Keep Your iCloud Data. Forever.
Parachute is a set-and-forget backup companion for iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive.
It automatically backs up your memories—photos, videos, and documents—to your own storage (or another cloud provider), giving you peace of mind and full control.
Your Data, Your Way
• Back up your entire iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive (including shared albums)
• Your photos originals in full resolution, any adjustment data, and the current edited version (also full resolution) are all backed up
• Choose from manual or scheduled runs
• Supports full, mirror, or smart incremental backups
• Select custom folders on your Mac for backup in addition to iCloud Drive locations
• Works with your external drives, NAS, SFTP mounts or other cloud "drives' available in Finder (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)
• Smart offloading: avoids filling up your Mac’s disk while keeping files available on demand
Why It Matters
• iCloud is great for sync — but not a true backup
• Accidental deletions, expired storage plans, or sync issues can lead to permanent loss
• Parachute protects your digital life from deletion and disaster
No Subscriptions. No Lock-In.
• One-time purchase — no recurring costs
• Your data stays in your storage, not ours
• No sign-ups, no telemetry, no bloat
FAQs
Q: How does Parachute save space while backing up iCloud?
A: Parachute downloads one file at a time from iCloud, backs it up to your chosen destination, and then re-offloads the file back to iCloud (if "Optimize Mac Storage" is enabled). This prevents your disk from filling up during backup.
Q: What backup modes are available?
A: Parachute offers three backup modes:
Full: Always copies all files, even if unchanged.
Mirror: Keeps the backup in exact sync with the source, including deletions.
Smart Incremental: Only copies new or changed files since the last backup.
Smart Incremental: Only copies new or changed files since the last backup.
Q: Are original and edited photo versions both preserved?
A: Yes. Parachute backs up both original and edited versions of your media when available.
Q: Will Parachute ever delete anything from iCloud?
A: No. Parachute is strictly read-only and will never delete files from iCloud.
Q: How do I restore my files?A: Your backups are just normal files and folders. Use Finder to browse and drag them back — no special app required.
Q: What happens with corrupt iCloud files?
A: If Parachute can't export a file due to corruption, it will notify you at the end of the backup. These files often cannot be recovered from iCloud or Photos manually either.
Q: Does it back up Shared Albums?
A: Yes. Parachute includes support for backing up Shared Albums and the media shared with you.
Q: Can I back up to a NAS, SFTP, or WebDAV mount?
A: Yes. Parachute supports local and remote destinations that are mounted on your Mac.
Q: Can I include non-iCloud folders in the backup?
A: Yes. You can add any folder on your Mac as a backup source using the Custom Folders option.
Q: Can I use Parachute Backup even if I don't use iCloud Photos?
A: Yes. Parachute will backup your photo library even if it's only local on your Mac.
Parachute Backup is a wonderfully simple and effective backup tool. I used to find it incredibly troublesome to back up my iCloud Photos — it either required setting up a separate device to download everything locally, or using command-line tools that weren’t exactly user-friendly. This app completely solves that problem with a clear and intuitive GUI, making it perfect for ordinary users who just want to back up their iCloud data safely, in case of account issues or accidental deletions.The pricing is also very reasonable — it’s a one-time purchase and quite affordable. On top of that, the developer is extremely responsive and helpful. When I had a few questions about some features, they replied promptly and thoughtfully.Overall, a great piece of software that does one thing and does it well.
Wow Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
Gary Halleson
I thought iCloud was a backup but thanks to Parachute I discovered that was not true. One week after I set up Parachute, I was cleaning up files in my Photos and accidentally deleted many photos, I was stunned when I realized what I did. I first checked Time Machine but that did not back up my photos. Then I went to Parachute and was able to go to the exact year, month and day then copy and paste all the photos I deleted. I uploaded them into Photos and they went in and looked like a recent photo but after about 1/2 hour they went back to the original date location. This is a powerful App that can really save your bacon and for such a reasonable one time fee.
開發者回覆
Thanks so much for the kind review!
Great app with a minor miss
therealbaturay
I just moved my backup workflow from iOS parachute app to macOS in order to utilize better compute, incremental backups and network speeds. One thing I’ve noticed that macOS app created a new “iCloud Photo Backup” directory inside my backup destination share. It would be nice if iOS and macOS apps worked in tandem to keep the backups in the same folder structure so that an incremental backup can be triggered from both platforms. I also assume Parachute does not touch Hidden photos, but a clarification or perhaps a toggle in the app to avoid hidden photos would be nice.
The iCloud backup I’ve been waiting for
Tuxozaur
Lovely design, super intuitive interface and most importantly, it just quietly does its job. Backs up my iCloud Photos and Drive without fuss, runs on schedule, and doesn’t clog my Mac. No telemetry, no hidden fees or subscriptions, just a one‑time purchase. Exactly what I want from a backup app: reliable, unobtrusive, and well made.
開發者回覆
Thanks a bunch for taking the time to write such a nice review!
- Fixed a potential crash when iCloud Photos does not provide a file name. Sorry for the frequent updates, this one is tough to get right.
