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Backup · head to head

Macrium Reflect vs UrBackup

Macrium Reflect logo

Macrium Reflect

Backup

Award-winning disk imaging and cloning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UrBackup logo

UrBackup

Backup

Open source client server backup doing both file and whole disk image backups of Windows machines

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; UrBackup backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
  • They diverge on capability: Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging, UrBackup covers Windows image backups.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Macrium Reflect and UrBackup actually diverge.

Attributes where Macrium Reflect and UrBackup differ
AttributeMacrium ReflectUrBackup
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindowsLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD
Founded2006Unknown

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 Macrium Reflect

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

Only in UrBackup

  • Windows image backups
  • File backups
  • Web interface
  • Client discovery
  • Internet mode
  • Filesystem deduplication

What people use each for

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

Macrium Reflect

  • Data protectionnot UrBackup
  • Disaster recoverynot UrBackup
  • Business continuitynot UrBackup
  • Ransomware protectionnot UrBackup
  • Compliancenot UrBackup

UrBackup

  • A small office with Windows workstations that needs bare metal restore without per seat licensingnot Macrium Reflect
  • Schools and labs where machines are re-imaged often and a known good image must be recoverablenot Macrium Reflect
  • Backing up a mixed fleet to one server on premises with a web interface non specialists can usenot Macrium Reflect
  • Replacing an expiring commercial endpoint backup licence where the budget is the constraintnot 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

UrBackup

  • Backups are stored on the server without encryption at rest by default, so the backup server holds a readable copy of every machine it protects and becomes the highest value target on the network.
  • Deduplication relies on filesystem features such as hard links, btrfs or ZFS, so a server built on the wrong filesystem silently consumes far more space and the fix is a rebuild rather than a setting.
  • There is no native object storage target, so offsite copies mean replicating the server storage with another tool rather than backing up to a bucket directly.
  • Restoring a full Windows image requires booting a restore environment, which is a manual, on site procedure that needs to be rehearsed before the day it is needed.
  • A single server holds everything and there is no built in clustering, so its own failure removes every recovery point at once unless you have separately solved replication.

Pricing, plan by plan

Macrium Reflect

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

UrBackup

Free
  • UrBackupFree
    • Full functionality, unlimited clients
    • File and image backups
    • Web administration interface

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 UrBackup if

  • You need windows image backups.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
  • You also want file backups.
UrBackup review

Questions people ask

Is Macrium Reflect or UrBackup better?
Neither clearly leads. Macrium Reflect starts at Free and UrBackup at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Macrium Reflect or UrBackup?
Macrium Reflect starts at Free and UrBackup at Free.
Does Macrium Reflect or UrBackup run on more platforms?
Macrium Reflect runs on Windows. UrBackup runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
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 UrBackup is typically brought in for.
What can Macrium Reflect do that UrBackup cannot?
Macrium Reflect covers Disk imaging, Rapid delta cloning, Rescue Media, Incremental backup. UrBackup covers Windows image backups, File backups, Web interface, Client discovery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

UrBackup: Does it back up Linux servers as well?

File backups yes, image backups no. The image path is Windows only through volume shadow copy.

UrBackup: Is the data encrypted?

Transport can be encrypted, and there is optional client side file encryption, but the default server storage is not encrypted at rest. Use full disk encryption on the server.

UrBackup: Can I back up to Amazon S3?

Not directly. The server writes to local or mounted storage, so cloud copies are made by replicating that storage separately.

UrBackup: How many clients can one server handle?

Dozens is routine on decent hardware. The limit is usually storage input and output during overlapping backup windows rather than client count.

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