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SyncBack looks a little overwhelming at first but it is mostly configured through a relatively simple step-by-step interface. When you’re configuring a back-up, there is a lot of text displayed on screen that tells you exactly how your back-up will run, so you can tweak the settings if you want to. While this might be a bit overwhelming for beginners, anyone who wants more control over their back-ups than simply clicking and hoping should relish the chance to get into the nitty- gritty detail.

SyncBackFree’s main weakness is its interface. The program isn’t difficult to use, because you are essentially guided through a wizard-style series of steps to create or update a back-up, or sync your files between two folders. However, being faced with a screen crammed full of text can be confusing. Stick with it, though, because it’s worth the extra effort.

EaseUS Todo Backup’s interface is much simpler and clearer than SyncBack’s, which makes it a lot easier to use, but it doesn’t have the same breadth of tools as SyncBackFree. Todo Backup’s different options can be easily accessed from the bar across the top.

You can back-up entire drives or partitions; clone a drive if it needs replacing; make a system back-up in case your PC breaks down; and create standard back-ups of any files and folders of your choosing. Each process is broken down into simple steps, clearly presented. Even the option to restore a back-up only appears once you’ve created one, which keeps the interface uncluttered and tidy.

The software has a Smart Backup option, which performs a quick, regular scan of your selected folders and backs up any changes it finds. This is a great way to keep important folders regularly backed up.

Todo Backup’s sync tool is only available in the paid-for version, which means it’s missing a vital tool that SyncBackFree manages to include.

Creating a back-up with Iperius is easy just choose your folders and files, and set filters for file extension or size to exclude anything you don’t want. You can then perform either a full or incremental back-up, or use Iperius’s handy best-of-both-worlds option, which saves a full back-up alongside versions of files that have changed. Once you’ve created a back-up, you can use the software to schedule it. Iperius launches with Windows by default, which is a bit presumptuous, but means you don’t have to set it up yourself.

The free version of Imperius only lets you back up to a local drive. There are online back-up tools linked to from the software but they all lead to screens nagging you to upgrade.

Paragon's Backup & Recovery :: software only works with entire drives, but it's a good option if  you want to create a complete  back-up. The lack of extras keeps things simple, but the program's more complex mode is barely worth it, because most of the options need the paid-for upgrade to activate them.

AOMEI Backupper Standard has an attractive interface that's easy to use. It offers a good range of options and tools that let you perform actions such as spanning discs and shutting down your PC when back-ups have finished. However, it saves back-ups in its own format so you can't explore them without installing the software.