Parachute Backup

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.