Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Pros

It's unlimited storage, so it's awesome that it can keep a huge amount of data for such a low price.

Cons

The hard drives have to be connected to keep the uploaded files, or you have to reconnect them before 30 days otherwise you will lose the files uploaded.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Pros

What I like most about this software is that the backup is unlimited, as a photographer I have a lot of files that are fairly large that I need to backup. Being able to access my files easily is super helpful and has already come in handy during a hardware malfunction a few months ago.

Cons

The only downside is that you pay per computer so if I have a portable drive I have to plug it into the same computer anytime I want to back it up so I can't just log in to my Backblaze account from a shared computer to backup my portable drive.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Pros

One of the best parts of Backblaze is their pricing is based on actual usage, so you're not paying for space you're not using. They have an app that is very straight forward to use, and most competitors do not seem to offer something this streamlined yet. They have very simple and straightforward recovery options for users. Scheduling back ups is streamlined to ensure you don't need to set reminders to back up regularly.

Cons

The first back up is painfully slow. Of the programs I've used, it had one of the longest back up times for the initial back up. It took over two weeks to back up a couple TB of data with my computer on 24/7. I have excellent internet, so that definitely wasn't a factor in the slow back up times. Backblaze also struggles with backing up external drives, which is an essential feature for me and my needs. Sometimes renamed files are not detected, and this can cause some issues in duplicating files, and overusing necessary storage. When file name changes are limited, this isn't much of an issue, but I frequently rename hundreds of files at a time. This causes a considerable unnecessary usage of storage for a program that estimates your cost on usage. While you pay for what you use, the downside it that this limits you to a single device, whereas with competitors you can back up several devices as long as you are within the limits of the plan you purchased without exceeding the storage in your plan.

Pros

I liked how easy it was to implement into my current network structure and was easy to setup end clients for this.

Cons

I didn't like how it missed some files and was slow for no apparent reason, especially on a fast network. I also found Synology did not officially support backblaze, so changed to a competitor which was supported in the end.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Pros

Backblaze Cloud Storage is a great product to have installed on your computers to help ensure everything is recovered if you get ransomware.

Cons

Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage is pretty straight forward.

Pros

I love that I can setup Backblaze, run an initial backup, and and trust that Backblaze will take care of the rest. I never have to worry about Backblaze protecting my data, and if there ever is a problem, Backblaze will alert me ASAP.

Cons

My one complaint about the software is the UI of the Mac desktop client; it looks dated and isn't intuitively organized, and doesn't seem to fit with the other polished parts of the Backblaze platform.

Pros

Price is the best thing about this product.

Cons

Support is what is lacking most about this product the most but it's exactly what you expect for the price.

Pros

Automatic backups, and the option to have old version backups.

Cons

At first I think it was a bit difficult but later I see the opposite.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Reasons for Switching to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Pros

Backblaze is a great resource for data backup to the cloud. It's secure and offers plenty of options to restore your files in case of data loss. One of the options they include is the choice to purchase a hard drive loaded with your data for a full restore, or you can use the file explorer to download individual files through your browser.

The backup software automatically backs up any of the hard drives or files you request. If your computer goes offline for a particular length of time, you will receive an email reminder that the utility cannot connect to your source.

Overall, this is a great solution for cloud storage backup compared to a few other choices.

Cons

Since Backblaze operates as a cloud-based service, it requires a stable internet connection for backups and file restoration, which may be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity or may take a long time to backup files.

Alternatives Considered

Pros

Backblaze is easy to setup and the backups are successful most of the time. Restore of files is a great feature.

Cons

It doesn't have a great notification system. Configuring settings is not straight forward.

Pros

I love how easy it is to get going. the price per GB seems very good. especially for a smb.

Cons

There takes a little bit of know how to create backups from other sources like linux (speaking as a newbie to command line programming) but there is help out there with youtube and the support docs.

Pros

Backblaze runs in the background and engages in backups whenever your computer is connected to the internet. It is seamless and runs in the settings part of my Mac. Backblaze allows you to encrypt your backups with the key being held only by you. While this is one of those types of software that you hope you never need to use, if you do need it you can download your data from the internet OR request that they send you a USB drive or a external hard drive with your data on it. thus Backblaze is a pretty cheap component to add to your backup system. Backblaze is not meant to be your only backup. While it theoretically could be, it's best used as part of a system. I personally use external hard drives with TimeMachine in addition to Backblaze. Backblaze is my last resort; however, it is also the most complete of the backups since it does its thing constantly in the background. Even on the best of days, I'm only going to back on an external drive once a day. I highly recommend this program for anyone who cares about the data stored on their computers.

Cons

I honestly cannot say that there is anything I dislike about Backblaze. It's an inexpensive, non-obtrusive piece of software that simply does what it's supposed to do. If you use an encryption key that Backblaze is not storing for you DO NOT lose it under any circumstance or you will NEVER get your data back without it. This is only a "con" if you lose the key.

Pros

Backblaze is easy to set up, quick to back up, and reliably continues working. The pricing is very competitive. It doesn't throttle your network connections.

Cons

The software looks a bit outdated, but does what is advertised. I do have concerns that if my computer is offline for 60 days plus, the files won't be retained. It's hard to find this information with clarity for any backup service.

Pros

Install for users was quick and simple. Interface easy to understand for recovering single files. During the COVID-19 lockdowns - staff with laptops were still protected by backups when working remotely.

Cons

Only issue I had was with doing recovery via the internet. Would NOT use that method again as restore took a full week. To be fair, there are options for having data shipped on media and I would use that method in the future. Over estimated the speed and bandwidth of our connection at that time.

Pros

I love Backblaze. After the initial setup, it's set-it-and-forget-it software. I also love that you can log into your account on any computer and access the files that have been backed up. It's saved me a couple of times.

Cons

They've since added a new paid tier that deals with this, but the original tier makes it so that anything that's been deleted from your computer no longer remains backed up after 30 days, so with the original tier, it's not helpful for making space on your hard drive.

Pros

It is so easy to just add the different drives or files you want to be backed up regularly. It does it all in the background and you do not even notice it.

When and if you need a backup you have various options for larger amounts of data you can request a drive be sent to you with the data or you can bring down the files in chunks or zipped files.

Cons

I do not have anything bad to say about this other than the one time i switched computers and had to merge my account back was messy but understandable.

Pros

After being forced to find an alternate backup solution for our home business, we came across Backblaze and gave it a try. This has been a home-run for us, and we'll definitely continue to use it. The setup is fairly simple and straightforward, and being able to adjust options regarding when and the amount of resources used to backup files is great.
When we encountered an issue, their support center was prompt in replying to us and did an excellent job at explaining what the cause of the issue was.
The ability to restore an entire folder or an individual file regardless of location is very nice, and the price is very competitive for the options they provide.

Cons

There's really not a whole lot that I'd change. A benefit is the support articles and answers found in the community.

Pros

Ease of use, background operation, peace of mind, price.

Cons

Sometimes when it starts running, it slows my system (albeit briefly)

Pros

This software does a great job of keeping a daily backup of my computer without even thinking about it. Always have a backup just in case you lose something or anything happens.

Cons

Sometimes I forget to leave my laptop open for it to update overnight but that's more a laptop issue than software problem. Also, if you backup any drives, don't forget to connect them before going to bed...

Pros

Set it and forget it. Install the software and instantly have peace of mind. You're definitely limited to whatever upload speed you have in the office but that's just life. I also use the normal Backblaze at home for personal use. The cost is very, very fair for what you get.

Cons

Can slow down your internet a little bit when it's uploading a large backup but that's pretty standard for apps like this. There may be a throttling option that I have to figure out.

Pros

It's easy to set up, then requires nothing to maintain. Everything functions pretty automatically. The initial upload speed was fair. It allows lots of space for backup.

Cons

It isn't very user friendly to know what files have been backed up versus which files are queued for backup. Nor is it easy to figure out how to access those files from the cloud if you ever needed to. There is no file versioning, so if you need an older version of a file, you are out of luck. The backup is also limited to whatever you have on your harddrive - it doesn't backup external harddrives, and any file that has not been on your harddrive for more than 30 days gets deleted from the backup as well.

Pros

Once you set it up, it basically backs up all of your data on your hard drive daily. You basically set it and forget it.

Cons

Some aspects are a little difficult figuring out -- but the customer service by email is very responsive. So no problem with solutions.

Pros

Simple. Easy. Had our admin give us our install information and within meetings it started the back-up. The first one took a day - but after that it's very short.

Cons

The after-hours back up is a bit confusing to me. I try to do my backups in the background when I'm working during the day.

Pros

Super easy to setup and use, never have to worry about it, provides peace of mind knowing that my data is backed up

Cons

What's not to like? I've never had a problem with how it runs, setting it up, or changing settings.

Pros

I switched to BackBlaze when Crashplan became too buggy to use. Couldn't be happier I made the switch. The pricing is super-competitive, and they've clearly focused on making the backup options easy to configure and flexible (in that a single computer can include several different drives). Once automated backups were scheduled, I never have to think about backups again, which is the best thing I can say about backup software.

Cons

The software is mostly easy to use, but the information in some of the UI takes a little bit of figuring out. It's like the developers erred to the side of oversimplifying things to make the software look unintimidating, at the expense of clarity. This is especially true of the website UI, where backup restoration often happens. That said, the software does its job, and you can generally figure out how things work by poking around a bit.

Pros

The power of backblaze for personal backup is that it doesn't get in your way. It just sits there in the tray, but it accurately detects file changes and backs these up to the cloud. I have used the recovery process before and it works well.

Cons

It's not the cheapest, but it does do what it should.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Pros

With Backblaze, I find great confidence that all the files and various data I work on are safely backed up to the cloud, and the encryption that Backblaze uses to authenticate system access and data recovery is something I greatly appreciate. Sync with Backblaze is excellent and we can keep multiple archives working with cloud backups at the same time, and we can schedule backup times with ease. I very much appreciate the notices and reports that document backup operations, as well as when an error occurs, which makes us fully prepared when any problem occurs with copying operations, and we can then call the support team, which I find very responsive, and we can always find appropriate solutions to problems.

Cons

There are no features that I do not like about Backblaze, as I find it has a simple user interface, and all the tools are clear and easy to use, in addition to that it integrates with all applications very efficiently. My only concern with Backblaze comes from the copying speed, which I find to be variable, and also because of the notification system, where sometimes I receive a notification that the copying process failed, and when I track the process I find that it is talking and that the copying was completed successfully.

Pros

Ease of use. Security. Peace of mind. Everything works in the background. I don't even need to update the software because it does it automatically.

Cons

I cannot think of anything. They send a regular newsletter, and many of the articles they send are too tricky for me to understand. Maybe if they wrote some of those articles in a more user-friendly language for people like me who are ignorant about IT.

Pros

The security I feel in knowing that my files and photos are continuosly being backed up to the cloud is priceless! It only takes a hard-drive glitch once to truly appreciate this service. I've used their recovery system three times in the past and it's made the service something I will never be without! If there are only a few files you need, you can download them. If you need your entire hard drive to be recovered, they will send your files to you on a hard drive and not even charge you for the actual hard drive if you return it to them! This is an awesome service. They also send reports to assure you that files are backed up!

Cons

This product works silently in the background 24/7! Once you set the parameters you want, you can just feel the security that no matter what happens, your files are safe.

Pros

The best features of Backblaze are its affordability, ease of use, and... #1 is Reliability. It has saved me from losing important data on several occasions. There's a nice feature to ensure backups are live and ongoing always. Another good feature is the ability to login online and access files (if needed).

Cons

First, it can be a bit slow to upload large files. Second, the free version only allows for one computer to be backed up. Virtual (storage could) drives are not supported. The very first backup you create can take days - But to be fair... This is a result of how much data you are including in the first backup, and how fast your internet connection is.

Pros

Low cost (Because of their fair uses policy as well as no minimum storage commitment) .
Easily configurable with most of the industry leading backup software.
Newly added S3 support.
Object locking makes it impossible to delete the backup before the retention period.

Cons

No IAM based bucket distribution like AWS.

Pros

The best part of this software is how easy it is to configure and setup. A few simple clicks, a private key for encryption, and it runs quietly in the background when connected to the internet uploading data as specified in your options. Cost for the amount of storage is lower than most providers without having to rely on cold storage options.

Cons

Backblaze relies on the computer state for backups, and doesn't give a huge number of options for data recovery. If you lose a file, you need to make sure to restore it before the next backup kicks in and removes the file for good.

Software does not run on network drives or NAS very easily. NAS sometimes has software to integrate, but usually not a dual direction backup. Upload was pretty slow.

We are on 400/400 fiber and the 600GB upload took almost 3 days.

Pros

First of all you just can't beat their price for this type of automatic back up system. Most platforms I had researched either had size limits or cost much more. For a small non-profit we were so happy (and able to sleep better at night) knowing if our computer crashed we would be safe and able to keep going.

Cons

We have had a slight issue w/ backing up our harddrive because we travel to different venues and use that same harddrive for our video footage. We just have to set really good reminders so we don't forget to plug it back in.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Pros

Started with a free trial and was instantly converted into a paying customer when I realized how easy it is to use and how fairly priced it is.

Pros-
Cost - $130 for a 2 year plan
Unlimited storage - peace of mind storage will never run out
Easy to use software - Installed one piece of software and within 3-4 clicks, it started backing up and worked in the background while I continued to use my system
Backup internals - it continuously backs up every couple of minutes/hours once it spots changes
Speed of backup - large backups finish quickly
Lots of security options - 2FA authentication, private key encryption - for that extra level of security

Cons

It does not allow the backing up of applications and system files. In other words, you cannot make a bootable image of your system. If this was available, Backblaze would be perfect.

Pros

With Backblaze, I can control what gets backed up and when. There many file types, I don't need backed up. I can also set it up so it doesn't kick in if I'm still using the PC.

Cons

I have my backups go off nightly. However, I wish there were a way to have it integrate with Windows File Explorer so I could right-click a file to do an immediate backup.

I did run into a glitch when I added another hard drive and I remapped my drive letters. It did get resolved.

Pros

Used them successfully for many years. Then suddenly, they stopped backing up my external HD on my mac for an undetermined amount of time. After discovering this potentially catastrophic situation, I contacted customer support which finally told me that BB couldn't backup a mac external HD with Time Machine. What? But it did in previous years? why wasn't I alerted my backup was essentially backing up ONLY my desktop, which has almost no files? Wasted money. Worse, it could have cost me my business.

Cons

Unreliable and their customer service seemed clueless.

Pros

The price is unbeatable at this point for unlimited storage. Versioning is fairly robust. Speed is good.

Cons

Many folks would see this as a Pro, but I'd prefer to specify directories to backup rather than files types or the "back up everything" approach here.

All recovery must be done through the web interface by browsing backed up data and selecting files to be placed into zip containers of limited size. This is slow and clunky. When I had a major failure, I needed to back up several TB of data. I had to wait a week for delivery of a 2TB volume, and still had to select 10-20 zip packages in addition, keeping track of what had been restore and what had not. Obviously, this is a value service, but a non-web interface that allows for direct recovery over a fast connection would be superior for me.

Pros

I've used Backblaze for years with mixed results with regard to using it as a backup for computer files. For the most part I've moved to Google drive for that because it works much better for my use case. But what I really like Backblaze for is remotely backing up my cpanel production servers. We used to use Amazon S3 to backup our servers. But it was a little expensive. Backblaze is way cheaper than AWS and just as easy to set up and even easier to use if you need to access files.

Cons

The smart phone app can be a little buggy at times when trying to connect or download files.

Pros

The ease of use is what I like the most about this product. We went from MSP360 to BackBlaze and it is easier to use.

Cons

The email summaries could be more detailed.

Pros

Being able to have your entire database and archive in the cloud, automatically synching everyday, is a huge weight off of a company's shoulders. It's incredibly cheap for what you're receiving and the options to get your data back are very convenient.

Convenience is the key to Backblaze's success. A program runs in the background and is transferring your files in the middle of the night (or whenever you set it), ease of mind with no extra work. The setup is easy and takes minutes and the updates are informative.

Cons

One issue with Backblaze is you literally need to upload ALL of your data so depending on your ISP you may hit some data limit caps. I also found the upload process to be very slow. It took a couple weeks to upload a dozen terabytes. However when it was all finished, there is no issue in keeping up with the daily influx of data.

Pros

Backblaze is very easy to get running on a new computer and has configurable bandwidth limits. It doesn't backup the OS or applications which is great since it is unnecessary. It makes sense to have physical on and off site backups as well for critical data, but backblaze is so affordable that it is a great addition and adds peace of mind without having to always worry about if physical backups are 100% up to date.

Cons

I understand that they need to put limits on some things so people don't game the system, but I wish it was possible to keep a single external HD backed up without having to keep it plugged in all the time. If the external HD is unplugged for a certain amount of days, the data from it will be cleared. For teams that travel often, they may not always be able to have that external drive plugged in.

Pros

The best part is the unlimited storage, and it also is easy to set up for general use.

Cons

The mobile app is not fully developed yet.

Pros

After setting up your preferences, Backblaze runs unobtrusively in the background without any further interactions needed. The affordable pricing structure lets me use one account to back up several computers and easily access backups via the Backblaze website. Recovery is easy to do, fast, and multiple delivery options of your data are offered if you're trying to recover larger quantities than you'd prefer to download.

Cons

There isn't an archive solution to hold even a day or twos worth of backups. Your backup is only as good as the last state of your computer, so if you accidentally delete something on your machine, you have to be sure to recover it before the next automated backup takes place.

Pros

I love that it backs up my files and keeps them safe.

Cons

Every time I need to download a file I have to download everything and then update the computer again which takes ages.
Still, it's better than no backup at all. So I recommend that you use Backblaze if the other option is nothing. It's also more reliable than external hard drives, but it takes a long long time to backup larger files. So I can see it would be ideal if you're backing up documents, or scripts or basically text documents, not video files or super large images.

Pros

Nothing

Cons

i can't recommend this provider, slow and expensive, and they change the prices constantly and change the packages of services

Pros

Unlimited storage at an amazing price! Backblaze automatically backs up drives, folders, and files you set.

Cons

It does not back up exe files which are mainly software installation files but that is also where malware likes to hide.

Pros

First off, the biggest endorsement I can give for this software/service, at least for me, is that it is picked by The Wirecutter as the best online cloud backup service.

The first important thing to realize is that EVERY hard drive will eventually fail. Not if, but when. So you need a backup plan. And any backup plan that requires you to remember to do something is doomed. That's where BackBlaze comes in. The setup is dead simple (easier than other services I've used, like Crashplan), and then you simply let it do it's thing and run in the background. That's it! All you need to do is relax knowing that all of your data (and I mean all--the service allows unlimited data storage) is now safely backed up offsite.

Cons

I have yet to run into any issues with this sofware and service. I fortunately have not had the need to try out their data recovery features, however, so I can't opine on the quality there yet.

Pros

The price is a great value when compared to the products that I had been using before. Setup was easy and straightforward and it automatically backs up new and changed files giving me peace of mind.

Cons

Customizing settings isn't as user friendly as the app that I used before. You need to log on to the website to restore files which is a small inconvenience. My old backup solution had a small icon next to files so I knew at a glance which ones were already backed up, Backblaze doesn't offer that. It isn't able to back up GSuite's File Stream Drive.

Pros

I love that once the software is enabled, I don't ever have to think about it. It's just there, silently making sure that my work is constantly being backed up to the cloud in case the unthinkable happens and I lose all of my data.

Cons

I haven't had to actually use it yet, but having explored the restoration process a little bit through the company's website, it seems to be a bit clunky. It would be nice if there were an easier way to pick through the files I need to restore. Would be even better if it could track multiple versions ala Apple's Time Machine (which I also use).

Pros

It's the easiest way for regular customers to protect their data from loss. It's not the same thing as cloud storage, and it's not meant to be the same. But if you want to be always protected, Backblaze is a great and not-so-expensive solution. I used it for about 2 years when I used my private PC for work. Now I don't need it as much, but still consider getting back.

Cons

It would be great if that had some kind of cloud storage or at least integration with third-party cloud services.