CloneDVD Review and Alternative: DVD Backup in 2026

CloneDVD2 remains available for Windows, but the official distribution channel for its former AnyDVD companion is offline. That leaves one practical question when choosing a CloneDVD alternative: do you need a DVD-Video backup that keeps the disc structure, or a standalone video file for storage and playback?

This CloneDVD review covers the product's current status, its DVD-copying steps, and the difference between disc, ISO, and folder backups and MP4 or MKV conversion. My recommendation starts with the output: preserve menus with a DVD backup tool, or choose a separate conversion product when the goal is a video file.

What is CloneDVD?

CloneDVD2 is a DVD copying and cloning tool built for straightforward disc-to-disc and disc-to-file backups.

Published by Elaborate Bytes, CloneDVD2 is designed to copy complete DVDs, selected titles, or the main movie to a writable disc, ISO image, or DVD folder.

💡Related reading: CloneCD review and alternative

Elby CloneDVD Software: Overview and History

CloneDVD, developed by Elaborate Bytes, built its name in the DVD copying and cloning market. It was designed for both casual users and professionals who needed steady DVD replication software. The Windows-only application supports Windows 11. As of October 2026, Elaborate Bytes still sells CloneDVD2, and its latest posted release is version 2.9.3.8, dated March 6, 2025. Elby CloneDVD2 is separate from similarly named CloneDVD 4, CloneDVD 5, or CloneDVD 7 listings.

Elby worked with Slysoft, and later Slysoft's successor RedFox, to market CloneDVD alongside AnyDVD, but Elby kept the actual publishing rights and always sold CloneDVD directly through its own site. RedFox eventually dropped CloneDVD and CloneBD from its own storefront, citing limited maintenance resources, and focused on AnyDVD instead. AnyDVD had a different fate: the RedFox official distribution site for AnyDVD and CloneDVD Mobile is offline. CloneBD is a separate Elby Blu-ray product.

How to Use CloneDVD for DVD Cloning?

Step 1: Download CloneDVD2 and Insert the DVD

The program opens with a simple wizard view. Download CloneDVD2 from Elaborate Bytes, insert an authorized, unprotected DVD, and load it in the wizard. CloneDVD then displays the disc contents for selection.

Step 2: Customize Settings 

Choose whether to copy the full disc, the main movie, or selected titles. Select the required audio tracks and subtitles, then use the preview window to confirm the selection.

Step 3: Select the Output Destination

Choose whether to write the backup to a compatible blank DVD or save it as a DVD folder or ISO image. An ISO stored on a hard drive can later be used to copy a DVD on Windows 10. Before starting, review the selected audio tracks, subtitles, output capacity, and destination.

Step 4: Starting the Copy Process

After checking the settings, click "Go" to start the copy process and monitor its progress in the status window.

Key Features, Pros, and Cons of CloneDVD

CloneDVD can copy a DVD to matching-capacity media while preserving the original disc structure. Reducing DVD-9 content to DVD-5 uses compression, so the selected compression level affects playback quality; choosing adequate capacity or splitting the content provides an alternative to fitting the entire project on one smaller disc. A 100% quality indicator should not be read as proof that compressed DVD-9-to-DVD-5 output is lossless.

CloneDVD outputs to DVD-Video, ISO images, or DVD folders, and it supports NTSC and PAL discs, working with common DVD players and drives.

Pros of CloneDVD2

Cons of CloneDVD2

A CloneDVD Alternative for DVD-Video Backups: DVDFab DVD Copy

When backing up a mix of older and newer DVDs, I noticed CloneDVD handled unprotected discs easily but failed with recent Hollywood titles. After switching to DVDFab DVD Copy, the newer discs loaded without issues, and I could compress, clone, or split Disney and Universal movies with little effort.

This kind of gap shows up often in DVD-backup discussions. On Reddit's r/software, people comparing options today tend to split into two camps: a free two-step workflow using MakeMKV for the disc rip and HandBrake for compression, or a single all-in-one tool that handles decryption and copying together. DVDFab DVD Copy falls into the second camp, which matters if running two separate programs is not something you want to manage.

DVDFab DVD Copy

A powerful DVD copy software that enables users to effortlessly create backup copies of their DVDs with high quality and customizable settings.

Win Download 

Official Windows installer

Mac Download 

Official Mac installer

Key Features of This CloneDVD Alternative

How to Copy DVDs with DVDFab DVD Copy

Step 1: Download DVDFab DVD Copy and load the source

Install the program, choose the Copy module, and insert the DVD or load an ISO image or VIDEO_TS folder. Review the detected title, audio tracks, and subtitles before continuing.

Step 2: Choose the copy mode and personalize the settings

Select Full Disc for a complete DVD-Video backup, or choose another copy mode for the titles you need. Set DVD-5 or DVD-9 capacity, audio, subtitles, the output folder, and the file name.

Step 3: Start Copying the DVD to a Hard Drive

Choose a hard-drive destination for an ISO image or DVD folder. For a physical copy, select a compatible DVD writer and matching blank media, then click Start and monitor the task progress.

For content you are authorized to access, where permitted by applicable law and platform terms, use DVD Copy only for personal backups of content you own or are authorized to copy. Do not redistribute the backup.

Other DVD Backup and File Conversion Options

The options below separate DVD-Video backup from standalone file conversion.

Choose a DVD-Video backup when menus and disc structure matter. Choose file conversion or extraction when you need standalone videos for a computer, phone, or media library.

Conclusion

CloneDVD is still sold by Elaborate Bytes, but its latest posted release is version 2.9.3.8, dated March 6, 2025. It remains an option for basic Windows DVD copying from unprotected sources. For authorized DVD-Video backups that need menus, disc output, ISO images, or DVD folders, DVDFab DVD Copy provides six copy modes and support for protected DVD content. If the goal is a standalone MP4 or MKV file, use a separate ripping or conversion product instead of a DVD Copy module.