Both Macrium Reflect and Acronis True Image are two great backup and recovery tools. The best thing about them is that they both come with a 30-day trial period where most of the useful features are provided. However, if you have to choose one of them for a specific thing, there are certain criteria that you can follow.
I have used both of them for years, but Macrium Reflect is my personal favorite cloning software. Now, that is a subjective opinion, and in this comparison, I am not going to be partial. We are going to discuss both the good and bad aspects of both of these programs. We will divide this comparison into 6 main parts, i.e., ease of use, Imaging/Cloning, backup features, performance, recovery options, and support. Depending on these criteria, I believe we will be able to reach a conclusion on which one to choose.
The cloning feature in Acronis True Image is available only with the paid version, which is available for $49.99/year. However, Macrium Reflect has cloning and imaging features that are available for free. In fact, Reflect is focused mainly on these things. Backup, recovery. So, we will focus mainly on the shared features. I could have added the EaseUs ToDo Backup, but I didn’t to make this article easier for you. We will cover that in another article. So, let’s get started with this one.
1. Ease of Use
Because Acronis True Image is focused mainly on backup and restoration, it is much easier to use for that. Macrium Reflect is mainly a cloning/imaging program that also offers backup and restoration options. For backups and restoration, the Acronis True Image feels much simpler and easy to use. Macrium Reflect is also pretty straightforward, but for the backup features, you’ll have to do some sort of searching.
For backups, both are great tools, but, again, I personally like the Acronis True Image’s simple backup setup. You just choose the system and then pick the drive where you want to create your backup.
In Macrium Reflect, things are a little complex, but there are multiple features to choose from. You can choose the type of backup like Daily Incremental, weekly differential, and monthly Full i.e., Grandfather, Father, Son, and many other different options.
In Acronis True Image as well, you get many options, including Full, incremental, and differential backups. You can choose to delete the older versions after your desired time periods.
In terms of backup speed, I found Macrium Reflect to be faster than Acronis True Image. Macrium Reflect created an 80GB image file for around 114GB of total data in my system. It took around 10 minutes because I was storing the backup image in a 5,200 RPM hard drive. However, for the same backup, Acronis True Image took around 15 minutes and created an 85GB file.
Key Features Comparison
| Feature | Acronis True Image | Macrium Reflect |
|---|---|---|
| Backup Types | Full, Incremental, Differential, Continuous | Full, Incremental, Differential |
| Disk Imaging | Yes (With Paid Version) | Yes (Free) |
| File/Folder Backup | Yes | Yes |
| Cloning | Yes (With Paid Version) | Free (Disk & Partition Cloning) |
| Ransomware Protection | Yes (Built-in AI-based protection) | Yes (Requires separate installation) |
| Cloud Backup | Yes (Acronis Cloud, subscription-based) | No (Local & network backup only) |
| Encryption | AES-256 encryption for backups | AES-256 encryption for backups |
| Bootable Rescue Media | Yes (Linux & WinPE-based) | Yes (WinPE-based) |
| Recovery Options | Bare-metal restore, Universal Restore | Bare-metal restore |
| Scheduling | Advanced, highly customizable | Advanced but slightly less flexible |
| Supported OS | Windows, macOS | Windows only |
| Price (Single License) | Subscription-based (~$50/year for Essentials) | One-time purchase (~$69 for Home) |
| Trial Version | 30-day free trial | 30-day free trial |
| Website | Acronis True Image | Macrium Reflect |
Disk Cloning and Imaging
You can create backup images using both the software in their free variants. However, for cloning the system, the paid version of Acronis True Image would be required. In Macrium Reflect, you can clone your entire system for free during the trial period.
Security and Protection
Acronis True Image comes with ransomware protection in-built. However, when installing Macrium Reflect, you are asked whether you want to install Image Guardian or not.
Both come with AES-256 backup encryption. However, with the paid plan, Acronis True Image offers you cloud security and storage options.
| Feature | Acronis True Image | Macrium Reflect | Best Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ransomware Protection | Yes (AI-based Active Protection) | Yes (Require separate installation) | Acronis |
| Backup Encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 | Tie |
| Cloud Storage Security | Yes (Secure Cloud) | No Cloud Option | Acronis |
Restoration (And a Big Issue with Free Versions)
As long as you are in the trial period, every free feature seems to be fine. But, once the trial period ends, and in case you have to restore your backup image, you’ll have to get the paid plan just to restore your backup.
Acronis creates the backup image files in .tib and .tibx formats, while Macrium uses the .mrimg file format. You can’t restore these images in other programs.
If we talk about the process of restoration, both have simple features that anyone can easily locate and use. So, there are no issues there. However, Acronis has a Universal restore option with which you can restore the image on different computers.
Pricing and Value
Macrium Reflect won this round without any problems. It offers a free version with basic features, while the paid version is just a one-time purchase (starting at $69). In contrast, Acronis uses a subscription model, and you have to pay at least $50 per year, which, when calculated, becomes much expensive than the Reflect. If you prefer a budget-friendly solution, Macrium Reflect is the better deal for you.
Free Windows Alternative for system imaging and backups
I have posted a free guide for backing up your system on an external drive using Windows’ own features without paying anybody anything. You can set schedules here as well. These third-party software surely make things easier for you, but if you are a little smart, you can save a lot using the official features that come with the operating system itself. So, give this guide a try.
Free Alternative for Cloning and Imaging
Although Macrium Reflect is good enough to clone and image your system for free during the trial period, this limited period will end soon, and then you may have to pay a price for it. Instead, I have posted a guide on using Clonezilla for driving cloning or imaging. Clonezilla is an open-source software but is based on the command line interface. So, if you can put in a little extra effort, you may save a lot.
Which one to choose: Acronis True Image or Macrium Reflect?
In my opinion, Macrium Reflect is the best, both as a free (trial) or paid software for backups, imaging, cloning, and restoration. It is cheaper than Acronis. However, Acronis is really simple for the people who want the best ease-of-use.
Acronis’s paid version is best if you want access to its cloud backup, advanced ransomware protection and you don’t mind adopting a subscription model.
Macrium Reflect is best if you want lightweight, one-time purchase software with a comparatively complex interface. However, with a little practice, you can learn to use its great features for sure.
I hope this helps!
MultiDrive is to choose! Gorgeous simpe and free app for drive cloning and backups