Backups & restore points · Data Backup basics
Should I use Data Backup instead of Time Machine?
Short answer: Use both. Time Machine protects the whole Mac; Data Backup adds versioned backups of chosen folders to another drive or an encrypted cloud copy, including folders on your external drive.
Use both. Time Machine is Apple's whole-Mac backup and is the right tool for restoring macOS, apps and settings. Data Backup adds versioned backups of the folders you choose — to another drive or to a cloud account — which Time Machine doesn't do on its own.
Data Backup is especially useful for: - Folders on your external drive, which Time Machine usually leaves out. - An off-site copy in a cloud account, encrypted on your Mac first. - Separate rules per folder — continuous for documents, nightly for archives.
Storage Studio never deletes your Time Machine backups. See Time Machine and moved folders.