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Backup · head to head

Macrium Reflect vs Paragon Backup & Recovery

Macrium Reflect logo

Macrium Reflect

Backup

Award-winning disk imaging and cloning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paragon Backup & Recovery logo

Paragon Backup & Recovery

Backup

Professional-grade backup for Windows

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Macrium Reflect has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Paragon Backup & Recovery the free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • They diverge on capability: Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging, Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Macrium Reflect and Paragon Backup & Recovery actually diverge.

Attributes where Macrium Reflect and Paragon Backup & Recovery differ
AttributeMacrium ReflectParagon Backup & Recovery
Starting priceFree$50/year
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20061994

Identical on both: 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 Macrium Reflect

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

Only in Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk backup
  • File-level backup
  • Incremental/differential
  • Recovery media
  • Virtual disk mount
  • UEFI support
  • Windows
  • FTP

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 Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Disaster recoverynot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Business continuitynot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Ransomware protectionnot Paragon Backup & Recovery
  • Compliancenot Paragon Backup & Recovery

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • Full disk and partition backup on Windowsnot Macrium Reflect
  • Bare metal recovery from an imagenot Macrium Reflect
  • Scheduled incremental backups for a home machinenot Macrium Reflect
  • Migrating an installation to a new drive on the paid editionsnot 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

Paragon Backup & Recovery

  • The free Community Edition is licensed for non-commercial use only
  • Windows only, and specifically Windows 10 x64 from 1809, Windows 11 x64 and Windows 11 Arm64
  • Volume and OS copying, partition management and email notifications need the Advanced edition
  • Windows Server support requires the Business edition
  • Paid edition prices are not shown on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

Macrium Reflect

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

Paragon Backup & Recovery

$50/year
  • Community Edition$50/year
    • Full disk backup
    • File-level backup
    • Recovery media

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 Paragon Backup & Recovery if

  • You need full disk backup.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want file-level backup.
Paragon Backup & Recovery review

Questions people ask

Is Macrium Reflect or Paragon Backup & Recovery better?
Neither clearly leads. Macrium Reflect starts at Free and Paragon Backup & Recovery at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Macrium Reflect or Paragon Backup & Recovery?
Macrium Reflect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Macrium Reflect and $50/year for Paragon Backup & Recovery.
Does Macrium Reflect or Paragon Backup & Recovery 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?
Yes. Macrium Reflect has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paragon Backup & Recovery starts at $50/year.
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 Paragon Backup & Recovery is typically brought in for.
What can Macrium Reflect do that Paragon Backup & Recovery cannot?
Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging, Rapid delta cloning, Rescue Media, Incremental backup. Paragon Backup & Recovery covers Full disk backup, File-level backup, Incremental/differential, Recovery media. Both handle Network shares, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paragon Backup & Recovery: Is Paragon Backup & Recovery still available?

No, Paragon Backup & Recovery has been unavailable since October 8, 2025, and is marked as a legacy product. Business customers are directed to explore alternative products for business use.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: How much does Paragon Backup & Recovery cost?

No pricing information is published. The product is restricted to home use only and customers must contact Paragon's sales team directly for any inquiries.

Source
Paragon Backup & Recovery: What should business users do if they used Paragon Backup & Recovery?

Business customers are recommended to explore the company's other products designed for business use and contact the sales team for alternative solutions.

Source
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