.

I find it odd that Paragon's Backup and Recovery doesn't include the disk cloning facility.  Unless the two packages together cost the same or near that of the competition, they're just milking their customers IMO.
 
Both EaseUS Todo and Macrium's software, for example, include disk cloning:
 
http://www.easeus.com/backup-software/personal.html
 
http://www.macrium.com/pages/comparisons.aspx
 

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Caa2
Hi,
I did not say that it does not, but I did say that it only seems to vaugely indicate that it does.

Thank you.

 
I wasn't referring to you at all.  I looked at the the Paragon user manual and there's no section on disk cloning so I think that's a fair indication it doesn't have it.

There is a difference in the terminology between a "partition or disk imaging" and "disk cloning." An image of a partition or an entire disk reduces the logical structure and contents to a new file that can be moved or stored on another location and restored to a new location in its original form. Cloning involves directly copying the same items to another hard drive in real time without necessarily passing through an intermediate translation to a new file format. Any program that will image and restore a system partition should be able to "clone" (make a copy that is functionally identical) a drive so long as you have someplace to store and retrieve the image, and the image can be stored for future use. On the other hand true cloning requires you to have both drives connected at the same time and leaves you with two drives that can substitute for each other if properly connected to the machine.

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Caa2
Hi,
 I am considering upgrading my Acronis True Image 2013 license to the latest greatest "2017" version, but it seems like all the features that have been added since "2013" are of little or no interest to me.
 
 The prospect of upgrading just to load more bloat has inspired me to consider alternatives. Paragon Backup and Recovery seems like a good candidate.
 
 Paragon offers a Backup and Recovery product as well as a Drive Cloning product. I have just read both manuals and am left with the vague impression that Backup and Recovery has "backup features" as well as drive cloning features while the Drive Cloning product is simplified and dedicated to making images for clones.
 
 With Acronis True Image I have never used the "backup features" and have instead opted for complete system partition clone images.
 
 I am thinking about going with Paragon's Backup and Recovery 16 and doing the same.
 
 Does any one have some experience and thoughts about the Paragon products? 
 
 Thank you.

Or consider saving some bucks and bloat, by using the Windows built-in image utility.  This has been available since Windows 7.  I have used Norton Ghost and Acronis in the past, but I prefer easy and cheap, but effective :-)
 
Backup:
http://www.howtogeek.com/...em-image-in-windows-7/
Restore:
http://www.howtogeek.com/...-from-an-image-backup/
 
Pros:
Free
Saves the image file in a VHD format (can be mounted as a drive letter in Windows Disk Management, for browsing and recovering individual files without a 3rd party software).
https://davescomputertips...system-image-as-a-vhd/
 
Cons:
You will need to do your own image file management (archiving).
 
I believe that it is also possible to schedule image backups if you setup a backup with Windows Backup and Restore.  Select the "let me choose" option and check off "include a system image of drives".  I have never used this as I keep my backup drives offline. I just plug them in and manually start an image when I am ready.
 

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Caa2
FWIW, I see that Paragon Backup and Recovery 16 is free as a promotion for the next few weeks.

Well the "free" stuff caught my attention. 
 
I took a look at the website and the manual.  Looks interesting, & seems capable of everything Windows has, with a few extra features thrown in.
 
PC Mag review here: http://www.pcmag.com/arti.e2/0,2817,2413587,00.asp
 
I always use just a full disk/volume image backup.  I gave up on file/folder backups years ago after several files failed to either backup or restore because they were in use.  I also find incremental or differential backups hard to keep track of.
 
With HDD gigabytes cheap these days I find it simpler to stick with full volume images.  Makes it easier to know what you need if you have to restore an image.
 
Might have to download Paragon and check it out. 
 
The main difference that I see with Paragon vs. the native Windows image is the recovery environment needed to restore an image to a failed system.  The Windows image recovery can be run from any Windows recovery disk, or the Windows installation media.  The Paragon image restore must be run by booting from the WinPE recovery media.  Always test your system with the recovery media to ensure you can boot with it and locate the recovery image.
 
In addition, Paragon allows you to accomplish backup, restore, or copying of Windows BitLocker encrypted volumes, but only when they are unlocked. Until that the locked volumes will be recognized in the program’s interface as “Unknown”.
 
 

There was recent poll on the tenforums.com (Win 10 forum).  Overwhelmingly the backup of choice, in that poll, is Macrium.  52 for Macrium, 2 for Paragon, 8 for Acronis, 9 for Aomei, 7 for EaseUS, and 6 for Windows 10 backup.
 
Macrium has a free version and I suspect that is why so many reported using Macrium (I have a paid version of Macrium that I use).