Comparisons & alternatives · Doing it yourself
Why use Data Backup instead of copying my folders to a drive every so often?
Short answer: Hand copies are one-off snapshots that overwrite or duplicate each other. Data Backup runs automatically, keeps point-in-time versions while storing only changes, and marks a set Protected only after an integrity check.
Copying folders by hand gives you one snapshot from whenever you last remembered — and each new copy either overwrites the last or doubles the space. Data Backup fixes the three weak spots:
- It runs itself — it watches the folders you choose and backs up changes as they happen, and catches up when you open the app after time away.
- Versions — every change becomes a point-in-time version you can go back to, while only the changed parts are stored again. Older versions are thinned over time.
- Proof — a set is marked Protected only after its latest version passes an integrity check.
Backups to a local drive are encrypted automatically. You can restore a whole version or just specific files, and restores land beside your current files rather than over them. See Data Backup.