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Backup · head to head

AOMEI Backupper vs Clonezilla

AOMEI Backupper logo

AOMEI Backupper

Backup

Complete backup and restore solution for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Clonezilla logo

Clonezilla

Backup

Free disk cloning and imaging solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AOMEI Backupper windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11; Clonezilla the destination partition must be equal to or larger than the source partition
  • They diverge on capability: AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AOMEI Backupper and Clonezilla actually diverge.

Attributes where AOMEI Backupper and Clonezilla differ
AttributeAOMEI BackupperClonezilla
Pricing modelone-timefree
PlatformsWindowsLinux, Windows
Founded20102004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Clonezilla

  • Disk/partition imaging
  • Disk cloning
  • Multicast deployment
  • Multiple file systems
  • Encryption support
  • Unattended mode
  • PXE boot
  • DRBL

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 Clonezilla
  • System image and bare metal recoverynot Clonezilla
  • Cloning a drive when upgrading to a larger disk on the paid editionsnot Clonezilla
  • Scheduled incremental backupsnot Clonezilla

Clonezilla

  • System backup and cloningnot AOMEI Backupper
  • Disk imaging and restorationnot AOMEI Backupper
  • Mass deployment scenariosnot AOMEI Backupper
  • Enterprise-scale cloning operationsnot 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

Clonezilla

  • The destination partition must be equal to or larger than the source partition
  • Differential and incremental backup is not implemented
  • Online imaging and cloning is not implemented; the partition being imaged or cloned has to be unmounted first
  • The image format cannot be explored or mounted, so a single file cannot be recovered from an image
  • Recovery media spanning multiple CDs or DVDs is not implemented; the recovery ISO must fit on one disc
  • Clonezilla SE requires a DRBL server to be prepared in advance and the target machine to boot from the network
  • Runs only on x86 or x86-64 processors and needs at least 196 MB of RAM

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

Clonezilla

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Disk cloning
    • Multicast
    • Multiple file systems

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 Clonezilla if

  • You need disk/partition imaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows.
  • You also want disk cloning.
Clonezilla review

Questions people ask

Is AOMEI Backupper or Clonezilla better?
Neither clearly leads. AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and Clonezilla at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AOMEI Backupper or Clonezilla?
AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and Clonezilla at Free.
Does AOMEI Backupper or Clonezilla run on more platforms?
AOMEI Backupper runs on Windows. Clonezilla runs on Linux, Windows.
Can I use AOMEI Backupper for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Clonezilla is typically brought in for.
What can AOMEI Backupper do that Clonezilla cannot?
AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Disk clone, File sync, Real-time sync. Clonezilla covers Disk/partition imaging, Disk cloning, Multicast deployment, Multiple file systems. 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
Clonezilla: Is Clonezilla free?

Yes, Clonezilla is completely free and open-source software licensed under GNU General Public License version 2. There are no paid versions, premium features, or subscription costs.

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
Clonezilla: What Clonezilla editions are available at no cost?

All three editions are free: Clonezilla Live for individual machine backups, Clonezilla Lite Server for mass deployment, and Clonezilla SE for large-scale enterprise cloning operations.

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
Clonezilla: Can I use Clonezilla commercially?

Yes, Clonezilla's GPL v2 license allows free commercial use. The software is open-source and requires no licensing fees for any deployment scenario.

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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