The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/iXzenoS on 2025-08-01 08:15:38+00:00.
It's been a while since Macrium Reflect released their newest "Reflect X" version and switched over to a subscription model. I still use the previous 8.1 version with a perpetual license, as I'm just not a fan of paying a subscription for backup software.
I can continue using 8.1 until it stops working on my system, but I'd rather be proactive and look for an alternative (if any) that is comparable to Macrium but without a subscription. It doesn't have to be a free alternative โ I'm fine with a one-time payment for a license if they offer a premium version โ and was wondering if anyone (particularly ex-Macrium users who are/were in the same boat) had any good recommendations.
One criteria from a privacy perspective is that I want to avoid Chinese/Russian-based companies because I don't feel comfortable using their software to backup a full image of my entire system that may contain sensitive and personal information. So tools like EaseUS ToDo Backup and AOMEI Backupper are unfortunately out of the question.
Based on my findings, these are some viable alternatives that I keep seeing mentioned:
I'm particularly interested to hear from ex-Macrium users who switched to another tool since they introduced subscriptions. Which tool are you now using and why? Is it as good (or better) than Macrium?