shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use SuperDuper! (Shirt Pocket)?

Heroic system recovery for mere mortals. - shirt-pocket.com

Worth it. Buy it if you're on a Mac and want bootable clones as a cheap one-time Time Machine complement — two decades of goodwill back it up. Skip it if you need Windows/Linux support, fleet management, or cloud backup.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20 public sources (2006–2026); no vendor security page found, no aggregate user ratings available.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$43.95 one-time

SuperDuper! 4

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Mac users wanting bootable clones
  • Time Machine users adding a second layer
  • Non-technical users ('mere mortals')
  • Owners of older Macs (Classic builds)

Not for

  • Windows or Linux shops — Mac-only
  • IT teams managing fleets — no central console
  • Anyone wanting cloud or versioned file-history backup
  • People satisfied with free built-in Time Machine

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Run the latest version: root escalation in v3.10 and earlier disclosed Dec 2025; public patch status unconfirmed.

medium

Small indie shop — bus-factor risk for a tool you depend on in disasters.

low

Vendor publishes no security page or disclosure policy — verify advisories yourself before trusting it.

low

Price varies: official $43.95 vs $55 on MacUpdate. Buy directly from Shirt Pocket.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • One-time $43.95 license, no subscription
  • 20+ year track record; Macworld Eddy Awards 2005 and 2006
  • Bootable clones written directly to the drive — no disk images
  • Guided, step-by-step backup walkthrough praised by reviewers
  • Support called 'fast, thoughtful, and helpful' by users

Cons

  • macOS only; no Windows or Linux support
  • Root privilege-escalation issue disclosed in v3.10 SDAgent
  • Arbitrary code execution via update mechanism reported for v3.10 and earlier
  • No public security page on vendor site

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 10 sources - One 2025 disclosure: local root privilege escalation in v3.10 and earlier; no vendor security page found.

official x1review x6security x2news x1
  • SDAgent privilege escalation (v3.10 and earlier), Incorrect access control in SDAgent allows local attackers to escalate privileges to root.
  • Update mechanism code execution, Issue in v3.10 and before allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary code via the software update mechanism.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $43.95 one-time

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. One-time fee, decades of updates
  • Ease of use: 5/5. Guided step-by-step; 'mere mortals' backed by reviews
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Clone-and-schedule focus; no cloud or fleet tools
  • Support quality: 5/5. Forum praise: fast, thoughtful, helpful
  • Security posture: 2/5. Disclosed root escalation; no security page
  • $43.95 Starting price SuperDuper! 4, one-time license
  • 20+ years Track record Reviewed since 2006; Classic runs back to macOS Jaguar
  • 2 Eddy Awards Awards Macworld, 2005 and 2006
  • macOS only Platform No Windows or Linux version

Pricing

SuperDuper! 4

$43.95 one-time

  • Bootable clones
  • Scheduled backups

Security

One 2025 disclosure: local root privilege escalation in v3.10 and earlier; no vendor security page found.

  • SDAgent privilege escalation (v3.10 and earlier)Incorrect access control in SDAgent allows local attackers to escalate privileges to root.⁸
  • Update mechanism code executionIssue in v3.10 and before allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary code via the software update mechanism.⁹

What users say

Longtime Mac users call it reliable and easy, praising the support; several switched to it from Carbon Copy Cloner.

“It was such a great experience of fast, thoughtful, and helpful tech support!”
MPU Talk forum
“It's a fine piece of SW; as is Carbon Copy Cloner, SilverKeeper, etc.”
Apple Discussions
“Shirt Pocket's SuperDuper has been one of the Mac world's go-to backup apps for decades, winning Macworld's Eddy Awards in 2005 and 2006.”
TidBITS review

Alternatives

Compare SuperDuper! (Shirt Pocket) with each alternative.

  • Carbon Copy Cloner

    Chief rival; deeper scheduling and task features, similar price.

  • Time Machine

    Free, built into macOS; covers most needs minus bootable clones.

  • Clonezilla

    Free open-source cloning; powerful but far less Mac-friendly.

    SuperDuper! (Shirt Pocket) vs Clonezilla
Full analysis

Based on 20 public sources (2006–2026); no vendor security page found, no aggregate user ratings available.

Beloved $43.95 one-time Mac clone backup, 20-year track record; one 2025 security disclosure — run the latest version.

Methodology

Based on 20 public sources (2006–2026); no vendor security page found, no aggregate user ratings available.

Sources

  1. Shirt Pocket — SuperDuper! official siteshirt-pocket.com
    official
  2. SuperDuper! 4 revamp review — TidBITStidbits.com
    review
  3. SuperDuper! 4 review — Six Colorssixcolors.com
    review
  4. Bootable Mac backups ode — Daring Fireballdaringfireball.net
    news
  5. SuperDuper praise thread — MPU Talktalk.macpowerusers.com
    review
  6. Why I prefer SuperDuper over CCC — MacRumorsforums.macrumors.com
    review
  7. SuperDuper backup comments — Apple Discussionsdiscussions.apple.com
    review
  8. SDAgent root escalation disclosure — Blueskybsky.app
    security
  9. Update mechanism issue, v3.10 and before — GitHubgithub.com
    security
  10. SuperDuper! listing — MacUpdatesuperduper.macupdate.com
    review

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