Disk cloning software copies an entire drive, operating system included, onto another drive so you can boot from it. Free open source tools suit anyone comfortable starting from a USB stick, free Windows editions suit simple SSD upgrades, and Mac owners need a Mac cloner. Ten tools follow, in no particular order, with free and trial versions marked.
Moving to a new SSD is the moment most people go looking for a cloner. Done right, you swap the drive, switch on and everything is where you left it: Windows or macOS, your programs, your settings and your files.
The ten below are alphabetical and in no particular order, each described from its maker's own website as of Nov 2026, with Windows or Mac in the type column wherever the page says so. Several of the free names turn out to be free trials, and I've marked which is which.
Ten disk cloning tools side by side
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Acronis True Image | Backup and security suite, free trial | Cloning plus anti-malware in one product |
| AOMEI Backupper Standard | Free Windows backup and clone | Free cloning on Windows 11 back to XP |
| Carbon Copy Cloner | Mac backup and cloner, free trial | Bootable Mac backups, schedules and snapshots |
| Clonezilla | Free open source, boots from USB | Cloning Linux, Windows and Intel Macs with one tool |
| EaseUS Disk Copy | Windows disk cloner | Cloning to an NVMe SSD without reinstalling Windows |
| HDClone | Disk cloner with a Free Edition | Free cloning for private use |
| Macrium Reflect | Imaging and cloning, free trial | Images, clones and rapid delta restores |
| MiniTool ShadowMaker | Windows backup with a Free edition | Backing up Windows, disks and partitions |
| Rescuezilla | Free open source, runs from live USB | Point-and-click cloning when you can't log in |
| SuperDuper! | Mac cloner, free trial | Bootable APFS and HFS+ copies on Apple silicon |
Each cloning tool, its system and whether it stays free
Acronis True Image
Best for: Home users wanting backup, cloning, cyber protection and privacy tools together, from a product its page says was formerly Cyber Protect Home Office.
AOMEI Backupper Standard
Best for: Windows users who want free backup, clone, sync and restore on anything from Windows 11 back to XP, with a Pro edition if they outgrow it.
Carbon Copy Cloner
Best for: Mac owners who want bootable backups, scheduled backups and snapshots, plus the option to download cloud-only files temporarily so they're copied too.
Clonezilla
Best for: Confident users who'd like free, open source imaging and cloning with support for ext4, btrfs, NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, APFS and more file systems.
EaseUS Disk Copy
Best for: Windows upgraders moving to an HDD or an M.2, NVMe or PCIe SSD who don't want to lose data or reinstall Windows, per the page.
HDClone
Best for: Private users wanting a simple, free cloning tool, with higher editions that each add to the one before for migration and duplicating several disks.
Macrium Reflect
Best for: Home users who want backup and recovery with removable media imaging, cloning and rapid delta restore, starting with a free trial.
MiniTool ShadowMaker
Best for: Anyone backing up Windows, whole disks, partitions or folders, with a Free edition, a Pro edition for home users and a business edition.
Rescuezilla
Best for: People who'd like graphical, point-and-click imaging and restore from a live CD or USB that's GPL open source and works even when they can't log in.
SuperDuper!
Best for: Mac users on macOS 10.13 or later who want fully bootable HFS+ and APFS copies from an app that's Apple silicon native.
Free forever or a free trial? The cloning small print
This is where cloning lists mislead people. Several well-known names are free only for a while: the Macrium Reflect and Carbon Copy Cloner pages each advertise a free trial, and SuperDuper! offers a free trial before you buy a licence.
The free-forever routes are fewer. Clonezilla is free and open source, and Rescuezilla adds a graphical interface while staying compatible with it. AOMEI Backupper Standard is free for Windows, and HDClone has a Free Edition that its page limits to private use. If you're cloning drives for a business, that last condition matters.
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A clone you boot from, an image you restore from
The two words get used as if they mean the same thing, and they don't. A clone is a copy of the drive you can boot from straight away, which is what the Mac cloners here mean when their pages talk about bootable copies. An image is a backup file you restore from when something goes wrong, and several tools here do both imaging and cloning.
If you want ongoing protection rather than a one-off copy, a clone isn't enough on its own. Pair it with an offsite copy; my list of cloud backup services covers that side. If a drive has already failed, start with my free data recovery software list instead.
Cloning to a new SSD in five steps
- Back up anything you can't lose first, separately from the clone.
- Connect the new drive, by USB adapter or a spare slot, and check it's at least as big as the data on the old one.
- Run the cloner, choose the old drive as the source and the new drive as the destination, and check you haven't swapped them.
- Swap the drives, or set the new one as the boot drive, and start the computer.
- Check your files and programs open before you wipe or reuse the old drive.
Clearing out old email first? My explainer on email archiving versus email backup covers what to keep before you move.
Do you make disk cloning software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice before you clone a drive
Work out whether you need a one-off move or an ongoing safety net. For a one-off SSD upgrade on Windows, a free edition will often do the job, and the open source tools handle Linux, Windows and Intel Macs if you don't mind booting from a USB stick. On a Mac, the cloners here are trials, so use the trial for the move and only buy if you want scheduled bootable backups after that. Whichever you use, check which drive is the source and which is the destination twice, because choosing the wrong one wipes the drive you meant to keep.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What is disk cloning?
It's copying an entire drive, including the operating system, programs and files, onto another drive so the copy can boot and run like the original.
Is cloning the same as backing up?
Not quite. A clone is a ready-to-boot copy, while an image backup is a file you restore from. Some tools do both, but a single clone isn't a backup plan on its own.
Can I clone a hard drive to a smaller SSD?
Often, yes, as long as the data on the old drive fits on the new one. Clear out what you don't need first and follow the cloning tool's own guidance.
Is there free disk cloning software?
Yes. The open source tools on this list are free, and some Windows tools have free editions, though one limits its free edition to private use. Several others offer a free trial only.
Can I clone a Mac drive?
Yes. Two Mac cloners on this list make bootable copies, and one open source tool lists support for Intel Macs.
Do I need to reinstall Windows after cloning?
No, that's the point of cloning: the operating system and programs come across with everything else. One Windows cloner's page says exactly that.
