BackUp Maker 8.3.1.7

BackUp Maker — Editor’s review of ASCOMP’s Windows backup utility

BackUp Maker from ASCOMP Software GmbH is a Windows-focused backup tool that balances ease of use with advanced options for both home users and small businesses. A free Standard Edition is available for private use and evaluation, while a Professional Edition (around 39.90 EUR) unlocks the full feature set. The program is designed to automate routine backups, protect sensitive data with strong encryption, and store archives on local, external, network or cloud destinations.

Key features and capabilities

• Automated scheduling and event triggers: Create time-based schedules or trigger backups on specific events so backups run without manual intervention.
• Backup types and generations: Options for full, incremental and differential backups plus multiple generations let you optimize storage and restore the precise version you need.
• Wide destination support: Save backups to local drives, external media (CD/DVD, USB), network shares, NAS, cloud apps, WebDAV or remote servers via SFTP/FTP/FTPS.
• Strong encryption: Protect backups with AES encryption up to 256-bit to prevent unauthorized access when storing sensitive files.
• Compression and ZIP archives: Backups are compressed to save disk space and produced in standard ZIP format for compatibility and easy access.
• Custom actions and pre/post tasks: Run scripts or programs before and after backups to prepare data or perform follow-up operations such as automated uploads.
• Entire drive and file-level backup: BackUp Maker can secure individual files and folders as well as larger data sets and entire drives, enabling broad protection strategies.
• Smartphone Link integration: With Windows 11 Smartphone Link, photos, videos and documents from mobile devices can be included in backups.
• User profiles and templates: Create multiple backup profiles to manage different datasets, schedules and destinations for personal and business workflows.

Security, performance and reliability

BackUp Maker focuses on reliable, restorable backups. Standard ZIP compression keeps archives compact while AES-256 encryption secures sensitive content. The software supports distributing backups across several media and maintaining multiple backup generations to reduce the risk of data loss from hardware failure, ransomware or accidental deletion. Regular updates and a straightforward restore process aim to minimize downtime when recovery is required.

Installation, usability and support

• Simple setup: The interface guides users through selecting files, configuring schedules and choosing storage destinations, making it approachable for non-technical users.
• Advanced settings: Power users can fine-tune compression, encryption, retention rules and pre/post actions from extended settings screens.
• Platform and requirements: Designed for Windows (32-bit and 64-bit); modest system requirements make it suitable for older PCs as well as modern systems.
• Documentation and help: An FAQ and online resources cover Smartphone Link setup and cloud/upload options; paid users have access to support channels.

Who should consider BackUp Maker?

• Home users: Those who want an easy-to-use, free-for-private-use tool to automate regular file and photo backups with encryption and cloud upload options.
• Small businesses: Organizations that need scheduled, encrypted backups to local, network or remote servers and require multiple backup generations and pre/post automation.
• IT-savvy users: Users who want granular control over backup profiles, retention, and scripted pre/post actions while keeping archives in standard ZIP format for accessibility.

Strengths and limitations

• Strengths:
  • Free Standard Edition for private use and an affordable Professional Edition.
  • Comprehensive destination support including SFTP/FTP/FTPS and WebDAV for secure offsite storage.
  • AES-256 encryption and ZIP compression balance security and compatibility.
  • Flexible scheduling, incremental/differential backups and multi-generation retention.
• Limitations:
  • Windows-only — no native macOS or Linux clients.
  • Backups use ZIP format; users seeking alternative compression formats may find options limited.
  • Advanced enterprise features like centralized management for large fleets are not the primary focus.

Quick practical checklist

1. Download the Standard Edition to evaluate core functionality free for private use.
2. Decide on destinations (external drive, NAS or remote server) and test scheduled backups to confirm restore workflows.
3. Enable AES-256 encryption when storing backups offsite or on shared devices.
4. Create separate profiles for critical data sets and set retention rules to maintain multiple generations.
5. Use pre/post actions for database dumps or automated uploads to cloud servers where needed.