Does Backblaze have a free plan?

No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. Backblaze is sold on usage-based pricing.

What are the main drawbacks of Backblaze?

The trade-offs we noted: Not all S3 behavior is identical: Compatibility must be checked against the exact SDK, operation and application workflow.; Encryption is a configuration decision: Official documentation says B2 data is not encrypted by default and offers optional SSE.; Recovery cost can vary: Large restores may exceed free egress and generate transaction, network and operational costs..

When should you not use Backblaze?

Skip Backblaze if: The workload depends on an untested Amazon S3 feature or exact behavioral parity; Required data residency, region pairing or recovery throughput is not available and verified; No owner exists for key rotation, retention, lifecycle, replication and restore testing.

Hosting

Backblaze

Cloud provider offering B2 object storage and a separate endpoint-focused Computer Backup service.

What it is

Backblaze sells distinct products, most notably B2 Cloud Storage and Computer Backup. B2 is usage-billed always-hot object storage with Native and S3-compatible APIs, browser access and command-line tooling. Current public pricing starts with 10 GB free, then meters byte-hour storage, egress beyond an allowance and selected Class D transactions. Encryption, Object Lock, version history and replication are capabilities to configure—not substitutes for independent access controls and tested recovery.

Backblaze pricing

Backblaze does not publish a plan ladder we could verify. Usage-based pricing.

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-08-24. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Price verification log.

Key features

S3-compatible API
Supports common S3 operations alongside Backblaze's Native API.
Usage-based storage
Bills stored bytes over time with separate egress and selected transaction rules.
Object immutability
Object Lock and Legal Hold can prevent deletion or change for governed retention periods.
Encryption and replication
Offers managed-key or customer-key SSE and configurable bucket replication.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

Low-friction object storage: Native and S3-compatible APIs work with many existing backup and application tools.
Published usage model: Storage, egress allowance, overage and transaction classes are documented publicly.
Data-protection controls: Optional server-side encryption, Object Lock, version history and bucket replication support resilient designs.
Egress options: Downloads are free up to three times average monthly storage and through named CDN/compute partners.

Where it falls short

Not all S3 behavior is identical: Compatibility must be checked against the exact SDK, operation and application workflow.
Encryption is a configuration decision: Official documentation says B2 data is not encrypted by default and offers optional SSE.
Recovery cost can vary: Large restores may exceed free egress and generate transaction, network and operational costs.
Product confusion risk: Computer Backup retention and device rules do not describe generic B2 object storage.

Who it is for

Teams needing economical object storage for backup, media, archive or application data with explicit security and restore procedures.

Pick it or skip it

Pick Backblaze if

Backup repositories whose software has verified B2 or S3-compatible support
Media and application objects with modeled storage, download and transaction patterns
Immutable off-site copies configured with restricted keys, Object Lock and restore drills

Skip it if

The workload depends on an untested Amazon S3 feature or exact behavioral parity
Required data residency, region pairing or recovery throughput is not available and verified
No owner exists for key rotation, retention, lifecycle, replication and restore testing

Our verdict

Backblaze B2 can be cost-effective object storage, but compare the exact workload rather than headline TB pricing; test API compatibility, calculate full restore cost and time, enable appropriate encryption/immutability, and regularly restore independent copies.

Frequently asked questions

Does Backblaze have a free plan?: No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. Backblaze is sold on usage-based pricing.
Who is Backblaze best for?: Teams needing economical object storage for backup, media, archive or application data with explicit security and restore procedures.
What are the main drawbacks of Backblaze?: The trade-offs we noted: Not all S3 behavior is identical: Compatibility must be checked against the exact SDK, operation and application workflow.; Encryption is a configuration decision: Official documentation says B2 data is not encrypted by default and offers optional SSE.; Recovery cost can vary: Large restores may exceed free egress and generate transaction, network and operational costs..
When should you not use Backblaze?: Skip Backblaze if: The workload depends on an untested Amazon S3 feature or exact behavioral parity; Required data residency, region pairing or recovery throughput is not available and verified; No owner exists for key rotation, retention, lifecycle, replication and restore testing.

What we checked

Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.No
Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Official sources reviewedReviewed: 2026-08-24

Backblaze — B2 pricing ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: current storage starting price, first 10 GB free, byte-hour billing, three-times-storage egress allowance, egress overage, partner egress, pay-as-you-go and Reserve distinction
Backblaze — Transaction pricing ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: Native and S3 operation mapping, free upload, Class A B and C pricing, Class D allowance and charge, egress rule
Backblaze Docs — B2 overview ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: B2 and Computer Backup distinction, Native and S3-compatible APIs, application keys, browser API and CLI access, generic object storage use, optional encryption boundary
Backblaze — B2 security ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: SSE-B2 and SSE-C, AES-256 at rest, Object Lock and Legal Hold, bucket replication, CORS
Backblaze Docs — Server-side encryption ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: optional SSE, Native and S3 API access, no separate encryption fee, application-key requirement, normal storage charges

Limit: Official Backblaze product, pricing, transaction, security and documentation pages were reviewed; ToolCompare did not create an account, upload or restore data, benchmark throughput, inspect all S3 differences, verify regional availability or residency, test key compromise, Object Lock, replication, lifecycle and versioning, calculate taxes, or obtain Reserve and support quotes. Prices and partner arrangements may change after the review date.

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