---
id: backups.why-is-my-first-backup-so-slow
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/why-is-my-first-backup-so-slow
category: "Backups & restore points"
subcategory: "Speed, progress and the first backup"
question: "Why is my first backup so much slower than the ones after it?"
alt_questions:
  - "first backup takes forever"
  - "Is the first backup always the biggest?"
  - "backup slow at the start then fast"
  - "initial backup time Storage Studio"
  - "why is Data Backup slow"
short_answer: "The first backup copies every file once; later backups only save what changed. For a faster first backup use an external SSD, or bucket storage such as Amazon S3 for cloud."
tags: ["speed", "first backup", "incremental"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/why-is-my-first-cloud-backup-taking-hours", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/why-are-google-drive-and-dropbox-backups-slower"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Why is my first backup so much slower than the ones after it?

Because everything in it is new. The first backup has to copy every file once; after that, each backup only saves what actually **changed**, so day-to-day backups are quick.

To make a big first backup finish sooner:
- Back up to an **external SSD** — it's the fastest destination.
- For cloud, prefer bucket storage such as Amazon S3 over services that throttle uploads.
- Leave the Mac plugged in and awake; the backup can keep going in the background.

Adding a large new folder to an existing set has the same effect for that folder: its first pass is the big one.