Macrium Reflect Free alternatives that are still free in 2026
Macrium Reflect Free was the program everyone recommended for disk images. It has been retired: no security patches since 1 January 2024 and no download on Macrium’s site. These free programs do the same job and are still maintained.
Based on the publishers’ documentation and package data. We did not install or test these programs for this page. How we compared
Short answer
Veeam Agent Free is the closest replacement: free with nothing held back, image backups and bare-metal restore. If you used Reflect for its simple wizards, AOMEI Backupper Standard or Hasleo Backup Suite Free will feel more familiar.
At a glance
| Feature | Macrium Reflect Free |  Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows | AOMEI Backupper Standard | Hasleo Backup Suite Free | EaseUS Todo Backup Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System image backup | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Incremental backups | Paid only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Differential backups | Yes | No | Paid only | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled backups | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backup encryption | Paid only | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| Bootable recovery media | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clone the system disk | Yes | No | Paid only | Paid only | Paid only |
| Free at work | No | Workstations | Home use | No | Home use |
| Licence | — | Free | Proprietary | Free | Proprietary |
| Latest version | — | 13.1.1.700 | 8.5.0.0 | 6.0.2.0 | 17.5.0 |
| Last update | — | August 26, 2026 | October 11, 2026 | October 31, 2026 | July 19, 2025 |
| Package data | |||||
| Installer | — | EXE | EXE (Inno Setup) | EXE (Inno Setup) | EXE (Inno Setup) |
| Installer builds | — | 64-bit | 32-bit | 32-bit | 32-bit |
| Silent install | — | Documented | Documented | Documented | Documented |
| Install with winget | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SHA256 hash | — | Published | Published | Published | Published |
Free editions only. “Paid only”: the feature exists in a paid edition of the same program. “—”: the publisher does not say whether the free edition has it.
Macrium Reflect Free
Best for: Nobody new: it no longer receives updates
Reflect Free was for years the default answer to “free disk imaging on Windows”. Macrium retired it: the last free version is 8.0, security patches stopped on 1 January 2024, and the download is gone from Macrium’s site. A copy you already have still runs, but nothing will be fixed when a Windows update breaks it.
Pros
- Existing installs keep working
- Images made with it can still be restored
Cons
- No security patches since 1 January 2024
- No longer offered for download by Macrium
- Copies on download sites cannot be trusted
Price: Discontinued. Macrium’s current products are paid.
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows
Best for: A full image of your PC that you set up once and forget
The free edition is the same agent Veeam sells to companies, without the central management. It makes full-PC, volume and file-level backups, restores a whole machine from a recovery USB stick, and never asks you to upgrade. The interface is plainer than the consumer tools and there is no disk cloning.
Pros
- No feature locked behind an upgrade screen
- Bare-metal restore from a recovery USB stick, SD card, disc or ISO
- Backs up to an external drive or a NAS share
- Forever-incremental backups after the first full one
Cons
- No disk or system cloning
- Fewer wizards and explanations than consumer tools
- Large download and install
Price: Free. Paid editions add central management for companies.
Package data
- Installer
- EXE
- Installer builds
- 64-bit
- Silent install
- Documented
- SHA256 hash
- Published
- Version
- 12 versions in the archive
winget install --id Veeam.VeeamAgent -eAOMEI Backupper Standard
Best for: The easiest start for a home PC
The free Standard edition covers what most home users need: a system image, disk, partition and file backups, daily, weekly or monthly schedules, incremental backups and a WinPE rescue stick. Differential backups, system cloning (“OS migration”) and real-time sync are kept for Professional, and the program reminds you of it.
Pros
- Clear, step-by-step interface
- System, disk, partition and file backup in the free edition
- Daily, weekly and monthly schedules with incremental backups
- Creates WinPE bootable rescue media
Cons
- Clones data disks only: moving Windows to a new SSD needs Professional
- Differential backups and event triggers are paid
- Upgrade prompts inside the program
Price: Standard is free. Professional starts at $39.95 for one PC.
Package data
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Installer builds
- 32-bit
- Download size
- 200.0 MB
- Silent install
- Documented
- SHA256 hash
- Published
winget install --id AOMEI.Backupper.Standard -eHasleo Backup Suite Free
Best for: A light, no-nonsense image backup at home
A small program from the makers of EasyUEFI that backs up and restores the system, whole disks, partitions and files, with full, incremental and differential backups, schedules, encryption and a WinPE emergency disk. The free edition is for home use only and cannot clone the system disk.
Pros
- Small download, simple window
- Full, incremental and differential backups
- Schedules, encryption and a WinPE emergency disk
Cons
- Home use only
- Cannot clone the system disk in the free edition
- Smaller company, smaller community
Price: Free for home use. Home starts at $29.95 and Professional at $44.95 (excluding VAT).
Package data
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Installer builds
- 32-bit
- Silent install
- Documented
- SHA256 hash
- Published
- Version
- 2 versions in the archive
winget install --id Hasleo.BackupSuiteFree -eEaseUS Todo Backup Free
Best for: Encrypted, scheduled backups without paying
The free edition is generous on the backup side: system images, full, incremental and differential backups, daily, weekly or monthly schedules and encryption are all listed as free. Cloning a disk, a partition or the whole system is not: that is the main reason to buy Home. Expect offers for other EaseUS products.
Pros
- Full, incremental and differential backups for free
- Backup encryption in the free edition
- Daily, weekly and monthly schedules
- Bootable rescue media for a PC that no longer starts
Cons
- No cloning of disks, partitions or the system in Free
- Promotes other EaseUS products
- The winget package can lag behind the publisher’s latest release
Price: Free. Todo Backup Home is listed at $39.95.
Package data
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Installer builds
- 32-bit
- Download size
- 182.0 MB
- Silent install
- Documented
- SHA256 hash
- Published
- Version
- 10 versions in the archive
winget install --id EaseUS.TodoBackup -eCan I keep using Macrium Reflect Free?
Yes, an installed copy still works, and images it made can still be restored. But it is frozen: a future Windows update that breaks its driver or its rescue media will not be fixed, and it has had no security patches since the start of 2024. Make your next image with a maintained program, and keep Reflect only until you have tested a restore with the new one.
Do not download Reflect Free from third-party sites: Macrium no longer distributes it, so any copy you find there is outside its control.
Can the alternatives open Macrium images?
No. Macrium’s .mrimg format is read only by Macrium’s own tools. Keep Reflect installed, or keep its rescue media, for as long as you might need an old image, and start a new chain of backups with the replacement.
How we compared
- We compared the free editions of maintained Windows imaging programs with what Reflect Free did: system images, incremental and differential backups, schedules, rescue media and cloning.
- Features and prices were read on each publisher’s site on the date at the top. Macrium Reflect Free’s retirement dates are from Macrium’s end-of-life notice as reported at the time.
- We did not install or benchmark the programs for this page. Installer types, silent install switches and hashes come from the Windows Package Manager data, updated every day.
- We do not accept payment for including or ranking a program.
ExeAtlas is not paid to include a program or to rank it. Download buttons lead to our page for the program, which links only to the publisher’s own installer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Macrium Reflect Free still available?
No. Macrium retired the free edition: version 8.0 is the last one and it has received no security patches since 1 January 2024. Macrium’s current products are paid.
What is the best free alternative to Macrium Reflect?
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Free. It makes full-PC images, restores a whole machine from a recovery USB stick and has no features locked behind a paid edition.
Which free alternative can clone a disk like Reflect did?
Among the free editions compared here, none clones the system disk. Restore an image onto the new drive instead, or buy the paid edition of AOMEI, EaseUS or Hasleo.