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Backup · head to head

AOMEI Backupper vs Macrium Reflect

AOMEI Backupper logo

AOMEI Backupper

Backup

Complete backup and restore solution for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Macrium Reflect logo

Macrium Reflect

Backup

Award-winning disk imaging and cloning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AOMEI Backupper windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11; Macrium Reflect business editions (Workstation, Site Backup) publish named tiers but no self-serve figure on their own product pages; only a free trial of the management console is offered directly
  • They diverge on capability: AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AOMEI Backupper and Macrium Reflect actually diverge.

Attributes where AOMEI Backupper and Macrium Reflect differ
AttributeAOMEI BackupperMacrium Reflect
Pricing modelone-timefreemium
Founded20102006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows), 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 Macrium Reflect

  • Disk imaging
  • Rapid delta cloning
  • Rescue Media
  • Incremental backup
  • Scheduling
  • Email notifications
  • Windows PE
  • Hyper-V

Both cover

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

Macrium Reflect

  • Data protectionnot AOMEI Backupper
  • Disaster recoverynot AOMEI Backupper
  • Business continuitynot AOMEI Backupper
  • Ransomware protectionnot AOMEI Backupper
  • Compliancenot 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

Macrium Reflect

  • Business editions (Workstation, Site Backup) publish named tiers but no self-serve figure on their own product pages; only a free trial of the management console is offered directly

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

Macrium Reflect

Free
  • Home$70/year
    • Disk imaging
    • Rescue Media
    • Rapid delta

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 Macrium Reflect if

  • You need disk imaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want rapid delta cloning.
Macrium Reflect review

Questions people ask

Is AOMEI Backupper or Macrium Reflect better?
Neither clearly leads. AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and Macrium Reflect at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AOMEI Backupper or Macrium Reflect?
AOMEI Backupper starts at Free and Macrium Reflect at Free.
Does AOMEI Backupper or Macrium Reflect run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Macrium Reflect is typically brought in for.
What can AOMEI Backupper do that Macrium Reflect cannot?
AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Disk clone, File sync, Real-time sync. Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging, Rapid delta cloning, Rescue Media, Incremental backup. Both handle Network shares, 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
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
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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