Tusk is a Mac app that automatically backs up your project folders to multiple locations and tracks where every file lives — even when your drives aren't connected.
SuperDuper has been a Mac clone tool since 2002. Pick a source drive, pick a destination, run Smart Update. Changed files copy over. For years that was enough.
SuperDuper vs Carbon Copy Cloner
SuperDuper vs Carbon Copy Cloner is a clone comparison. Tusk if you need to know which drive a file is on after it is unplugged. SuperDuper is the simpler one, at $27.95. Carbon Copy Cloner vs SuperDuper favors CCC when you want SafetyNet and a tool that still ships macOS updates. Tusk does not make a bootable clone.
If you're looking for alternatives in 2026, it's usually for one of three reasons: bootable clones matter less on Apple Silicon than they did on Intel, you need backup beyond a single scheduled clone task, or you want something actively developed with clearer support for current macOS releases. SuperDuper still runs, but the last major feature push was years ago, and the bootable-clone use case itself has narrowed as Apple locked down external boot on M-series Macs.
TL;DR: Tusk if you need to know which drive a file is on after it is unplugged. SuperDuper is the simpler clone, at $27.95. Carbon Copy Cloner for SafetyNet and macOS updates. Time Machine for a free whole-Mac backup.
What SuperDuper Still Does Well
SuperDuper creates bootable copies of a Mac volume. Smart Update copies only what changed since the last run, which keeps nightly clones fast.
Pricing is $27.95 for a permanent license. The interface is simpler than Carbon Copy Cloner. If your workflow is "clone my internal drive to an external SSD every night" and you're on an Intel Mac where external boot still works in your environment, SuperDuper handles that job.
On Apple Silicon Macs, booting macOS from an external drive is restricted. Apple's support documentation describes external boot requirements that many clone workflows no longer satisfy reliably. Bombich Software (CCC's developer) has publicly moved away from recommending bootable clones as a primary recovery strategy for the same reason. SuperDuper can still copy files. Treating the result as a drive you will boot from tomorrow is a shakier bet than it was in 2019.
Why People Switch From SuperDuper
One source, one destination, one schedule. SuperDuper thinks in clone pairs. Photographers and video editors often need project folders on external drives backed up to multiple locations with verification, not a whole-volume mirror once per day.
No file-level visibility. After a clone runs, you know the destination matches the source at that moment. You cannot ask SuperDuper which drive has the January wedding RAWs when both drives are in a drawer.
No cloud destinations. SuperDuper copies to local volumes. Offsite backup requires a different tool.
No SD card ingest. Clone tools start after files are already on a drive. Card offload is a separate step.
Development pace. CCC, ChronoSync, and newer project-aware tools ship updates for each macOS release. SuperDuper's update cycle is slower. That matters when Sonoma or Sequoia changes something about APFS snapshots or permissions.
The Alternatives
Tusk
Point Tusk at a folder and add your backup destinations. From then on it watches that folder on the filesystem. Whatever app you use to edit the files, Tusk copies new and changed files to your backup destinations when you save. You keep working in the tools you already use. Tusk keeps the backups updated.
Tusk also keeps an index of every file across your drives, including drives that are unplugged. You can see which drive a file is on without plugging it in.
Tusk does not make a bootable clone. Use SuperDuper, Carbon Copy Cloner, or Time Machine for that.
Pricing is $79 one-time. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Best for: folders you already work in, backed up as you save, with a record of which drive holds each file after you unplug it.
Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner ($49.99 one-time) is the direct upgrade path from SuperDuper. Same clone concept, more scheduling options, SafetyNet for retaining deleted and modified files, and better documentation around what still works on Apple Silicon.
CCC can back up external drives as sources, configure multiple tasks, and integrate with Apple's snapshot API on supported volumes. It still will not track individual files across unplugged drives or handle cloud backup natively.
For a full breakdown, see the Carbon Copy Cloner alternatives guide. For how CCC compares to Time Machine specifically, see Carbon Copy Cloner vs Time Machine.
Best for: scheduled incremental backup and clone tasks when you want more control than SuperDuper offers.
Time Machine
Time Machine is free and built into macOS. It keeps hourly snapshots of your internal drive going back weeks or months. Setup is one drive selection in System Settings.
It does not replace SuperDuper's clone model. Time Machine snapshots are not bootable volumes you plug in and run. Recovery means restoring through macOS, which takes time for large datasets.
Time Machine also excludes external project drives by default. For creatives, it works best as a free layer on the internal drive while something else handles footage on externals.
If Time Machine shows errors, the no available Time Machine destinations fix guide walks through the common causes.
Best for: automatic internal-drive backup at no cost, alongside a project-focused tool.
ChronoSync
ChronoSync ($49.99 one-time) handles sync and backup tasks with more flexibility than SuperDuper. Bidirectional sync, NAS targets, multiple tasks with different rules, and bootable backup options on supported configurations.
Same task-based limits as SuperDuper for creative work: no continuous project watching, no per-file status across disconnected drives, no ingest workflow.
See the ChronoSync alternatives guide and Carbon Copy Cloner vs ChronoSync for side-by-side context.
Best for: complex sync relationships between folders, Macs, or a NAS when clone simplicity is not enough.
Arq Backup
Arq Backup (~$49.99 one-time plus storage) backs up chosen folders to cloud destinations: Backblaze B2, Wasabi, AWS S3, Google Drive, and others. Client-side encryption before upload.
Arq does not clone bootable volumes. It fills the offsite gap SuperDuper leaves open. Pair a local clone or project backup tool with Arq for cloud archiving.
Best for: encrypted cloud backup with version history as an offsite layer.
Side by Side
| Tusk | SuperDuper | CCC | Time Machine | ChronoSync | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bootable clone (Intel) | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bootable clone (Apple Silicon) | No | Limited | Limited | No | Limited |
| External drive as source | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Cloud destinations | S3, GDrive | No | No | No | No |
| Per-file backup status | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Tracks unplugged drives | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| SD card ingest | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Price | $79 | $27.95 | $49.99 | Free | $49.99 |
Which One Fits?
Replacing SuperDuper because clones feel less relevant on your M-series Mac: lean on Time Machine for internal snapshots and add Tusk or CCC for project folders on external drives.
Replacing SuperDuper because you want a more maintained clone tool: CCC.
Replacing SuperDuper because your real problem is footage spread across drives with no index: Tusk.
Most creative workflows end up with two tools. Time Machine or CCC for the Mac layer. Tusk for projects and cards. The Time Machine alternatives guide maps the full combination.
FAQ
Carbon Copy Cloner is the closest clone replacement. Tusk if you need to know which drive a file is on after it is unplugged. Time Machine is the free whole-Mac backup. ChronoSync fits sync tasks to a NAS or between Macs.
For simple Smart Update clones on Intel Macs or file-copy schedules where you do not need bootable recovery, yes. On Apple Silicon, external boot from a SuperDuper clone is unreliable enough that Apple and CCC both de-emphasize bootable clones as a recovery strategy. SuperDuper still copies files correctly; building your disaster recovery plan around booting from the clone is the part that aged poorly.
Yes. You can clone or Smart Update from an external volume to another drive. SuperDuper treats it as a volume pair, not a project. You get no per-file status, no tracking when the destination is unplugged, and no simultaneous copy to cloud. For ongoing creative work on external drives, a project-aware tool watches folders continuously rather than running one nightly clone.
SuperDuper vs Carbon Copy Cloner: SuperDuper is the simpler one, at $27.95. Carbon Copy Cloner vs SuperDuper favors CCC for SafetyNet and macOS updates, at $49.99. Tusk if you need to know which drive a file is on after it is unplugged. Tusk does not make a bootable clone. See the [Carbon Copy Cloner alternatives guide](/blog/carbon-copy-cloner-alternatives-mac) and [Carbon Copy Cloner vs Time Machine](/blog/carbon-copy-cloner-vs-time-machine).
For the folders you already work in, yes. Tusk watches those folders on the filesystem and keeps an index of which drive holds each file after you unplug it. SuperDuper handles whole-volume clones on a schedule. Tusk does not create bootable Mac clones. Many people keep Time Machine or CCC for the Mac and use Tusk for the folders.