Backup apps for MacHead to head

Backblaze vs Carbon Copy Cloner

Backblaze ranks #1 and Carbon Copy Cloner ranks #2 in our guide to the best backup apps for Mac. Backblaze is our pick for most people.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Our pickBackblaze app iconBackblazePick Backblaze if you have no copy of your photos and documents outside your home and want one kept for you.From $9#2 in the guideCarbon Copy Cloner app iconCarbon Copy ClonerPick Carbon Copy Cloner if you want scheduled, verified drive backups and 1 license that covers every Mac at home.$49.99 once

What decides it

  • Carbon Copy Cloner costs less over 3 years: $49.99, against $297 for Backblaze.
  • Both run on Mac. Only Backblaze runs on iPhone and iPad.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceBackblaze app iconBackblazeCarbon Copy Cloner app iconCarbon Copy Cloner
Price$9 a month, $99 a year or $189 for 2 years, with no storage cap$49.99 once for every Mac in your household
How you paySubscriptionPay once
3 years of use$297 Yearly plan$49.99 Cheaper
Free trialYesYes
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPadMac
Where to buyDeveloper, App StoreDeveloper
FeaturesFree trialFree trial
Last updated23 Oct 202616 Oct 2026

Who should get which

Get Backblaze if

You have years of photos and documents on your Mac and no copy of them outside your house.

Get Carbon Copy Cloner if

You want a backup drive you can schedule and check yourself, not one you just trust Time Machine with.

Skip Backblaze if

You already run Time Machine to a drive and keep the files that matter in iCloud Drive.

Skip Carbon Copy Cloner if

You are content with Time Machine, which already backs up your Mac automatically at no cost.

Our verdicts

Backblaze app iconBackblaze

For $99 a year, every file on your Mac and any external drive you plug in goes to Backblaze's servers with no storage cap. You can pull back a single file from the web or the iPhone app, or have the whole backup mailed to you on a USB drive. Each plan covers 1 computer, and Arq is the better pick if you want encrypted backups sent to storage you already pay for.

Carbon Copy Cloner app iconCarbon Copy Cloner

Time Machine is free and automatic, but Carbon Copy Cloner gives you real control over when and what gets copied to your external drive, plus snapshots that bring back a file as it looked days ago. It copies only what changed and runs a health check that verifies every backed-up file. The $49.99 license covers every Mac in your household, though SuperDuper makes plain full copies for free.

What each one helps you do

Backblaze app iconBackblaze

  • Back up every file without picking folders
  • Restore a lost file from your phone
  • Get your whole backup mailed on a drive
  • Track down a lost or stolen Mac

Carbon Copy Cloner app iconCarbon Copy Cloner

  • Back up to an external drive automatically
  • Bring back a file from an earlier snapshot
  • Move everything to a new Mac
  • Catch damaged backup files before you need them

Where to get them

Backblaze

$9 a month, $99 a year or $189 for 2 years, with no storage cap

  • From the developerFree trial, no credit card needed
    $9 a monthGet it
  • iPhone and iPad appCompanion app on the App Store
    Free downloadApp Store

Carbon Copy Cloner

$49.99 once for every Mac in your household

  • From the developerIncludes a 30-day free trial
    $49.99Get it

Neither one quite right?

The other picks in our guide to the best backup apps for Mac.

Read the full guideAll Backblaze alternativesAll Carbon Copy Cloner alternatives

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