Best Open-Source Disk Cloning Software 2026: 6 Options Compared

Disk cloning copies a whole drive or partition, either sector by sector or only the used blocks, so you can move to a bigger SSD, deploy one setup to many machines or keep a recoverable image. The open-source options mostly run from a bootable USB stick, so the system being cloned is not in use while it is copied. Clonezilla is the long-standing choice, and it uses Partclone underneath to copy used blocks quickly; its interface is text-based and efficient but unfriendly. Rescuezilla wraps the same engine in a graphical desktop that is far easier for a first-time user. FSArchiver saves file systems into compressed archive files and can restore them to a different size or file system. GNU ddrescue is not a general cloner, but it is the tool to reach for when the source drive is failing and normal cloning keeps stopping on read errors. Partclone is also usable directly if you want scriptable control. The trade-off is convenience against control: commercial cloning software gives you wizards and scheduling inside Windows, while these tools ask you to boot separate media and choose options carefully. Before you start, double-check which disk is the source and which is the target, because swapping them overwrites your data. Verify the clone by booting from it before you wipe the original.

Clonezilla

GPL-2.0 disk imaging and cloning tool that runs from boot media. Efficient and widely used, with a text-based interface that takes some getting used to.

Price: Free (Free and open source disk imaging and cloning) (Clonezilla pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Bootable live media (x86/x86-64). GPL-2.0 (open source) (license source).

Best for: Experienced users and bulk deployment.

Worth knowing: Site names GNU General Public License version 2. Boots from USB, CD/DVD or PXE; images disks and partitions rather than running scheduled file backups.

Rescuezilla

GPL-3.0 graphical front end that makes disk imaging approachable. It uses the same underlying tools as Clonezilla.

Price: Free (Free and open source) (Rescuezilla pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Bootable live USB (PC and Mac). GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 2.8k GitHub stars · latest release 2.6.2 (May 16, 2026) · last commit May 16, 2026

Best for: First-time cloning with a mouse.

Partclone

GPL-2.0 tool that copies only used blocks of a partition and underlies Clonezilla. Direct use gives scripting control but no wizard.

Price: Free (Free open source) (Partclone pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Linux. GPL-2.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 437 GitHub stars · latest release 0.3.51 (Oct 27, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Scripted partition cloning.

Worth knowing: Backs up used blocks of a partition; it is the engine behind Clonezilla.

FSArchiver

GPL-2.0 tool that saves file systems into compressed archives. It can restore to a different partition size or file system type.

Price: Free (Free open source) (FSArchiver pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Linux. GPL-2.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 318 GitHub stars · latest release 0.8.9 (Feb 1, 2026) · last commit May 16, 2026

Best for: Moving to a different layout.

GNU ddrescue

GPL-2.0-or-later command-line copier that handles read errors by logging and retrying. Use it when the source disk is failing.

Price: Free (Free open source) (GNU ddrescue pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Linux. GPL-2.0-or-later (open source) (license source).

Best for: Cloning a drive that is going bad.

dd (GNU coreutils)

Part of GNU coreutils under GPL-3.0 and already on most Linux systems. It copies raw bytes with no checks or progress safety, so a wrong target overwrites data.

Price: Free (Free open source; part of GNU coreutils) (dd (GNU coreutils) pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Linux, macOS. GPL-3.0 (coreutils COPYING) (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 5.3k GitHub stars · latest release v9.12 (Sep 14, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Simple raw copies where you control every flag.

Which one to pick

• You want a graphical tool and have never cloned a disk: Rescuezilla
• You deploy the same image to many machines: Clonezilla
• The source drive has read errors: GNU ddrescue
• You need to restore to a different partition size: FSArchiver