At a glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

• Quick, speedy, reliable and reasonably priced.





• Additional backup and customization options.





• Easy to fine-tune a backup, synchronization, or clone function.

Cons

• Slightly awkward navigation to the home screen.





• YouTube tutorial videos for ChronoSync are six years out of date.





• Progress bar elements should show estimated time remaining.

Our Verdict

ChronoSync gives casual Mac user complete control over custom and scheduled backups.

Price When Reviewed

This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined

Best Pricing Today

There’s something to be said for customization and control of a backup application, and while Apple’s free Time Machine feature is terrific at automatically sending backups to an external hard drive throughout the day, there isn’t a ton of control offered as to file choice, scheduling, or other options. ChronoSync for macOS, from Econ Technologies, can give those who want it tighter control over their backup options, and while you may not have heard of it, it’s garnered a fan base over the years that’s arguably justified.

Where price and offerings are concerned, ChronoSync offers something valid for your money. A single license currently retails for $49.99 as of this writing, there is also a ‘cut-down’entry-level’ ChronoSync Express package for $29.99, with that app also being part of the SetApp bundle. The company also offers a 15-day trial without requiring a credit or debit card as well as a lifetime of support in terms of free updates after one-and-done payments without bothering you to set up an ongoing subscription.

See how Chronosync compares to other Mac Backup apps we’ve tested.

The software requires macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or later to install and run, and during testing, downloaded and installed cleanly, the software’s installation engine requesting full access to the hard drive in the Security and Privacy settings and assigning this without any fuss.

ChronoSync presents a world of backup options to you, in a format that doesn’t overwhelm. The software is based on several core modules such as Home Folder Backup, Data Volume, Synchronize Two Folders, Multiple Folder Backup, Bootable Backup, Backup to a Disk Image, and Folder Backup.

<figure data-wp-context='{"uploadedSrc":false,"figureClassNames":"wp-block-image size-full","figureStyles":null,"imgClassNames":"wp-image-2554928","imgStyles":null,"targetWidth":"none","targetHeight":"none","scaleAttr":false,"ariaLabel":"Enlarge image: ChronoSync Organizer","alt":"ChronoSync Organizer"}' data-wp-interactive="core/image" class="wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container"><button class="lightbox-trigger" type="button" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Enlarge image: ChronoSync Organizer" data-wp-init="callbacks.initTriggerButton" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-style--right="context.imageButtonRight" data-wp-style--top="context.imageButtonTop">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="12" height="12" fill="none" viewbox="0 0 12 12">
<path fill="#fff" d="M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z"></path>
</svg>
</button><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">

The ChronoSync Organizer, which serves as the program’s home screen and offers easy access to modules.

</figcaption></figure>

Foundry

Simply select your desired function from the ChronoSync Organizer/home screen, and you can begin creating or editing a task that can be saved and worked with later. Select the task you want to create, specify your settings (such as folders you want to copy over, file types you want to copy, a schedule you want for backups to take place, etc.), hit “Synchronize” and you’re off to the races.

Test synchronizations can also be set up to simulate functions, and a readily-accessible manual offers quick access to a guidebook that comes in handy. For the truly die-hard and geeky, rule-based copies and tasks can be set up, while the Analyze feature offers extensive information about documents such as a file types and permission settings. The task container option can be used for easy scripting, and you can quickly set up multiple steps for ChronoSync to follow.

Other features include being able to readily back up to NAS and file servers, the program supporting Apple’s HFS+ and APFS file formats as well as allowing for easy archiving tools and AES-128 and AES-256 encryption tools.

For users looking to make bootable clones, this is as easy as it should be, ChronoSync’s module allowing for something just as easy as what SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner have become known for, and it was simple to choose a source volume, choose a target volume, hit “Synchronize,” let the process run, and have a volume that was a cinch to boot from at the end of the process.

<figure data-wp-context='{"uploadedSrc":false,"figureClassNames":"wp-block-image size-large","figureStyles":null,"imgClassNames":"wp-image-2554930","imgStyles":null,"targetWidth":"none","targetHeight":"none","scaleAttr":false,"ariaLabel":"Enlarge image: Configuring a test backup in ChronoSync","alt":"Configuring a test backup in ChronoSync"}' data-wp-interactive="core/image" class="wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container"><button class="lightbox-trigger" type="button" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label="Enlarge image: Configuring a test backup in ChronoSync" dat