 hours
    • $0.040 per GiB restored plus data transfer out
  • Backtrack$undefined/month
    • $1.50 per million managed objects-month, included free with SecureVault
    • $0.50 per million objects processed on restore
    • Metadata change tracking rather than full backup

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple Time Machine if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want hourly snapshots.
Apple Time Machine review

Choose Clumio if

  • You need air-gapped backups.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want fifteen-minute recovery points.
Clumio review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Time Machine or Clumio better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Time Machine starts at Free and Clumio at $0.01/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Time Machine or Clumio?
Apple Time Machine has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apple Time Machine and $0.01/month for Clumio.
Does Apple Time Machine or Clumio run on more platforms?
Apple Time Machine runs on Mac. Clumio runs on Web, API.
Can I use Apple Time Machine for free?
Yes. Apple Time Machine has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Clumio starts at $0.01/month.
What is Apple Time Machine best used for?
Apple Time Machine is most often used for automatic versioned local backups of a mac to an external drive, restoring a mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup history. Of those, automatic versioned local backups of a mac to an external drive and restoring a mac or migrating to a new one from a local backup history are not what Clumio is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Time Machine do that Clumio cannot?
Apple Time Machine covers Automatic backup, Hourly snapshots, Visual restore interface, Network backup. Clumio covers Air-gapped backups, Fifteen-minute recovery points, S3 SecureVault, Backtrack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple Time Machine: Does Time Machine charge a subscription or licensing fee?

No. Time Machine is a built-in feature of macOS with no subscription or licensing costs.

Source
Clumio: What does a restore cost?

$0.040 per GiB for instant access, $0.09 per GiB retrieved from archive, $0.025 per 1,000 API requests, plus AWS data transfer out. Model this before an incident.

Apple Time Machine: What storage capacity do I need for Time Machine backups?

Apple recommends using a storage device with at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac. For example, if your Mac has 1TB of storage, your backup disk should ideally have at least 2TB.

Source
Clumio: Does it support Azure?

Not yet. Azure workloads are listed as on the roadmap. Today it is AWS, with some Google Cloud Storage coverage.

Apple Time Machine: How long does Time Machine keep my backups?

Time Machine automatically maintains hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for all previous months. The oldest backups are deleted when your backup disk is full.

Source
Clumio: Is it still Clumio after the Commvault acquisition?

Yes, sold as Clumio by Commvault with its own pricing page and product line, but ask about portfolio convergence on a multi-year deal.

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