Macrium Reflect Version History
From its first releases in the 2000s through Reflect 8 and the current Reflect X, here's what changed at each major version — and which one you're actually looking for.
The Evolution of Macrium Reflect
Macrium Reflect was first released in 2006 by Paramount Software UK Ltd. Detailed version history for the earliest releases (v1 through v4) isn't well documented publicly, but from v5 onward the product built a strong reputation among home users and IT professionals for reliable, affordable disk imaging — helped by a free edition that offered genuine full imaging and cloning capability, not a crippled trial.
Each major version added meaningful capability: v7 (2017) introduced Rapid Delta Restore, Image Guardian ransomware protection, and viBoot virtualization. v8 (2021) rewrote the backup engine for better multi-core performance and added native cloud backup. Then, in October 2024, Macrium Reflect X replaced v8 as the current product — and with it, ended the free-forever edition in favor of a 30-day trial.
Major Version Timeline
Key changes at each major release, including the current Reflect X.
Macrium Reflect v5
- One of the first widely adopted releases with a polished Windows GUI
- Image-based backup with a free edition covering full disk imaging and cloning
- Bootable rescue media based on Windows PE
- Support for Windows XP, Vista, and 7
Macrium Reflect v6
- Free edition (v6.0) released June 2015
- Full Windows 8/8.1 support including UEFI and GPT disks
- Continued to offer full imaging and cloning in the free edition
Macrium Reflect v7
- Rapid Delta Restore (RDR) for faster system recovery
- Image Guardian kernel-level ransomware protection for backup files
- viBoot instant virtualization to boot backup images as Hyper-V VMs
- Windows 10 support
- Scheduling and incremental/differential imaging moved to paid editions; free edition kept full imaging, cloning, and rescue media
Macrium Reflect v8
- Released May 2021 (v8.0), with v8.1 following January 2023
- Rewritten backup engine aimed at better multi-core performance
- Native cloud backup to Amazon S3 and Azure Blob Storage
- Free edition continued through v8.0.7783 (December 2023), then discontinued — security patches ended January 1, 2024
Macrium Reflect X
- Released October 2024 as the successor to v8 — this is the current product line
- No permanently free tier; a 30-day free trial replaces the old Free edition
- Resumable (checkpointed) backups that continue automatically after an interruption
- Roughly 2x faster backup/restore versus v8, from a new compression engine and multithreading
- Open-source backup image file format
- Native ARM device support, including Copilot+ PCs
- Internal build numbering starts around v10.x — if you've seen "Macrium Reflect 10" or "11", that's Reflect X
Reflect 8 vs. Reflect X
The most common comparison people search for — here's what actually changed.
| Feature | Reflect 8 (legacy) | Reflect X (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Legacy — free edition discontinued Jan 2024 | Current product line |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase (Home/Workstation/Server) | Primarily annual subscription, 30-day free trial |
| Free tier | Free edition existed through v8.0.7783 (Dec 2023) | No permanent free tier — trial only |
| Backup resiliency | Backup fails/restarts on interruption | Resumable, checkpointed backups |
| Relative speed | Baseline | ~2x faster (new compression + multithreading) |
| Backup file format | Proprietary .mrimg | Open-source image format |
| ARM device support | No | Yes, including Copilot+ PCs |
| Image Guardian / RDR / viBoot | Available on paid editions | Available on paid editions |
| Official updates | None (EOL) | Actively developed |
Reflect 8 Edition Comparison (Legacy)
For reference — this reflects the discontinued Reflect 8 line. For current Reflect X editions and pricing, see our pricing page.
| Feature | Free (EOL) | Home | Workstation | Server |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disk imaging (full, differential, incremental) | ||||
| Disk cloning | ||||
| Bootable rescue media | ||||
| Scheduled backups | - | |||
| Incremental backups | - | |||
| Differential backups | - | |||
| Rapid Delta Restore | - | |||
| Image Guardian | - | |||
| viBoot instant virtualization | - | |||
| AES-256 encryption | - | |||
| Cloud backup (S3 / Azure) | - | - | ||
| Pre/post backup scripts | - | - | ||
| Exchange / SQL awareness | - | - | - | |
| Windows Server OS support | - | - | - | |
| Hyper-V guest backup | - | - | - |
What Happened to the Free Edition
From v5 through v8, Macrium Reflect Free was a genuinely capable free edition — full disk imaging, disk cloning, and bootable rescue media at no cost, with no time limit. Scheduling and incremental/differential imaging were reserved for paid editions starting with v7, but the core imaging and cloning engine was never crippled in the free tier.
That changed with the move to Reflect X. The last free-edition build, v8.0.7783, shipped in December 2023, and Macrium stopped issuing any updates — including security patches — as of January 1, 2024. Reflect 8 Free still functions and existing installs aren't revoked, but it's unsupported: no bug fixes, no security patches, no compatibility updates for newer Windows releases.
Reflect X replaced the free tier with a 30-day full-featured trial. There's currently no indication Macrium plans to reintroduce a permanently free edition.
Which Version Should You Be Using?
Reflect X is the current, actively developed product and the only version recommended for new installs. It's the only version still receiving updates, bug fixes, and security patches.
Reflect 8 and earlier (v4–v7) are legacy. Reflect 8's free edition is unsupported since January 2024; paid Reflect 8 editions may still work but are no longer Macrium's development focus. Versions v7 and earlier are further behind, with no modern hardware or Windows-release support to expect going forward.
Version Questions
Sources & Further Reading
- Macrium Product Support Policy — official version support and end-of-life status.
- Reflect 8 End of Life — What You Need to Know — Macrium's own announcement of the Free edition's discontinuation.
- Macrium Reflect X product page — current features and trial.
Written by
Last updated: July 30, 2026
MacriumReflects Editorial Team
MacriumReflects is an independent site that researches and writes guides on backup, disk imaging, and disk cloning software, including Macrium Reflect and its alternatives. We are not affiliated with Macrium Software Ltd.
Get the Current Version: Macrium Reflect X
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