What are the main features and advantages of Acronis True Image 2021 Advanced?
Cloud Backup – Protects files and system images offsite securely.
Quick Recovery – Restores data fast after crashes or ransomware.
Active Protection – Blocks ransomware and protects backup files.
Disk Cloning – Simplifies drive replacement and system migration.
Full Imaging – Creates complete backups for reliable disaster recovery.
Digital Reliability – Supports stable long-term data protection and recovery.
Full image backup – Complete system snapshots plus file-level backups.
Integrated antimalware – Real-time protection, antivirus scans, ransomware defense.
Active disk cloning – Duplicates a running system without interrupting work.
Microsoft 365 backup – Protects Outlook.com mailboxes and OneDrive files.
Core Capacity – 250 GB Acronis Cloud storage for off-site copies.
Important – Commercial use rights and Windows Server support are not included in this edition.
Acronis True Image 2021 Advanced is the subscription edition of Acronis' personal backup software that combines disk imaging, cloud storage and a full antimalware engine in one application for Windows and macOS computers. It is built for home users who want both a local backup and an automatic off-site copy without managing two separate tools.
Dual protection – Local backups replicate automatically to Acronis Cloud.
Fast recovery – Restore a full system or single files.
Universal restore – Recover a system image to different hardware.
Resumable replication – Interrupted cloud uploads continue where they stopped.
Flexible archives – Mount, move or convert .tibx backups to .vhd.
Mobile backup – Unlimited iOS and Android backups, local or cloud.
It creates complete disk image backups and selective file backups of Windows and macOS computers and stores them on internal drives, external disks, NAS shares or in the included 250 GB of Acronis Cloud storage. The same installation runs an integrated antimalware engine with real-time behavioral detection, on-demand antivirus scans and Active Protection against ransomware, which also shields the backup files themselves from encryption attacks. In practice, a failed SSD, an encrypted user folder or an accidentally deleted project can all be resolved from one application: restore the full image to the same or different hardware, or pull individual files from a local or cloud archive.
According to the official Acronis comparison for the 2021 product family, all three editions cover image backup, active disk cloning, quick recovery with universal restore and ransomware protection. Essential includes the antimalware engine only as a trial and ships without cloud storage, so backups stay local. Advanced adds 250 GB of Acronis Cloud storage, the full antimalware suite, dual-protection cloud replication and Microsoft 365 backup. Premium raises cloud storage to 1 TB and adds blockchain-based file notarization and electronic signatures, which Advanced does not include.
| Feature | Essential | Advanced | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image backup and cloning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Acronis Cloud storage | ✕ | 250 GB | 1 TB |
| Full antimalware suite | Trial | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dual protection replication | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft 365 backup | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blockchain notarization, e-signatures | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Yes, the Advanced edition backs up Outlook.com mailboxes and OneDrive file contents directly cloud-to-cloud into Acronis Cloud. This matters because files stored only in OneDrive or emails kept only in Outlook.com are not covered by a classic disk image of the local computer. With this feature, a mailbox emptied by mistake or a synced folder overwritten by a bad sync can be restored from an independent copy. Microsoft 365 backup is not available in the Essential edition or in the perpetual Standard edition.
Acronis True Image 2021 is a personal product: it does not support Windows Server operating systems and does not include commercial use rights, so company servers need an Acronis business solution instead. Blockchain-based file notarization and electronic signatures are reserved for the Premium edition and are not part of Advanced. Some protection functions, such as cryptojacking protection and recovery to dissimilar hardware, are available on Windows only, which Mac buyers should factor in. The included cloud quota is 250 GB, so households with large photo and video libraries should calculate their data volume before relying on full cloud replication.
Backups can be configured in two clicks to local drives, external disks, NAS, network shares or the cloud, so a daily schedule is set up once and then runs unattended. Version 2021 added resumable cloud replication: if an upload is interrupted, it continues from the point of interruption instead of restarting, which saves time and cloud quota on slower connections. The redesigned Web Restore page gives browser access to cloud backups, including the option to password-protect shared files and folders. Combined with active disk cloning, the software also covers a common practical task: migrating a working system to a larger SSD without reinstalling Windows or macOS.
First, check whether off-site copies are actually needed: users who only want local image backups and cloning are also served by the Essential or perpetual Standard editions, which omit cloud storage. Second, compare the 250 GB cloud quota against the real size of the data to be replicated; Premium is the step up to 1 TB. Third, confirm the use case is private, since server deployment and commercial use are outside this product's scope. Buyers who need certified proof of file authenticity, for example for contracts, should look at Premium because notarization is exclusive to that tier.
Yes. In version 2021, .tibx backup archives can be mounted as a drive, moved, renamed and converted to the .vhd format, so individual files can be browsed and copied out directly.
Yes. The Advanced edition supports unlimited mobile backups from iOS and Android devices, stored either locally on a computer or in Acronis Cloud via the mobile app.
Yes. The online dashboard provides remote management of protected machines and remote access to cloud backups, which is practical when one person maintains backups for several household computers.
| Operating Systems |
Windows 10: Home / Pro / Education / Enterprise |
| Processor | Intel CORE 2 Duo 2 GHz processor or equivalent with SSE instruction support |
| Memory RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| Hard Disk | 785 MB installer download size 7 GB free space on the system hard disk |
| Display | Standard display compatible with the respective operating system |
| Special Features | Full image backup Disk and partition backup File and folder backup Cloning active drives Quick recovery Acronis Universal Restore Office 365 backup for Outlook and OneDrive Cloud backup and cloud features Backup replication to Acronis Cloud Acronis Notary blockchain file notarization Acronis ASign electronic signatures Anti ransomware protection Real time protection Web filtering Vulnerability assessment Videoconference protection for Zoom Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams Quarantine and exclusions |
| Note | Administrator privileges required. Internet connection required for activation and cloud features. Windows Embedded editions, IoT editions, Windows 10 LTSB, and Windows 10 LTSC are not supported. Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 require Microsoft updates KB4474419 and KB4490628. Windows 11 is not listed in the official Acronis True Image 2021 Windows supported operating systems documentation. |
| Operating Systems | macOS Big Sur 11 macOS Catalina 10.15 macOS Mojave 10.14 macOS High Sierra 10.13 macOS Sierra 10.12 OS X El Capitan 10.11 |
| Processor | Apple silicon or Intel x86 |
| Hard Disk | 477.1 MB installer size |
| Display | Standard display compatible with the respective operating system |
| Special Features | Entire Mac backup Selected disks backup File and folder backup Disk cloning Backup to local storage Backup to network storage Backup to Acronis Cloud Office 365 backup for Outlook and OneDrive Mobile device backup integration Antiransomware protection Real time protection Antivirus scans Vulnerability assessment Acronis Notary blockchain file notarization Data archiving Family data protection Bootable media creation macOS recovery in bootable media environment Parallels Desktop 16 or later virtual machine backup support |
| Note | Mac machines with Intel Core 2 Duo processors are not supported. Full Disk Access is required for backup cloning and protection features. On macOS High Sierra Mojave Catalina and Big Sur on Intel based Macs you must allow Acronis system extensions. On Intel based Macs with Apple T2 chip external boot permissions may be required for bootable recovery workflows. NTFS disks can be used as a recovery source but data cannot be backed up to an NTFS destination from macOS. |
| Operating Systems | Android 5.0 or later |
| Memory RAM | Requirements met by any device running the supported OS version. |
| Display | Standard display compatible with the respective operating system |
| Special Features | Backup of photos Backup of videos Backup of contacts Backup of calendars Backup of messages Android only Backup to Acronis Cloud Backup to local storage on a PC or Mac Backup to NAS Automatic backup of new and changed data End to end AES 256 backup encryption Cross device access and recovery through Acronis account |
| Note | Mobile backups to a local computer require Acronis True Image 2017 or later on the destination computer and both devices must be on the same Wi Fi network. Cloud backup requires an Acronis Cloud subscription. The 2021 documentation describes mobile phones only for Android support. |
| Operating Systems | iOS 10.0 or later |
| Memory RAM | Requirements met by any device running the supported OS version. |
| Hard Disk | 18.2 MB app size |
| Display | Standard display compatible with the respective operating system |
| Special Features | Backup of photos Backup of videos Backup of contacts Backup of calendars Backup of reminders iOS only Backup to Acronis Cloud Backup to local storage on a PC or Mac Backup to NAS Automatic backup of new and changed data End to end AES 256 backup encryption Cross device access and recovery through Acronis account |
| Note | Mobile backups to a local computer require Acronis True Image 2017 or later on the destination computer and both devices must be on the same Wi Fi network. Cloud backup requires an Acronis Cloud subscription. |
By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
More information about cookies