Carbon Copy Cloner

Name: Carbon Copy Cloner
Brand: Carbon Copy Cloner

Clone and back up your Mac with scheduled, bootable copies you fully control.

softwareBackup & Syncmac backupdisk cloningbootable clone

What is Carbon Copy Cloner?

Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) is Mac backup software from Bombich Software that creates bootable clones and scheduled backups on drives the user owns, rather than a proprietary cloud service. It supports hourly, daily, weekly, or on-demand backup schedules, and its SafetyNet and Snapshot features preserve deleted or modified files so earlier versions can be recovered later. CCC can also back up cloud-only files from iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box down to local storage, and it verifies backups with checksum validation for data integrity. It is sold as a one-time $49.99 Personal and Household license covering every Mac in a household rather than a subscription, with a 30-day free trial and discounted upgrade pricing for existing owners.

SpecificationsAI-estimated

deploymentDesktop App

open source❌ No

Key Features of Carbon Copy Cloner

Creates fully bootable clones of a Mac's startup disk for instant recovery if the internal drive fails.

Captures Snapshots so deleted or overwritten files can be restored from an earlier point in time.

Backs up cloud-only files from iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box to local storage.

Verifies backup integrity with a three-level, checksum-based validation system.

Schedules backups hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or triggers them on drive connection.

Detects renamed or moved folders and copies only new or modified files, saving backup time.

Offers a companion CCC Mobile Backup app for backing up iOS photos and files.

Use Cases for Carbon Copy Cloner

Bootable disaster recovery

Keep a bootable clone of the startup disk so work can continue immediately from an external drive if the internal disk fails.

Migrating to a new Mac

Clone a complete system to a new Mac's drive during an upgrade.

Archiving cloud-only files locally

Pull down files that only exist in iCloud or Google Drive into a local, versioned backup.

Recovering deleted files

Use Snapshots to restore a file that was deleted or overwritten days or weeks earlier.

Pros & Cons of Carbon Copy Cloner

Pros

One-time purchase, not a recurring subscription
Bootable clones allow near-instant recovery from drive failure
Backs up files to storage the user owns and controls, not a proprietary cloud
Household license covers every Mac in the home

Cons

Mac only, no Windows or Linux support
Requires macOS Ventura or later for CCC 7, locking out older Macs
One-time price is higher upfront than many subscription backup tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Carbon Copy Cloner a subscription?

No, it is a one-time $49.99 purchase covering all Macs in a household, not a recurring subscription.

Can CCC back up files that only live in iCloud or Google Drive?

Yes, it can download and back up cloud-only files from iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box to local storage.

Does CCC work on Windows?

No, Carbon Copy Cloner is Mac-only software.

What macOS versions does CCC 7 require?

CCC 7 requires macOS Ventura or later.

Pricing Overview

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Paid (One-time)

Personal and Household License

$49.99

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