Top 5 Best Open Source Cloning Software in 2022 [100% Free & Clone Your Disk Anytime]

PAGE CONTENT:

System administrators and users need to be able to create one-to-one clones of entire discs quickly and reliably for backup and recovery, as well as for simplifying deployments, refresh repairs, and upgrades of existing systems.

To create an exact, undamaged clone of your original disk, you should use a disk cloning tool. Options like Clonezilla and Qiling Backup have been popular choices for administrators and technicians, but there are now several open-source cloning software that offer performance comparable to or even surpassing proprietary solutions.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Let's discuss five open-Disk cloning tools make it simple to create exact copies of hard drives, each with a unique purpose. Clonezilla is a free and open-source tool that allows for cloning and imaging of entire hard drives, making it ideal for system backups and disaster recovery.

What Is Open Source Cloning Software, Why, Who, and When to Use It

Open source cloning refers to the process of duplicating an existing software project, typically using open-source tools and methodologies. This approach is useful for various stakeholders, including developers, researchers, and organizations, who can leverage the benefits of open-source cloning to accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and improve collaboration. By using open-source cloning, individuals and teams can quickly create a copy of an existing project, modify it to suit their needs, and contribute back to the original project or create a new one.

What Is Open Source Cloning Software

According to Arcserve, cloning a full disk or selected drive partition can produce an exact, uncompressed duplicate, allowing for instant replication to a target backup drive or the cloud due to its uncompressed nature. This results in a current, exact copy of your data. One of the main benefits of cloning over disk imaging is speed, enabling you to quickly replace a failing hard disk with the cloned drive.

Why Is Open Source Cloning Software So Popular

Paid versions of cloning software offer additional features that enable the creation of a duplicate of a drive's logical structure, allowing for the replication of everything from one disk to another, file by file, in a single operation.

But open-source cloning software has well-balanced usability and backup features, including:

• It supports Windows, Linux, and Mac, offering a broader compatibility compared to paid versions.
• It utilizes a web-based interface for network-wide access.
• The cloning process significantly reduces downtime, allowing the cloned disk to be used immediately.
• Open-source cloning software offers flexibility.

Who Needs and When to Use Open Source Cloning Software

This software is a dependable free data cloning and recovery tool used by organizations like IBM, Lockheed-Martin, HP, Siemens, the US Dept of Agriculture, and many more.

• Clonezilla is widely used to copy hard drives for disk backup and upgrades, and the target disk is bootable once you have used it to copy a live system disk.
• You can use open-source cloning software to replace the HDD in your laptop with an SSD or a more extensive hard disc.

Top 5 Best Open Source Cloning Software Recommends & Free Downloads

We've reviewed 5 open-source cloning software to help you make an informed decision. Each software has its own strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right one depends on your specific needs and preferences. By considering the features, user reviews, and compatibility of each software, you can select the best one for your cloning requirements.

List of 5 Best Open Source Cloning Software

There are 5 best open source cloning software:

• 1. Clonezilla
• 2. Cobian Backup11
• 3. Fog
• 4. Partimage
• 5. Win32 Disk Imager

Our Selection and Review Standard

The open source cloning software we have chosen adheres to the following selection standards:

• Security & virus-free
• 100% free, open source
• Support most Windows operating system
• Restoring speed should be remarkable
• Easy management
• Utilizes less storage

Here are some details about the review page:

We tested 5 different open source cloning software tools for an extended period to compare their features and performance across various operating systems. While the cost of these tools varies, each one offers unique features and supports different OS, making it challenging to recommend a single best option. However, our analysis can help provide a recommendation for the best tool in other OS.

Let's discuss these tools in detail from the next heading.

1. Clonezilla - Best Overall

A free and open-Clonezilla is a powerful disk imaging, partition, and cloning tool that supports various file systems across Linux, macOS, Windows, and Chrome OS. It offers robust and trustworthy capabilities, including unattended options, encryption, and customizability, making it suitable for single-machine backup and restore or multi-machine cloning, either as a Live CD or USB or as a server.

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

Review: Clonezilla is a free and open-source partition, disk image and cloning solution that supports a wide range of file systems, including Linux, macOS, Windows, and Chrome OS. Despite limited user support, the software is feature-rich, powerful, and reliable. (Source: techradar.com)

Technical Specifications

• X86 or x86-64 processor
• 196 MB of system memory (RAM)
• The boot device refers to the device from which the computer boots or starts up, such as a CD/DVD drive, a USB port, a network interface (PXE), or a hard drive.

Pros

• A reliable cloning/backup solution effectively reduces the size of copied disks, making it ideal for quickly restoring Test PCs to a clean state by imaging them.
• The reliable read-write operation is quick. Extensive options and configuration.
• This open-source software allows for quick and easy copying of disks and partitions, outperforming many paid options.
• Clonezilla is a free and open-source disk cloning software that allows users to create backups, clone drives, and partition disks. It is a powerful tool that can be used for various tasks, including backing up and restoring data, cloning entire hard drives, and partitioning disks.

Cons

• For those who are not tech-savvy, configuring a computer to boot can be a complex process, but fortunately, there are many manuals and resources available that can guide you through it.
• The product has an unappealing user interface and is hard to operate, making it more challenging to use than it should be, particularly for those unfamiliar with Linux who may find it confusing due to its reference to disks as "sda, sdb."

2. Cobian Backup11

Best Remote Operation Capability

Cobian Backup may not be appealing due to its outdated appearance and user interface, but it functions well and is more customizable than Windows' File History.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review: Cobian Backup is a highly tailored file backup solution that offers a wide range of options, including remote execution, and is easy to use, allowing for the creation of a single job that can back up to multiple locations. - by Jon Jacobi from pcworld.com

Technical Specification

Cobian is a good choice for backing up files, but it's not ideal for system recovery because it only backs up files, not the entire system, and doesn't create an image. However, it's great for compressing and encrypting files, which can be useful for storing sensitive data. Most users should leave their files uncompressed and unencrypted for easy recovery.

Pros

• Simple but with a range of choices
• Runs as an application or a service
• Allows for remote use

Cons

• File backup only
• Dated looking interface

3. Fog - Most Resistant

A web-The FOG Project offers a disk cloning tool that simplifies image solutions for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS by integrating open source technologies, making it easier to maintain multiple machines with a PXE booting system that remotely downloads a small Linux client for imaging.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review: The user, Bryan Young, has found the service to be helpful, but hasn't seen a need to install it across the board. He has tested it and found it to be quite powerful. (Note: I reformatted the text into a single paragraph as per your request)

Technical Specification

FOG allows copying an image from a larger partition machine to one with a smaller hard drive, as long as the data is under 40GB, and enables changing the computer's hostname and restarting it if a task is created. It also imports hosts into the FOG database automatically using its graphical Windows service, and handles straightforward snap-ins and printer installations.

Pros

• Cloud network fog reduces network bandwidth usage by conserving more network bandwidth compared to other cloud services.
• The network is plagued by safety issues, making fog a more beneficial solution for security purposes.
• Fog computers work consistently and make snap judgments.
• This computer collects and secures a variety of data.

Cons

• Physical place

While cloud computing allows for global access to data, fog computing puts a limit on data sharing.

• Safety

In fog computing, the platform is distinct, and some experts argue that the decentralized network's ability to safeguard data is a concern.

• Confusion

The general public is often confused by the various types of computer networks, including private, public, hybrid, and diverse protocols, which can be overwhelming and difficult to understand.

4. Partimage

Partimage creates an image file of a partition on a sector-by-sector basis, supporting various file systems including Windows and the majority of Linux file systems. It runs on Linux but is not limited to it, allowing for the creation of compressed image files that can be split into multiple files and copied to CDs or DVDs, reducing disk space and transfer time.

Using Samba, NFS, or Partimage network support, partitions can be saved across a network, enabling users to recover a hard disc partition after a crash.

Partimage replicates only the used parts of a partition, excluding free blocks for speed and efficiency, and is suitable for highly complete partitions that are processed sequentially, allowing for a 1 GB partition to be shrunk to 400 MB.

Note: The Partimage project has been discontinued. It is recommended to use alternative tools such as fsarchiver, partclone, or utilize filesystem-specific utilities like xfsdump instead.

Technical specification

• The system supports file systems such as Ext2fs, Ext3fs, Reiser3, FAT16, FAT32, HPFS, JFS, and XFS.
• Beta support for UFS, HFS.
• Experimental support for NTFS.

Pros

• Since file fragments are not "hunted down," head movement is reduced, allowing the disk cache to be used to its full potential, and only allocation clusters in use are read and saved.
• The backed-up data remains unchanged, including metadata like the date of last access, ensuring the source partition's integrity is preserved.
• A backup file can be stored on a different partition of the same disc, a local disc, or a network attached file, making it adaptable to various locations.

Cons

• Ext4 and Btrfs filesystems are not supported by Partimage.
• Neither safety nor restoration involves defragmentation.
• The backup filesystem must be inaccessible to other processes, and this implies that the operating system must be offline to back up the "system" filesystem.
• You can't recover individual files or directories from a backup, but you might be able to restore the backup to a temporary partition and recover specific files or folders from there.

5. Win32 Disk Imager - Best Source Cloning Software for Windows

This tool allows for backing up a removable device to a raw image file or copying a raw disk image to a detachable device, making it useful for embedded development, particularly for projects like Android and Ubuntu on Arm. It is an open-source project that welcomes modifications and branching, and contributions in the form of patches are always appreciated.

This software is compatible with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10, as well as Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016. It is recommended to use version 0.9 for Windows XP and Vista.

Warning: There have been reports of problems while utilizing USB Floppy discs, which were resolved with v1.0, and it's advised to check before writing a picture to a device.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5

Review: I had the problem with Win32 re-writing my SD cards as MB instead of GB, but formatting them in a digital camera recovered them, allowing me to format them on my computer and run them through Win32 again. - by anonymous user from sourceforge.net

Technical specification: The software is compatible with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10, and is also compatible with Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016. For Windows XP and Vista, use version 0.9, which is available in the files archive.

Pros

• The Win32 Disk Imager's design is good.
• It helps people to follow with interest quickly.
• It has great performance.
• The Win32 Disk Imager is compatible with lots of devices.

Cons

• Low rating
• It supports only Windows

Editor's Pick: Select the Best Open Source Cloning Software for You

Clonezilla and Win32 Disk Imager are the top choices for their respective tasks.

For beginners: Clonezilla is an impressive open-source software that's super fast and easy to use, making it a great alternative to many paid options for cloning disks and partitions.

For professionals: Win32 Disk Imager is suitable for professional use and can be used to write boot images to an SD Flash device or USB flash device, making it bootable, such as writing ubuntu-12.04-preinstalled-desktop-armhf+omap4.img.

If you're looking for more powerful disk cloning software, you can explore further to find the best solution.

Recommendation: Best Disk Cloning Software - Qiling Backup Free Download

Qiling Backup, a unique Windows backup and recovery application, comes with a powerful cloning tool that offers a complete solution for Microsoft Windows users. This tool allows for PC backup, system restore, OS migration, HDD/SSD to SSD cloning, C drive/boot drive cloning, and creation of Windows portable USB.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Features

• All previous versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11, are fully supported.
• To ensure your computer can start from Pre-OS when it fails to boot, you can still clone a hard disc or partition, or restore a system image to recover data, even if the OS is not functioning. This allows for a recovery option when the OS is not accessible.
• Even if the Pre-OS feature isn't enabled, you can still perform system restore and data migration tasks by creating a bootable Qiling Backup WinPE or Linux emergency disc.
• During the system clone procedure, select the "Create a portable Windows USB Drive" checkbox to transfer a customized version of Windows to a USB drive that can be used on any PC or Mac, making it useful for playing Windows games on a Mac.
• Tech support 24/7

Price: The Home edition of the software costs $39.95 and comes with a 30-day free trial, while the Enterprise edition is priced at $49.

If you need to download and install something, you can follow these steps to do so.

Step 1. Launch Qiling Backup and select the "Tools and utilities" page, where you can see clone and other utilities.

Step 2. Select the source and target disks or partitions, ensuring the target disk has enough space to accommodate the source disk or partition's data.

Step 3. Click "Proceed" to start cloning.

Step 4. If you have backed up your data, click OK to permanently delete all data on the target disk/partition. If you haven't, the clone will erase all data.

Open Source Cloning Software VS Paid Cloning Software, Which Is Better

We compared two cloning software options, Clonezilla (open source) and Qiling Backup (paid), to determine which one is the best. The results showed that both software have their own strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately, the choice between them depends on individual needs and preferences. Would you like me to summarize the results in a more detailed manner?

Which is best?

Qiling Backup's paid version is ideal for beginners due to its ease of use and fast disk cloning speed, making it a great option despite the cost. In contrast, Clonezilla is a more time-consuming choice with slower speeds, requiring more effort and patience. While paid, Qiling Backup's features and benefits make it a worthwhile investment.

To Wrap Up

The article discussed both open source and paid software options for cloning, with Qiling Backup being highlighted as a top paid choice. This software offers user support in case of errors and is user-friendly, making it suitable for beginners.

FAQs About Open Source Cloning Software

1. Is Clonezilla Really Free

Clonezilla is a free disk imaging and cloning tool that operates off a live CD or live USB, differing from other solutions in that it doesn't require installation as a Windows application.

2. Which is better, clone vs. imaging

Cloning and imaging are both useful for backups, but they serve different purposes. Cloning creates a quick recovery point, while imaging provides more backup options, allowing you to save multiple snapshots without using excessive space. This makes imaging a more versatile choice for users who need to save multiple versions of their data.

3. What is the best free disk imaging software

Here are a few best disk imaging software:

• Qiling Backup
• Clonezilla
• Win32 Disk Imager
• Fog
• Cobian Backup11

Related Articles

• How to Clone GPT Disk to SSD in Windows Without Boot Failure
• How to Set Up Windows Backup [You Must Know 2022]
• [99%'s Choice] How to Backup Entire Hard Drive Windows 10
• Imaging Software Disadvantages VS Advantages, Show I Have It [2022 Thorough Reviews]