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Macrium Reflect vs AOMEI Backupper

Macrium Reflect logo

Macrium Reflect

Software

Award-winning disk imaging and cloning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AOMEI Backupper logo

AOMEI Backupper

Software

Complete backup and restore solution for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; AOMEI Backupper windows only, covering Windows 7 through 11
  • They diverge on capability: Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging, AOMEI Backupper covers System backup.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Macrium Reflect and AOMEI Backupper differ
AttributeMacrium ReflectAOMEI Backupper
Founded20062010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Macrium Reflect

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

Only in AOMEI Backupper

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

Both cover

  • Network shares
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Macrium Reflect

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

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Macrium Reflect

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

AOMEI Backupper

Free
  • Professional$40/year
    • System clone
    • Universal restore
    • Real-time sync

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

Is Macrium Reflect or AOMEI Backupper better?
Neither clearly leads. Macrium Reflect starts at Free and AOMEI Backupper at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Macrium Reflect or AOMEI Backupper?
Macrium Reflect starts at Free and AOMEI Backupper at Free.
Does Macrium Reflect or AOMEI Backupper run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Macrium Reflect for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Macrium Reflect best used for?
Macrium Reflect is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what AOMEI Backupper is typically brought in for.
What can Macrium Reflect do that AOMEI Backupper cannot?
Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging, Rapid delta cloning, Rescue Media, Incremental backup. AOMEI Backupper covers System backup, Disk clone, File sync, Real-time sync. Both handle Network shares, Windows support.
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