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.
This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
Superb
mrym9m
I have been looking for the capability of backing up my iCloud Drive files outside of iCloud Drive. I have used some poor and kludgy methods to accomplish what Parachute Backup does well. Very highly recommend this app.
Developer Response
Really appreciate the kind review, thanks!
Finally!
AlanK61
Found this via a reddit post and it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. Simple setup, easy operation and does exactly what I want. Incremental backup to my Synology.
Great Tool
Tech_Coach
Love how easy it is to use. But it would be nice if it maintained the Groups by Tags for the folders.
Apple Notes
NormandCl
Would be great if in the apps list would include Apple Notes
Developer Response
Hi NormandCl, thanks for your feedback! We will look into adding other types of iCloud data in future releases. For now, we only support saving of file-based data in iCloud. Notes is a proprietary database and thus a very different challenge to back up.
Parachute Backup is ready for macOS 27. This update fixes problems reported by users:
• Remaining backup time is more accurate and counts down steadily.
• A destination within a source folder will no longer be backed up into itself.
• iCloud Drive is now backed up even when your entire home folder is a source folder.
• Large folder backups use less memory and can be paused or canceled instantly.
• Photos backup can no longer hang as iCloud Photos downloads stall.
• Files downloaded for iCloud Drive backups are always properly removed.
• Files deleted from a Google Drive or OneDrive backup will always be restored on the next run.
• Folders with a "+" in their name are no longer duplicated on Google Drive.
• Parachute Backup stays responsive while counting very large libraries and folders.
• Quiet Mode (in Settings > General) is now on by default
Version 1.9.4
The developer, Leitmotif GmbH, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Contact Info
Usage Data
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More