Comparison

SyncBack V12 Backup Software (2BrightSparks) vs Macrium

SyncBack V12 Backup Software (2BrightSparks) lands on Worth it, and Macrium lands on Depends.

SyncBack V12 Backup Software (2BrightSparks)

Worth it

Confidence: High

Buy for Windows users: the free SyncBackFree is genuinely enough for most people, and SE ($44.95) is cheap insurance if you need encryption or cloud.

Depends

Confidence: Medium

Buy if you need rock-solid Windows disk imaging for business machines or irreplaceable data.

SyncBack V12 Backup Software (2BrightSparks) versus Macrium
Compare	SyncBack V12 Backup Software (2BrightSparks)	Macrium
Verdict	Worth it	Depends
Best for	Windows home users (Free is enough)	MSPs managing client fleets
Who it's not for	Mac or Linux-only users . core is Windows-only	Casual home users . Windows built-in backup suffices
Privacy	No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; V12 adds TLS 1.3 and Infisical secrets manager integration.^¹	Two 2025 CVEs in the Reflect driver (privilege escalation, out-of-bounds write); vendor published advisories and fixes.
Support quality	Insufficient direct support evidence	Dedicated team claimed; case studies cite fast remote fixes
Public sentiment	Long-time users praise reliability and flexibility, and reviewers call the free version genuinely sufficient for home use.^⁶	Reviewers and MSPs praise reliability and ease of use, while long-time users complain about pricing, the subscription shift, and the discontinued free edition.
Biggest gotcha	V12 upgrade free only with active Upgrade Assurance or purchase after 1 March 2026	Subscription-only shift with Reflect X ends perpetual licenses many buyers still expect