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When it comes to protecting your computer from data loss, having reliable backup software is essential. Acronis True Image is a leading solution that offers complete disk imaging and backup capabilities for both Windows PCs and Mac computers.
I‘ve used Acronis True Image for years to safeguard my own computers and recommend it frequently to others. In this in-depth review, I‘ll share my experiences with the latest versions for Windows and Mac, how it compares to other options, and tips for getting the most out of this powerful tool.
What is Acronis True Image?
Acronis True Image is a full-featured backup program that can create an exact replica of your computer‘s hard drive, called a disk image. This allows you to restore your entire system to a previous state in case of hard drive failure, malware infection, or other disasters.
In addition to full disk clones, Acronis True Image can also back up individual files and folders, sync data to the cloud, and protect your backups from ransomware. It supports both Windows PCs and macOS.
Acronis True Image is available as an annual subscription or a perpetual license:
| Edition | Pricing | Included Devices & Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $59.99/year or $89.99 one-time | 1 computer |
| Advanced | $94.99/year | 5 computers, 250 GB cloud |
| Premium | $144.99/year | Unlimited computers, 1 TB cloud |
Prices as of March 2023. The Mac version is currently only available with an annual subscription.
Ease of Use
Acronis True Image has an intuitive interface that makes it simple to start backing up your computer, even if you‘ve never used disk imaging software before. The main dashboard displays an overview of your devices, backups, and cloud storage status.
On Mac, Acronis leverages native macOS technologies and integrates with Time Machine. You can browse Time Machine snapshots directly within Acronis, or use Acronis‘ own backup format for more flexibility.
I like how easy it is to set up a complete backup plan with customizable sources, schedules, and backup methods. Options are clearly organized in the side menu, with helpful explanations and icons. You can also enable active disk cloning, which backs up your Mac in real-time as you work.
The backup and restore processes are similarly straightforward. To test a full system recovery, I booted my MacBook Pro from the Acronis bootable USB drive and was able to restore an image backup with just a few clicks.
Overall, Acronis True Image provides a user-friendly experience for both Mac and Windows users. The thoughtful design makes it accessible to novices while still providing plenty of advanced options for power users.
Performance
To evaluate Acronis True Image‘s performance and speed, I ran several tests backing up a 1 TB SSD on my Mac:
| Backup Type | Data Size | Destination | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full disk image | 512 GB | External USB SSD | 1:45 |
| Incremental disk image | 20 GB | External USB SSD | 0:08 |
| Files and folders | 100 GB | Acronis Cloud | 5:40 |
| Restore disk image | 512 GB | Internal SSD | 0:50 |
Performance was solid across the board, especially when backing up and restoring from a fast, local drive. Even the initial full disk image completed in under 2 hours.
The Acronis Cloud backup was considerably slower in my testing, taking nearly 6 hours to upload 100 GB over a 500 Mbps connection. However, this is typical for cloud backups, which are often limited more by internet speeds than the software itself.
Acronis does use proprietary encryption, compression, and data deduplication technologies to speed up the process and minimize bandwidth and storage usage as much as possible. Subsequent incremental cloud backups are also much faster.
It would be nice if Acronis offered more granular controls over CPU/disk usage and network throttling. But overall, the performance is competitive with other leading backup solutions I‘ve tested.
Backup Features
Acronis True Image offers a full range of backup capabilities for protecting your data locally and in the cloud:
- Full disk image: Create an exact copy of your Mac‘s entire hard drive or SSD, including the operating system, applications, and all files.
- File and folder backup: Select specific data to back up and restore individually. Supports all file types.
- Scheduling: Set automatic backups to run hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. Customize start times and run missed tasks when your computer is idle.
- Versioning: Automatically retain multiple versions of backed up files so you can recover from accidental changes or deletions.
- Cloud backup: Store your backups securely in the Acronis Cloud for off-site protection. Access files from anywhere and recover your entire Mac from the cloud.
- Ransomware protection: Acronis uses AI-based monitoring to detect and block ransomware attacks in real-time, automatically restoring any affected files.
- Encryption: Add AES-256 encryption to local backups for increased security. Cloud backups are encrypted by default.
- Backup format: Use Acronis‘ native .TIB format for maximum compression and consistency, or save images as standard virtual disk files (.VHD, .VMDK).
One standout feature is Acronis Universal Restore, which allows you to restore a disk image to different hardware. This is extremely useful when upgrading your Mac or recovering from a complete failure.
It‘s also worth noting that Acronis True Image integrates with both Apple‘s Time Machine and the macOS bootloader. You can use the Acronis interface to browse and recover Time Machine snapshots, as well as clone your Recovery HD partition.
My only complaint is that there aren‘t more pre-configured backup templates or wizards for common scenarios. But overall, Acronis provides a comprehensive set of options that should meet the needs of most users.
Restoring Data
Acronis True Image makes it easy to recover your data, whether you need a single file or your entire system. The Restore menu shows a timeline of all your backups and disk images, letting you select the exact version you want.
You can restore individual files and folders by browsing the backup contents like a regular drive. The search function works well for quickly finding specific files across multiple restore points.
To restore your whole Mac from a disk image, you‘ll need to boot from Acronis‘ recovery media. From here, the process is straightforward, with clear prompts guiding you through selecting the backup and choosing where to restore it.
In the event that your Mac‘s drive is completely nonfunctional, you can even restore a cloud backup of the entire system directly from the Acronis Cloud, without needing separate recovery media.
I successfully performed multiple test restores with Acronis True Image. Each time, my files were recovered accurately with no data corruption or errors.
The one area where Acronis could improve is the network restore feature, which only recovered my data rather than the full system state. But this is a minor limitation that doesn‘t impact most restore scenarios.
Security and Privacy
Acronis True Image provides strong security and privacy protections for your backups. All data is encrypted with 256-bit AES cryptography before being sent to local drives or the Acronis Cloud.
For cloud backups, data remains encrypted at rest on Acronis‘ servers, which are located in secure datacenters with SSAE 18 certification. You can also enable two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your cloud account.
The anti-ransomware feature in Acronis True Image uses machine learning and behavioral heuristics to monitor your system for suspicious activity. In my testing, it successfully blocked a simulated ransomware program from encrypting any files.
Acronis does collect diagnostic and usage data to improve its products, but this is anonymized and can be easily opted out of during installation. The company has a clear privacy policy and states that it does not sell personal data or use it for advertising.
Support and Resources
Acronis provides several support channels, including 24/7 live chat, email ticketing, and an extensive knowledge base. Response times were reasonable in my experience, with most of my inquiries answered within a few hours by courteous and helpful representatives.
The built-in Acronis Assistant tool is also noteworthy. This AI-powered helper can answer questions, walk you through specific tasks, and even analyze your backup health. It‘s like having an Acronis technician on call to optimize your setup.
For those who prefer self-help, the Acronis knowledge base contains hundreds of detailed articles and video tutorials. The content is searchable and well-organized, making it easy to find solutions to common issues.
A 30-day free trial of Acronis True Image is available, which gives you full access to evaluate all features. The Acronis website also has a comprehensive comparison of the different editions to help you find the right fit.
vs. Other Mac Backup Software
Acronis True Image is one of the most robust backup solutions for macOS, but it‘s not the only option. Here‘s how it compares to some other popular Mac backup programs:
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Time Machine: Apple‘s built-in backup tool is free and easy to use, but it lacks features like disk imaging, ransomware protection, and cloud backups. Acronis integrates with Time Machine while providing many additional capabilities.
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Carbon Copy Cloner: This long-standing Mac utility can create bootable backups and offers more customization than Time Machine. However, it doesn‘t include cloud storage or real-time anti-ransomware defense like Acronis.
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SuperDuper: Another well-regarded Mac cloning tool, SuperDuper is fast and reliable but has a more complex interface. Its disaster recovery features aren‘t as comprehensive as Acronis True Image.
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Backblaze: Primarily a cloud backup service, Backblaze is less expensive than Acronis if you only need offsite file backup. But it can‘t image your local drive or clone a bootable Mac backup.
Ultimately, Acronis True Image is the most complete package for protecting your Mac from every angle. It combines the ease of use of Time Machine, the disk imaging power of Carbon Copy Cloner, and the cloud storage of Backblaze into a single program.
The main reason to consider an alternative would be cost. Acronis True Image is more expensive than basic backup tools, especially if you need cloud storage. But the extra investment is worth it for the peace of mind and time savings that Acronis provides.
The Bottom Line
Acronis True Image is a top-tier backup solution for protecting your Mac or Windows computer. Its intuitive interface, comprehensive features, and exceptional performance justify the premium pricing for many users.
Whether you just need simple file and folder backups or want complete disk images stored locally and in the cloud, Acronis True Image has you covered. The anti-ransomware and recovery tools add even more value.
No piece of software is perfect, but Acronis has refined True Image over nearly two decades to offer a remarkably complete and reliable product. For any Mac user serious about backing up their data, it should be at the top of the list to consider.