Backup apps for MacHead to head
Carbon Copy Cloner vs Arq
Carbon Copy Cloner ranks #2 and Arq ranks #3 in our guide to the best backup apps for Mac. Carbon Copy Cloner is the better pick for most people.
Carbon Copy ClonerPick Carbon Copy Cloner if you want scheduled, verified drive backups and 1 license that covers every Mac at home.$49.99 once#3 in the guide
ArqPick Arq if you already pay for cloud storage and want encrypted, versioned backups sent there.$59.99 onceWhat decides it
- Carbon Copy Cloner costs less over 3 years: $49.99, against $59.99 for Arq.
- Both run on Mac.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Carbon Copy Cloner | Arq |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 once for every Mac in your household | $59.99 once per computer, with 1 year of updates. Premium is $69.99 a year with 1 TB |
| How you pay | Pay once | Pay once |
| 3 years of use | $49.99 Cheaper | $59.99 |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac |
| Where to buy | Developer | Developer |
| Features | Free trial | Free trial |
| Last updated | 16 Oct 2026 | Not tracked |
Who should get which
Get Carbon Copy Cloner if
You want a backup drive you can schedule and check yourself, not one you just trust Time Machine with.
Get Arq if
You already pay for cloud storage and want an encrypted, versioned off-site copy of your Mac next to Time Machine.
Skip Carbon Copy Cloner if
You are content with Time Machine, which already backs up your Mac automatically at no cost.
Skip Arq if
You only want a copy on an external drive, and Time Machine already makes one for free.
Our verdicts
Carbon 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.
Arq
Your files get encrypted on your own Mac before Arq copies them anywhere, whether that's cloud storage you already pay for, a NAS, an SFTP server or an external drive, and only you hold the password. It keeps point-in-time versions, so a deleted file or a ransomware attack is recoverable. At $59.99 per computer plus storage you manage yourself, it asks more of you than Backblaze, which is $99 a year with no cap.
What each one helps you do
Carbon 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
Arq
- Back up to cloud storage you control
- Restore an older version of any file
- Recover files after a ransomware attack
- Keep backups encrypted with your own password
Where to get them
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best backup apps for Mac.
BackblazePick it if you have no copy of your photos and documents outside your home and want one kept for you.From $9
SuperDuper!Pick this if you want a free, full spare copy of your Mac on a drive in a drawer.Free to start
Read the full guideAll Carbon Copy Cloner alternativesAll Arq alternatives