Serious Discussion What is the best replacement for Macrium Reflect

[Chuck57]

Based on experience, it takes me a number of hours to reinstall and replace various software - enough time that it shoots a big hole in my day. So, I use backups - paid Macrium 8 Home and, now, free Hasleo. I will not be moving up to Macrium X, but will continue to use Macrium 8 Home because I have a lot of backups saved to external HDD from Windows 8.1, Win 10 and Win 11, and I might want to drop back to one of them some day. In truth, Hasleo is fast becoming my favorite.

 

[bazang]

I will not be moving up to Macrium X

Because Macrium X subscription is far too expensive relative to what you need it for and how often you will use it.

The entire problem with Macrium is that the paid version has always been too expensive for most home users. Its cost has never been justified for the typical home user that needs a backup solution.

In truth, Hasleo is fast becoming my favorite.

Because it does what you need it to do and it costs $0.

 

[Victor M]

I don't know whar you people are complaining about. Here's what the web site says :

One-Time Purchase

Buy once and own Reflect 8 Home with access to minor updates and only one year of support (renewal needed for future versions and support).

1 Computer
€66.99

And there is the Annual Plan version:

Home Annual Plan

Best for long term value, giving you access to Home Exclusive Support, all the latest new features, versions and upgrades.

1 Computer
€41.99 / year

So there is a one time purchase - use forever plan still available.

 

[tofargone]

Based on experience, it takes me a number of hours to reinstall and replace various software - enough time that it shoots a big hole in my day. So, I use backups - paid Macrium 8 Home and, now, free Hasleo. I will not be moving up to Macrium X, but will continue to use Macrium 8 Home because I have a lot of backups saved to external HDD from Windows 8.1, Win 10 and Win 11, and I might want to drop back to one of them some day. In truth, Hasleo is fast becoming my favorite.

I'm sure you know this, but from your comment, sounds like you might not. So just in case. Macrium 10 (X) is fully compatible with Macrium 8 backups. It is backwards compatible.

 

[tofargone]

I don't know whar you people are complaining about. Here's what the web site says :



And there is the Annual Plan version:


So there is a one time purchase - use forever plan still available.

no. the one time (lifetime license) applies to V8..... V10 (X) is $4.00 per month without any applied discounts. or 44.00 per year

 

[Chuck57]

I'm sure you know this, but from your comment, sounds like you might not. So just in case. Macrium 10 (X) is fully compatible with Macrium 8 backups. It is backwards compatible.

I did not know. If I was enamored with Macrium Reflect, I might consider it, but I just have a 'thing' about having something on my computer that I don't actually own unless I pay a monthly fee. I'm guessing if you decide to stop paying for some reason, it stops working. If that's the case, you're renting the software.

It's also why I quit using Word, when MS went to subscription, after using it for years. I still have 5 1/4 floppies of Word for DOS (1987 or 1988 vintage) and floppies for Word 97. I moved to Atlantis word processor for my work, and have WPS Office for those things Atlantis doesn't offer. I'm aware you can buy a version of Word but as I age I become more contrary.

 

[bazang]

I don't know what you people are complaining about.

It is still too expensive unless a person needs to use all the advanced features.

I have a system with an SSD. Using reset PC it takes no more than 15 minutes to clean install the Windows OS. Then I have the option of using a package manager such as Chocolatey or winget to silent install my preferred software within 15 minutes.

Otherwise manually rebuilding the system takes a few hours, at most.

Macrium just is not worth the money. It never has been.

A $15 USB Flash Drive has been the most reliable and fastest method to backup files or data that I needed to save. Then there is cheap, reliable network area storage (NAS) and OneDrive.

Selling "disaster recovery" to home users is complete nonsense. Very few people need anything beyond the basic image backup and restore feature of Macrium. 98% of home users that pay the premium price for Macrium they are wasting their money. If they needed the other features and capabilities, then it would not be a waste of money. They don't so it is a waste of money. There are free options that are just as reliable and do it for $0 or paid options that are half the price for a lifetime license.

It is not about the quality of Macrium software. It is a high quality product. However, no matter how well Macrium is put together, no matter how many people promote Macrium as super-reliable on security forums, it makes no sense whatsoever to pay $66 for a bunch of features that will never be needed and therefore never used.

A lot of the devoted Macrium fans just want to have another software to play with. Most of them do not really need it. As I said, it is their right to waste their money. It's like buying a license for every antivirus and security software so you can play with it when you get bored and change your system every 3 days. There are much better values for peoples' money than Macrium.

 

[tofargone]

I did not know. If I was enamored with Macrium Reflect, I might consider it, but I just have a 'thing' about having something on my computer that I don't actually own unless I pay a monthly fee. I'm guessing if you decide to stop paying for some reason, it stops working. If that's the case, you're renting the software.

It's also why I quit using Word, when MS went to subscription, after using it for years. I still have 5 1/4 floppies of Word for DOS (1987 or 1988 vintage) and floppies for Word 97. I moved to Atlantis word processor for my work, and have WPS Office for those things Atlantis doesn't offer. I'm aware you can buy a version of Word but as I age I become more contrary.

I get it, I really do...I also understand their need to do so.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

it makes no sense whatsoever to pay $66 for a bunch of features that will never be needed and therefore never used.

$66 is not that much and many use those features.

 

[n8chavez]

Terabyte's Image for Windows costs $40 and it's a perpetual license that last for each major version. There was an eight year gap between the last major versions. This is a very good product, that I don't mind paying for. Yes, everyone deserves to have a successful business. Everyone deserves to be paid for their work. My objection is the cost and the handcuffing nature of Macrium's subscription model. Given the cost, it seems like Macrium is not valuing its customer base like they should. Reflect now becomes the most expensive home-use imaging program. There are alternatives, which value the customer and their finances. I say go with them.

 

[Minimalist]

Terabyte's Image for Windows costs $40 and it's a perpetual license that last for each major version. There was an eight year gap between the last major versions. This is a very good product, that I don't mind paying for. Yes, everyone deserves to have a successful business. Everyone deserves to be paid for their work. My objection is the cost and the handcuffing nature of Macrium's subscription model. Given the cost, it seems like Macrium is not valuing its customer base like they should. Reflect now becomes the most expensive home-use imaging program. There are alternatives, which value the customer and their finances. I say go with them.

I've been thinking about moving to IFW after finding out that Macrium will implement subscription only licensing. If it has features that I need I will move to it after support for Macrium 8 ends or in worst case when it stops working.
I use Macrium for basic features only - daily backup of my system and personal files and occasional restore of both. I don't need "advanced features" which development seems to be a main reason for changed licensing and consequently increased cost for me. I don't see a reason why I should pay for them if I don't need them.
So I will move to more simplistic solution which offers features that I need and doesn't use subscription based licensing. So far IFW seems the right solution for me.

 

[n8chavez]

I've been thinking about moving to IFW after finding out that Macrium will implement subscription only licensing. If it has features that I need I will move to it after support for Macrium 8 ends or in worst case when it stops working.
I use Macrium for basic features only - daily backup of my system and personal files and occasional restore of both. I don't need "advanced features" which development seems to be a main reason for changed licensing and consequently increased cost for me. I don't see a reason why I should pay for them if I don't need them.
So I will move to more simplistic solution which offers features that I need and doesn't use subscription based licensing. So far IFW seems the right solution for me.

Feel free to ask me for help, if need be.

 

[Acadia]

Feel free to ask me for help, if need be.

Thanks for offering help to people, n8chavez. IFW is one of the the more complicated backup/recovery programs, but I consider it every bit as dependable as Macrium, I use them both.
One thing though, I believe that there are a couple of more expensive programs than Macrium. Check out the prices for Veritas and ShadowProtect, I made be wrong, been a while since I checked.

I have eight backup/recovery programs on my system, but Macrium and IFW are the only two that I actually use, I play with the others.
Acadia

 

[n8chavez]

Thanks for offering help to people, n8chavez. IFW is one of the the more complicated backup/recovery programs, but I consider it every bit as dependable as Macrium, I use them both.
One thing though, I believe that there are a couple of more expensive programs than Macrium. Check out the prices for Veritas and ShadowProtect, I made be wrong, been a while since I checked.

I have eight backup/recovery programs on my system, but Macrium and IFW are the only two that I actually use, I play with the others.
Acadia

That's true. Those are more expensive. But I was referring to the cost for home users. In any case, there are options to Macrium now; Hasleo, IFW best-in-class among them.

 

[Sorrento]

Macrium just is not worth the money. It never has been.

There are much better values for peoples' money than Macrium.

Do you mean: 'In your humble opinion'? As again I disagree with you & you must have a very simplistic install.

 

[Sorrento]

I used AOMEI Backupper for some time but found it unreliable & I feel if a imaging program isn't totally reliable its pointless having it on a PC - I still have 2 lifetime licenses for AOMEI Backupper - Minitool image program looks good but it was never happy having images stored on a partition on the drive you are imaging C:\ on for example if that makes sense, though not a free program. In the past I've tried O&O's imaging program & found it IMHO overly complex for what I need which is image & restore, I don't even use incremental imaging, I don't need to.

 

[zidong]

Rescuezilla, Veeam, Acronis for WD and Kingston users is free too. Plus several Chinese apps like Hasleo, AOMEI, EaseUS, MiniTools.
Plenty of options for home users.

 

[lyldz]

It may have been overlooked, but Drive Snapshot is a small but very effective application...it works directly from the disk with any boot usb and can be used for backup and reinstallation.

 

[lokamoka820]

I can recommend Rescuezilla, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite, all are good.

 

[Minimalist]

Feel free to ask me for help, if need be.

Thank your for your offer. I might take you up on that.
I just checked my previous purchases of MR licenses. I'm using it for 10 years and have paid so far total of 134 €. That's less than 15 € a year. With subscription my cost would rise to 40+ € per year. IMO that's huge increase in cost. I would pay more for it than I pay for my AV subscription.