BackBlaze

Backblaze: Reliable and Affordable Cloud Backup and Storage

Backblaze stands out in the crowded cloud storage market by prioritizing simplicity, affordability, and reliability. It offers a comprehensive suite of services, catering to both personal users needing straightforward backup and businesses requiring scalable, cost-effective storage solutions. The platform's core strength lies in its ease of use, ensuring that even non-technical users can set up and manage their backups without hassle.

Key Offerings:

• Personal Cloud Backup:

  This service provides unlimited computer backup for a low monthly fee. It automatically backs up all your data, including documents, photos, music, and videos, without requiring you to select specific files. The service operates seamlessly in the background, ensuring your data is always protected.

• B2 Cloud Storage:

  Designed for businesses and developers, B2 Cloud Storage offers highly scalable and affordable object storage. It's ideal for storing large datasets, hosting static websites, media archives, and disaster recovery. B2's pricing is significantly lower than many competitors, making it a compelling choice for cost-conscious organizations.

Core Features and Benefits:

Backblaze is built on a foundation of essential features designed to provide a secure and convenient backup experience:

• Automated and Continuous Backup: Set it up once, and Backblaze handles the rest, constantly backing up new and changed files.
• Unlimited Storage (Personal Backup): Don't worry about exceeding storage limits; Backblaze Personal Backup offers true unlimited storage for your computer.
• Strong Encryption: Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, ensuring your information remains private and secure.
• Easy Data Restoration: Recovering files is straightforward through the web interface or by ordering a physical recovery drive.
• Version History: Backblaze keeps multiple versions of your files, allowing you to revert to previous states if needed.

Whether you are an individual looking for a simple 'set it and forget it' backup solution or a business in need of scalable and cost-effective cloud storage, Backblaze provides a compelling and user-friendly platform. Its commitment to low costs and ease of use, combined with robust features, makes it a strong contender in the cloud backup and storage market.

Backblaze Software Review

Backblaze presents itself as a straightforward and cost-effective solution for cloud backup and storage. The platform is segmented into two primary offerings: Personal Cloud Backup and B2 Cloud Storage. This review examines the capabilities and user experience of both services.

Personal Cloud Backup

The Personal Cloud Backup service is designed for individual users needing to back up their computer data. Its primary appeal lies in its unlimited storage offering and ease of setup. Upon installation, the client application automatically begins backing up eligible files without requiring the user to manually select folders. This ‘set it and forget it’ approach is a significant advantage for users who prioritize convenience.

Backup Process:

The backup process is generally efficient, utilizing incremental backups to only upload changes. Initial backups can be lengthy depending on the amount of data. The client runs quietly in the background, with minimal impact on system performance in most cases. Users can monitor the backup progress through the desktop application or the web interface.

Restoration:

Restoring data with Backblaze Personal Backup is a well-implemented process. The web interface provides a simple way to browse and download files or folders. For larger restores, such as a full system recovery or a significant amount of data, Backblaze offers the option to order a physical hard drive containing the backed-up data. This feature, while incurring an additional cost, can significantly reduce restoration time compared to downloading over the internet, particularly for users with slower connections. The version history feature is also valuable, allowing users to retrieve older copies of files.

Limitations:

A notable limitation of the Personal Cloud Backup is that it is designed primarily for backing up data stored directly on the computer's internal drives. External drives require additional steps to be included in the backup. While the unlimited storage is a strong selling point, it is tied to a single computer license.

B2 Cloud Storage

B2 Cloud Storage is Backblaze's offering for developers and businesses. It is an object storage service priced significantly lower than many competitors like Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage. This makes it an attractive option for various use cases, including:

• Data archiving and long-term storage
• Serving static websites
• Storing media files
• Disaster recovery solutions

Accessibility and Integration:

B2 is accessible via APIs and integrates with various third-party applications and services, including backup software, content management systems, and development platforms. The S3 Compatible API allows for relatively easy migration from or integration with applications designed to work with Amazon S3.

Pricing Model:

The pricing model for B2 is pay-as-you-go, based primarily on storage volume and download bandwidth. The low cost per gigabyte of stored data is a major advantage. It is important to note the egress fees for downloading data, which are standard for cloud storage providers but should be factored into cost calculations for heavily accessed data.

Performance:

Performance for B2 is generally good for typical cloud storage workloads. Upload and download speeds are dependent on network conditions but the infrastructure is designed for scalability and reliability.

Security Features

Backblaze employs strong encryption for data security. Data is encrypted in transit using SSL/TLS and at rest on their servers. Users can also opt for a personal encryption key for an added layer of security, although this means Backblaze cannot assist with password recovery if lost.

User Interface

The user interface for both Personal Backup and B2 is clean and intuitive. The web console allows users to manage their accounts, view backup status, perform restores, and configure settings. The desktop application for Personal Backup is simple and focuses primarily on monitoring and basic settings.

Overall Assessment

Backblaze delivers on its promise of providing affordable and easy-to-use cloud backup and storage. The Personal Cloud Backup service is an excellent value for individuals needing unlimited, automated computer backup. B2 Cloud Storage is a highly competitive option for businesses and developers seeking low-cost object storage with a strong API and S3 compatibility. While the Personal Backup has limitations regarding external drives, and egress fees apply to B2 downloads, these are common considerations with cloud services. The overall reliability, security features, and straightforward approach make Backblaze a solid choice for various backup and storage needs.