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Head-to-head · Backup Software

Acronis True Image vs MiniTool ShadowMaker

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Acronis True Image #19 in Backup Software 7.2/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Acronis
MiniTool ShadowMaker #29 in Backup Software 6.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit MiniTool

Acronis True Image leads on 0 checks, MiniTool ShadowMaker on 1, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAcronis True Image · 7.2/10
  • Free planonly MiniTool ShadowMaker
  • Free trialonly Acronis True Image

Acronis True Image scores higher on our rubric for backup software: 7.2 against 6.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #19 and #29.

MiniTool ShadowMaker offers free plan; Acronis True Image doesn't.

Acronis True Image is the better fit for consumer full-image and mobile backup. MiniTool ShadowMaker is the better fit for windows users wanting affordable image backup.

  • Acronis True Image fits best

    Consumer full-image and mobile backup

  • MiniTool ShadowMaker fits best

    Windows users wanting affordable image backup

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Side by side

Feature Acronis True Image 7.2/10 Visit ↗ MiniTool ShadowMaker 6.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.2 6.2
Ranking #19 in Backup Software #29 in Backup Software
Best for Consumer full-image and mobile backup Windows users wanting affordable image backup
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $49.99/yr $3/device/mo
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 30 days —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Desktop
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Windows
Support Email, Live chat, Phone, Community, Docs · 24/7 Email, Docs · 24/7
Built for Solo, Small business Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Acronis True Image 3/4 · MiniTool ShadowMaker 3/4
Computer backup ✓ ✓
Mobile backup ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Server backup Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Ransomware protection ✓ ✓
Specs
Backup scope Mixed Mixed
Restore modes Mixed Mixed
Supported platforms Windows, macOS, iOS, Android windows
Our review
Pros
  • Full-image backup, disk cloning and Universal Restore
  • Backs up computers, mobile devices, NAS and cloud destinations
  • Active Protection adds anti-ransomware monitoring
  • Free plan includes system, disk, partition, and file backup
  • Full, incremental, and differential backup schemes
  • Cloning, WinPE rescue media, and Universal Restore options
Cons
  • No free plan; annual pricing starts at $49.99
  • Server backup is not included
  • Cloud storage is limited by plan
  • Windows-only platform coverage
  • No mobile backup support
  • Remote backup is limited to computers on the same LAN
Our verdict

Acronis True Image is personal backup and cyber-protection software for home and office users. It covers Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, with support for full-image backups of computers, disks and partitions alongside file, folder,…

Read the review →

MiniTool ShadowMaker is backup and disaster recovery software for Windows PCs, workstations, and servers. It covers files, folders, operating systems, disks, and partitions, with backup destinations including local, external, shared, and…

Read the review →
  1. Acronis True ImageBackup Software 7.230-day trial
  2. MiniTool ShadowMakerBackup Software 6.2Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Acronis True Image — where it wins

    • Full-image backup, disk cloning and Universal Restore
    • Backs up computers, mobile devices, NAS and cloud destinations
    • Active Protection adds anti-ransomware monitoring

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan; annual pricing starts at $49.99
    • Server backup is not included
    • Cloud storage is limited by plan
  • MiniTool ShadowMaker — where it wins

    • Free plan includes system, disk, partition, and file backup
    • Full, incremental, and differential backup schemes
    • Cloning, WinPE rescue media, and Universal Restore options

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only platform coverage
    • No mobile backup support
    • Remote backup is limited to computers on the same LAN
  • Acronis True Image7.2/10 · 30-day trial

    Full-image, mobile and cloud backup for personal devices, with no free plan.

    Visit AcronisFull verdict →
  • MiniTool ShadowMaker6.2/10 · Free plan

    A value-focused Windows backup tool with imaging, cloning, and rescue options.

    Visit MiniToolFull verdict →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update