We stand with Ukraine to help keep people safe. Join us
All Apps
Best AppsReviewsComparisonsHow-To
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission
HomeSystem UtilitiesBackupCarbon Copy Cloner

Carbon Copy Cloner for Mac

Advanced backup and file copying utility for macOS.

$49.99
In English
4.3
Based on 292 user rates

Carbon Copy Cloner overview

Carbon Copy Cloner is an advanced backup and file copying application for macOS. Looking for something better than Time Machine? With just a few clicks you can set up CCC to make hourly or daily backups of your Mac. CCC can build extensive file version history that you can use to restore older versions of files, and files that you might have accidentally deleted. CCC's read-only snapshots also give you excellent protection against malware and ransomware. CCC backups are compatible with Migration Assistant too, so you can use them to migrate data to a new Mac.

Beyond those backup basics, CCC offers extensive auditing and verification. Have you ever wondered what all of that disk activity was? Has some application run amok? The list of files that change in each backup event give you unprecedented insight into what's changing on your Mac each day. Need to copy the entire content of one volume to another? We can do that in just a few clicks. But suppose you're planning to erase the source when you're done migrating data to a new disk? We all trust our hardware, but maybe not that much! CCC can reverify files that were copied, so you can be 100% certain that your files are safely stored on the new destination.

That's just a peek at what CCC can do. CCC can:

  • Create non-proprietary copies of your data, on locally-attached or network volumes
  • Perform folder-to-folder copies
  • Copy one external volume to another
  • Apply advanced filters to define precisely what should be excluded from or included in a file copying task
  • Verify, and re-verify later, the integrity of the files that were copied by CCC
  • Schedule your backup tasks with greater flexibility (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, apply time limits based on the day of week or the hour of day)
  • Configure backup/file copying tasks to run in response to a volume mount event, e.g. when you attach the backup disk to your Mac
  • Configure backup/file copying tasks to run after a threshold of data has been modified on the source
  • Get detailed insight into which files are changing on your Mac
  • Examine the differences between your source and destination
  • Preview changes to the destination before actually making them
  • Proactively detect (and address on the destination) and deter "bit rot" on your source and destination hard drives
  • Get insight into the performance and health of your hardware, now and over time

What’s new in version 7.0.3

  • Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.
View older Carbon Copy Cloner versions

Carbon Copy Cloner for Mac

$49.99
In English
Version 7.0.3

What users say about Carbon Copy Cloner

jybritt
By jybritt on Aug 11 2021 for v.6.0.2

Customer support: 1.0

I purchased this software in early February, 2021. It has never worked. Good luck trying to get through to someone in customer support. And, oh yeah, I got a notice earlier this summer when I tried to update it that I'd just missed the cutoff for the update to be free, which was late February. Don't waste your money. It's so bad that I've gone back to Mac's Time Machine. And by the way, this wouldn't load unless I had at least one thing that I liked (see below). I put down "price," but that's a joke.

Other user ratings:

Value | 1.0
Ease of use | 1.0
Features | 1.0
Reliability | 1.0
Write a detailed review about Carbon Copy Cloner

What customer like

Customization

What needs improvements

Value
Support
Design

Carbon Copy Cloner qualities

Value
2.0
Ease of use
2.3
Features
2.8
Reliability
2.0
Customer support
2.0

Write your thoughts in our old-fashioned comment

MacUpdate Comment Policy. We strongly recommend leaving comments, however comments with abusive words, bullying, personal attacks of any type will be moderated.
4.3

(367 Reviews of Carbon Copy Cloner)

  • Comments

  • User Ratings

Derekcurrie
Derekcurrie
May 23 2024
7.0.1.8015
2.0
May 23 2024
2.0
Version: 7.0.1.8015
CCC can no longer guarantee the ability to make BOOTABLE drive clones. A link to their article on the subject is below. In summary from that article: "The reliability of Apple's External Boot solution has waned in the past several years, however, and the situation has grown starkly worse on the new Apple Silicon platform. Apple Silicon Macs will not start up (at all) if the internal storage is damaged or otherwise incapacitated, so there is very little value, if any, to maintaining a bootable rescue device for those Macs.... If you would like to configure CCC to create a bootable copy of your Mac's startup disk, you can use the Legacy Bootable Copy Assistant.... This procedure relies on Apple's proprietary APFS replication utility, which is outside of our developmental control." THEREFORE: Consider CCC a BACKUP SOLUTION ONLY. IF you attempt to make a bootable drive, do NOT consider it a backup. It will NOT work as a restore drive! Make a SEPARATE BACKUP. - - So what can make a reliable drive clone these days? Every test so far indicates that SuperDuper still works as a bootable drive clone maker! Verify the latest notes at the SuperDuper site FIRST! --> Here is CCC's article about the bootable drive problem: https://support.bombich.com/hc/en-us/articles/20686422131479-Creating-legacy-bootable-copies-of-macOS
neartheredrocks
neartheredrocks
Oct 30 2023
6.1.8
1.0
Oct 30 2023
1.0
Version: 6.1.8
I successfully switched to SuperDuper - and was able to create a BOOTABLE clone of my hard drive with macOS Ventura 13.6 without any problems. Without any problems at all. SuperDuper automatically makes the clone bootable, and I was actually able to boot from that hard drive. I was caught cold by the fact that CCC can no longer create bootable clones when I bitterly needed to boot from an external hard drive. What I find particularly annoying is not the fact that Bombich is unable to integrate this feature into CCC, but that they write about it in a way that made me for some weeks think it is no longer possible at all - which is simply not the case.
phdrealestatephotography
phdrealestatephotography
Aug 11 2023
6.1.6
0.0
Aug 11 2023
0.0
Version: 6.1.6
I have used CCC for a number of years. I have Version 4, however now when I attempt to use it says I have to pay to update to Version 6. I always thought it was a one time purpose for life. I only use CCC to back up some photographs that I keep on an external drive. My older version is all I need to perform what I need. Wondering if there is a way to have my older version to still work?
peteherrera7
peteherrera7
Jun 23 2023
6.1.6
0.0
Jun 23 2023
0.0
Version: 6.1.6
Just asking? Why is CCC not cloning the boot drive to another drive like it did in the past; which make the target drive bootable? I am using Mac OS 13.4.1 Ventura.
Nicmart
Nicmart
Jun 2 2023
6.1.6
2.0
Jun 2 2023
2.0
Version: 6.1.6
I've had CCC for a long time. For several years I switched to Time Machine, but I've had some corruption problems with it. So, I installed the latest CCC version and backed up to a new external drive. I noticed that there was a huge discrepancy between the data size on the internal and backup drives. The backup reported about 20 GBs less. Searching online I found that a discrepancy is not uncommon, but the comments were all about the backup showing higher, not lower data totals. So, I sent a message to the developer, and he cordially explained that the discrepancy was down to Apple, and that's that. Fine, but can I really have confidence that CCC has done a copy of all possible files? The second day I ran CCC again, and it backed up thousands of additional files. There is no way that the few things I did on the Mac in less than a day changed thousands of files, or is there a way? How can I know? Frankly, the blue and green lines seem like distracting and meaningless piffle to me. So, back to Time Machine with the hope that it's not corrupted if I need to restore. I once had complete faith that CCC was doing the job. Backup is less comprehensible and reliable now on Macs than it was 20 years ago.
Derekcurrie
Derekcurrie
May 23 2024
7.0.1.8015
2.0
May 23 2024
2.0
Version: 7.0.1.8015
DavidE6361
DavidE6361
Feb 6 2024
6.1.9
5.0
Feb 6 2024
5.0
Version: 6.1.9
bazlane
bazlane
Jan 31 2024
6.1.9
5.0
Jan 31 2024
5.0
Version: 6.1.9
Jlbro
Jlbro
Dec 23 2023
6.1.8
5.0
Dec 23 2023
5.0
Version: 6.1.8
iLeopard
iLeopard
Nov 21 2023
6.1.8
5.0
Nov 21 2023
5.0
Version: 6.1.8
neartheredrocks
neartheredrocks
Oct 30 2023
6.1.8
1.0
Oct 30 2023
1.0
Version: 6.1.8
Johnny-K
Johnny-K
Sep 28 2023
6.1.7
3.0
Sep 28 2023
3.0
Version: 6.1.7
mzulgis
mzulgis
Aug 25 2023
6.1.6
1.0
Aug 25 2023
1.0
Version: 6.1.6
kom
kom
Jul 26 2023
6.1.6
5.0
Jul 26 2023
5.0
Version: 6.1.6
Nicmart
Nicmart
Jun 2 2023
6.1.6
2.0
Jun 2 2023
2.0
Version: 6.1.6
2y2d
2y2d
Dec 3 2022
6.1.4
5.0
Dec 3 2022
5.0
Version: 6.1.4
zlazkow
zlazkow
Dec 2 2022
6.1.4
5.0
Dec 2 2022
5.0
Version: 6.1.4
Aargl
Aargl
Jul 2 2022
6.1.2
5.0
Jul 2 2022
5.0
Version: 6.1.2
Bottacco
Bottacco
Jul 1 2022
6.1.2
5.0
Jul 1 2022
5.0
Version: 6.1.2
Franbene1
Franbene1
May 25 2022
6.1.2
5.0
May 25 2022
5.0
Version: 6.1.2
gregraven
gregraven
Feb 19 2022
6.0.5
5.0
Feb 19 2022
5.0
Version: 6.0.5
davidhouse27
davidhouse27
Jan 7 2022
6.0.5
5.0
Jan 7 2022
5.0
Version: 6.0.5
Robert86
Robert86
Sep 17 2021
6.0.3
5.0
Sep 17 2021
5.0
Version: 6.0.3
jybritt
jybritt
Aug 11 2021
6.0.2
1.0
Aug 11 2021
1.0
Version: 6.0.2
dbona475
dbona475
Jun 2 2021
6.0.1
3.0
Jun 2 2021
3.0
Version: 6.0.1
chestmeto
chestmeto
May 31 2021
6.0.1
4.0
May 31 2021
4.0
Version: 6.0.1
Seanandersen
Seanandersen
May 29 2021
6.0.1
5.0
May 29 2021
5.0
Version: 6.0.1
freddofoxxy
freddofoxxy
May 26 2021
6.0
3.0
May 26 2021
3.0
Version: 6.0
macmarine1958
macmarine1958
May 12 2021
5.1.26
5.0
May 12 2021
5.0
Version: 5.1.26
Wunderhorn
Wunderhorn
May 7 2021
5.1.26.6180
5.0
May 7 2021
5.0
Version: 5.1.26.6180
Rasputinsrevengereloadet
Jan 19 2021
5.0
Version: null
Mcr
Mcr
Jan 5 2021
5.0
Jan 5 2021
5.0
Version: null
imraniqbal31
imraniqbal31
Jan 5 2021
5.0
Jan 5 2021
5.0
Version: null
nobody2011
nobody2011
Oct 17 2020
5.0
Oct 17 2020
5.0
Version: null
jones234
jones234
Sep 16 2020
5.0
Sep 16 2020
5.0
Version: null
mgj203456
mgj203456
Sep 5 2020
5.0
Sep 5 2020
5.0
Version: null
John217
John217
Jul 23 2020
5.0
Jul 23 2020
5.0
Version: null
Slimeyapple
Slimeyapple
Jun 21 2020
1.0
Jun 21 2020
1.0
Version: null
Grichte
Grichte
Feb 14 2020
5.0
Feb 14 2020
5.0
Version: null
DragonMaster
DragonMaster
Jan 25 2020
5.0
Jan 25 2020
5.0
Version: null
jbuckle40
jbuckle40
Dec 14 2019
5.0
Dec 14 2019
5.0
Version: null
robprint
robprint
Nov 9 2019
5.0
Nov 9 2019
5.0
Version: null
iMacWare
iMacWare
Oct 21 2019
5.0
Oct 21 2019
5.0
Version: null
Stevie24
Stevie24
Apr 25 2019
5.0
Apr 25 2019
5.0
Version: null
Dgerzeeboy
Dgerzeeboy
Mar 16 2019
5.0
Mar 16 2019
5.0
Version: null