AceBackup Review

AceBackup is free Windows backup software made by the German company AceBIT.  It’s clear that their German engineering has worked it’s way into this software, because it’s designed for power and precision.  I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about backing up their data, and doesn’t mind taking the time to get it setup just right.

AceBackup main screen

Editor's Rating:
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
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User Rating:
Rating: 3.7/5 (7 votes cast)

Pros

  • Powerful
  • Can backup multiple versions of the same file
  • Can specify multiple destination for backups

Cons

  • Can’t backup open files
  • Task scheduler doesn’t work

The Bottom Line

It might be too complex for novice computer users.  But once you get it setup the way you want, you can forget about ever losing your data again.

Installation

The installation is easy and gave me no problems at all.  All I had to do was select my language and click Next through the menus.

Backing Up

The interface is nice and clean, without any clutter.

To backup your files, you’ll need to create a new project.  The wizard will guide you through the whole process.  You’ll need to specify where you want to store your backups.  I like the ability to choose multiple destinations.

AceBackup destinations

You can backup to multiple destinations at once

The next screen will display other options such as compression and encryption.

You can also choose to store your files in a AceBackup’s proprietary file format or “as is”.  However, by choosing “as is”, you won’t be able to store multiple versions of a file.

Finally, you’ll define versioning, scheduling, and email reports.  With versioning, you define the default action on a file name collision.  Either replace existing files, update older files, or create a new version.  Create a new version would keep a backup of every file you’ve ever deleted or changed.  This gives the user an enormous amount of power for free backup software.

One thing I didn’t like was that creating the backup job and adding files to the job are separate processes.  You need to do them independently.  I wish it was more linear in that sense.

Regardless, once you add files to the project they can be backed up immediately.

Restoring

The restore process is pretty straightforward.  Simply click Restore, which will launch the Restore Wizard.

AceBackup Restore Wizard

Pick and choose which files/folders you’d like to restore.

Choose your restore settings.

AceBackup Restore Settings

AceBackup restore settings

And your data is back!  I like the option to only restore missing or changed files.

Features

Multiple versioning

Want to restore an older version of a file?  This lets you do it.

All volumes are independent

Want to backup everything to an external drive, but only your Word documents to an FTP server (due to limited space)?  No problem.  You can do it all within the same project.

Up to 256 bit Encryption

You can password protect and encrypt your backups, with your choice of encryption standards.

ZIP Compression

AceBackup also lets you choose fastest, default, or best (slowest) compression.

Support

Due to the software being freeware, AceBit is very clear that they don’t offer support via email or phone.  Users are encouraged to read the documentation and FAQ.  Any questions or problems not answered there can be asked on the support forums.

Specifications
Product Name AceBackup
Version 3.0.2
License Freeware
Price Free
Operating Systems Window
Backup Types
Files and Folders yes
Full Disk Image no
Incremental yes
Differential no
Backup Destinations
Hard Drive yes
Removable Media yes
Network Shares yes
Blu-ray no
CD/DVD yes
FTP yes
SFTP no
Online Storage no
Features
Compression yes
Encryption yes
Email Notifications yes
Error Handling yes
File Versioning yes
Priority Setting no
Scheduling yes
Speed Limiting no
Synchronization yes

Geoff Akerlund

Geoff Akerlund

Geoff Akerlund is the founder and editor-in-chief of BackupReview.com. He enjoys attending music festivals, whitewater kayaking on the American River, and board game nights in his free time.

Geoff Akerlund