The short answer. If the destination is cloud storage you already pay for, Arq, or Rclone UI if you want a GUI over rclone and S3. If it is a local disk and you want a bootable clone rather than a file backup, SuperDuper. If you want scheduled, encrypted restic backups driven from the menu bar, Keelhaven. If you want a fully managed service and are willing to hand over the details, Carbonite. If the problem is that Time Machine is using the whole disk, Time Machine Inspector. The distinction that matters is file-level backup versus disk clone: the first restores files into an existing system, the second produces a disk you can boot from.
This guide covers 6 backup apps for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arq | backup utility | not published | not published | 7.49 |
| Carbonite | backup utility | not published | not published | — |
| Keelhaven | system tool | Open source | GPL-3.0 | 0.9.1 |
| Rclone UI | productivity app | Open source | Apache-2.0 | 3.7.5 |
| SuperDuper! | Mac utility | not published | not published | 4.0.9 |
| Time Machine Inspector | system tool | Open source | not published | 1.2.1 |
What actually decides this
- File backup or disk clone. A file backup is restorable anywhere and handles a replacement drive. A clone is bootable and handles a dead machine with no second computer. Most homes need the first and think they need the second.
- Versioning and retention. How long old versions are kept, and at what cost. A backup without versions is only protection against the last mistake.
- Encryption, and who holds the key. Client-side encryption before upload means the provider cannot read the files. Provider-side encryption means they can. This is the single most important line in any backup tool’s documentation.
- Whether a restore has been tested. A backup you have never restored from is a hypothesis. The tools that make a partial restore easy are the ones worth paying for.
- What it costs to run. A cloud backup is a monthly bill that scales with the library size; a local one is hardware you buy once. Neither is cheaper in every case, and comparing only the licence price is the usual mistake.
Our picks
- Arq — Its record describes a cloud backup client supporting several providers, which is the model where you choose the destination. Choose it when you want to back up to cloud storage you already control.
- SuperDuper! — Its record describes fully bootable disk backups, which is the clone case and a different product from the rest. Choose it when you want a bootable clone rather than a file backup.
- Keelhaven — Its record describes scheduled encrypted restic backups, which is the unattended local-first version. Choose it when you want scheduled encrypted backups to a local disk, S3 or SFTP from the menu bar.
- Carbonite — Its record describes protection against common forms of data loss, which is the managed-service framing. Choose it when you would rather pay a service than design a backup scheme.
- Rclone UI — Its record describes a GUI for rclone and S3, which is the case where the engine is already chosen and only the interface is missing. Choose it when you already use rclone or S3 and want a GUI over them.
The apps
Arq
Arq is a backup utility for macOS. Cloud storage backup client that supports AWS, GCP, DropBox, and more. Its pricing is not published.
Arq is listed with current version 7.49.
Full profile and verified facts for Arq →
Carbonite
Carbonite is a backup utility for macOS. Carbonite can protect your Mac from all of the most common forms of data loss. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. While Apple’s solutions are good for Apple, customers should consider additional backup options if they want to ensure their files are truly secure.
Full profile and verified facts for Carbonite →
Keelhaven
Keelhaven is a system tool for macOS. Menu bar app that runs scheduled, encrypted restic backups to a local disk, S3, SFTP, or a REST server. It is released under GPL-3.0.
What it does. A free, open-source menu bar app that encrypts your Mac.
Keelhaven is listed with current version 0.9.1.
Full profile and verified facts for Keelhaven →
Rclone UI
Rclone UI is a productivity app for macOS. The GUI for Rclone & S3. It is released under Apache-2.0.
What it does. The best interface to use rclone on Windows, Mac and Linux! Open Source GUI written in Rust & React. Mount buckets from S3, Backblaze, Cloudflare, and more…
Rclone UI is listed with current version 3.7.5.
Full profile and verified facts for Rclone UI →
SuperDuper!
SuperDuper! is a Mac utility for macOS. Painless fully bootable disk backups. Its pricing is not published.
SuperDuper! is listed with current version 4.0.9.
Full profile and verified facts for SuperDuper! →
Time Machine Inspector
Time Machine Inspector is a system tool for macOS. Find out what’s hogging up your Time Machine backups. It is open source.
What it does. Time Machine backup size inspector app.
Time Machine Inspector is listed with current version 1.2.1.
Full profile and verified facts for Time Machine Inspector →
How to choose
- No licence fee, source available. Keelhaven, Rclone UI and Time Machine Inspector — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- Pricing not published in our data. Arq, Carbonite and SuperDuper! — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.
Open source: Keelhaven, Rclone UI and Time Machine Inspector (3 of 6).
Common mistakes
- Assuming Time Machine is a backup. It is one, for the categories it covers, and it does not cover an off-site copy.
- Encrypting with a key stored only on the machine being backed up. The encryption protects against the provider, not against losing the machine.
- Testing a backup strategy by looking at the backup log rather than by restoring a file.
- Backing up a large photo library to a destination that will be full before the first month ends.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these backup apps?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 6 backup apps: Arq, Carbonite, Keelhaven, Rclone UI, SuperDuper! and Time Machine Inspector. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these backup apps free?
Pricing across this group: not published (Arq, Carbonite and SuperDuper!) and open source (Keelhaven, Rclone UI and Time Machine Inspector). Where we list pricing as not published, the developer does not state a model we could verify — check their own site before assuming anything about cost. We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these backup apps are open source?
Keelhaven (GPL-3.0), Rclone UI (Apache-2.0) and Time Machine Inspector (not published) are open source.
Do these backup apps support Apple Silicon?
Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
