Backblaze Review: Simple, Affordable Unlimited Cloud Backup
Backblaze has long been one of the most popular and well-regarded cloud backup services, thanks to its dead-simple setup, unlimited storage, and attractive $7/month pricing. But in 2022, Backblaze raised its prices for the first time in 15 years, bumping the cost for new subscribers to $8/month or $80/year. So the question is: at this higher price point, is Backblaze still the best cloud backup option?
As a data backup expert and longtime Backblaze user, I‘ve re-tested the service and analyzed the pricing changes to help you decide whether Backblaze is still worth it in 2024. Let‘s dive in.
What is Backblaze?
Founded in 2007, Backblaze is a cloud storage company that specializes in automating data backups for individuals and businesses. Its flagship product is Backblaze Computer Backup, an application that continuously scans your computer for files and automatically backs them up to Backblaze‘s cloud servers.
The key selling points of Backblaze are:
- Unlimited backup storage for one computer
- Supports both Mac and Windows
- Extremely simple setup and configuration
- Automatic, continuous backups
- Retains old file versions/deleted files for 30 days
- Multiple restore options including web downloads, mobile apps, and mailed hard drives
In terms of scale, Backblaze currently stores over 2 exabytes of customer data across nearly 200,000 hard drives in its data centers. It has nearly 1 million paying customers and backs up around 100 billion files per day. So this is a robust, large scale service trusted by many users.
How Backblaze Works
Backblaze takes a "set it and forget it" approach to backups. Once you install the lightweight desktop app, it scans your main hard drive and any attached external drives to build an initial file index. By default, Backblaze will select your user folder and any other commonly used data folders for backup.
You can customize what‘s backed up by excluding certain folders or file types, or adding additional folders to monitor, but most users can safely stick with the defaults. Backblaze is smart enough to automatically exclude system and application files that don‘t need backing up.
After the initial file scan, Backblaze compresses and encrypts the data before uploading it to Backblaze‘s servers, being mindful of your available bandwidth and computer resources. Uploads happen continuously as long as your computer is powered on and connected to the internet, with Backblaze using "trickle" uploads to minimize impact on your connection.
Newly added and changed files are backed up quickly, often within minutes, while the initial backup of all your existing files can take days or weeks depending on how much data you have and your connection speed. In my testing, Backblaze uploaded about 10 GB of data per day on average.
By default, your data is encrypted on Backblaze‘s servers using AES 128-bit encryption and Backblaze holds the decryption key. But you can opt for a private encryption key which ensures that only you can decrypt your backup data. Just be aware that Backblaze has no way to recover your data if you lose your private key.
Restoring Data from Backblaze
Backups are only useful if you can easily retrieve your data when needed. Backblaze offers four ways to restore your backed up files:
- Web downloads – Sign into your Backblaze account, browse and search your backed up files, and download any or all of them as a ZIP file.
- Backblaze Mobile Apps – Use the iOS or Android app to access backed up files on the go, saving them to your mobile device or sending a download link.
- Backblaze Computer App – Initiate restores of specific files or folders right from your desktop.
- USB Drive Restores – For large restores, Backblaze will load your data onto a 256 GB Flash drive ($99) or 8 TB hard drive ($189) and courier it to you. Return the drive within 30 days for a refund.
I‘ve used all of these restore methods over the years and found the process to be fast and reliable. Web downloads are my go-to for retrieving individual files or folders, with the ZIP download link arriving promptly and the actual download speed maxing out my connection.
For a full system restore after a hard drive crash, having Backblaze courier an 8 TB hard drive loaded with my data saved a huge amount of time versus re-downloading everything.
Backblaze Pricing Changes
Since its launch in 2008, Backblaze differentiated itself by charging a single flat rate of $5/month (or $50/year) for unlimited backup storage. That price held steady until 2019 when it increased to $6/month (or $60/year).
In 2022, Backblaze announced its biggest price increase yet, raising the cost of Computer Backup to $8/month or $80/year for new subscribers. Existing subscribers would continue to pay their original price (for now).
Here‘s how Backblaze‘s pricing has changed over time:
| Year | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2008-2018 | $5 | $50 |
| 2019-2021 | $6 | $60 |
| 2022-present | $8 | $80 |
The cumulative price increase since 2008 is 60%, which sounds like a lot. But adjusted for inflation, $5 in 2008 is equivalent to around $7 in 2023 dollars. So in real terms, the price jump is not as dramatic as it seems – Backblaze is essentially keeping up with inflation while adding new features and growing storage capacity.
It‘s also important to note that Backblaze was the first major cloud backup provider to offer unlimited storage for a fixed price, forcing competitors like Carbonite and Mozy to eventually match their model. But in 2022, Backblaze was actually the last of the major players to raise prices in the face of rising energy and storage costs.
Here‘s how Backblaze‘s new pricing stacks up against the competition as of 2024:
| Service | Annual Price | Storage Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Backblaze | $80 | Unlimited |
| Carbonite | $84 | Unlimited |
| IDrive | $80 | 5 TB |
| Acronis | $100 | 1 TB |
As you can see, Backblaze is still on the cheaper end even with the price increase, and is the only one to still offer truly unlimited storage. IDrive wins on total cost if you have less than 5 TB of data, while Acronis bundles in extras like antivirus and VPN. But in terms of core functionality and value, Backblaze still leads the pack.
Alternatives to Backblaze
While I believe Backblaze is still the best cloud backup service for most users, there are some alternatives worth considering depending on your specific needs:
- IDrive offers 5 TB of storage for $80/year, supports multiple computers and mobile devices, and offers disk image backups and the ability to send in an external drive to speed up initial uploads. But it lacks unlimited storage and charges more for multi-year plans.
- SpiderOak One Backup has a big focus on security and privacy, with end-to-end encryption and a zero-knowledge policy even for file metadata. It supports an unlimited number of devices, but storage space is limited and pricey at $6/month for 150 GB.
- Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office bundles full disk image backups, antimalware, and a VPN along with cloud storage. But it gets expensive quickly, with 1 TB costing $100/year.
- Arq Premium is a good option for users who want to use their own cloud storage provider (Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) rather than a proprietary solution. It starts at $6/month for 1 TB.
For users who only need to back up a single computer and have a large amount of data (media libraries, archives, etc.), Backblaze still offers unbeatable value and simplicity.
The Bottom Line
Despite the recent price increase, my opinion of Backblaze hasn‘t changed: it‘s still the best cloud backup service for most people. The push to $8/month or $80/year doesn‘t substantially change the value equation, especially when you factor in inflation and the rising costs of storage.
Backblaze remains the easiest, most reliable way to protect your files from loss, theft or damage. Installing it on my MacBook Pro took less than 5 minutes and I haven‘t had to think about it since – my files are continuously backed up in the background without any slowdown or interrupted workflows. And critically, restores have been fast and painless on the few occasions I‘ve needed them.
The main reason to choose an alternative over Backblaze would be if you have multiple computers to back up, since Backblaze requires a separate license for each one. For multi-computer households, IDrive‘s 5 TB plan is likely a better deal, as is Carbonite Safe.
Some power users may prefer SpiderOak‘s security-first, end-to-end encryption model for sensitive data, while others may be drawn to Acronis‘ all-in-one protection suite. And those who already pay for ample cloud storage elsewhere can save by using a BYO storage service like Arq.
But for the vast majority of users, Backblaze hits the sweet spot of price, features and user experience. It takes the uncertainty and friction out of protecting your data by making reliable backups completely automatic and unconstrained by storage limits.
So is Backblaze still worth $80/year in 2024? In my expert opinion, absolutely. The peace of mind alone is well worth the price of a Netflix subscription. And faced with the nightmare scenario of losing priceless documents, photos, or videos, most of us wouldn‘t hesitate to pay even 10 times that to get our data back. Backblaze is still the cheapest insurance policy you can buy for your digital life.