Backblaze started in XNUMX to back up a friend's computer online. Fast forward to now, and that's in XNUMX countries, over XNUMX billion files supported, encompassing over an exabyte (or a million terabytes if you're wondering) of saved data. In other words, this is an essential data drive for cloud backup. This is comforting when you sign up for Backblaze, which offers a variety of payment packages for personal and business users. In other words, if you have data to back it up, Backblaze will do it for you. An essential benefit of this service is that it offers unlimited cloud storage, so your cloud locker can expand indefinitely as the amount of data you have grows.
- Backblaze subscription options:
- Twelve month plan - €67 a month (total cost €XNUMX)
Backblaze Features
Backblaze doesn't bother you with the details of your backup plan, just let it happen: when you initially install the desktop user, it doesn't require you to choose files and folders, just grab any and all files and folders you deem essential and start uploading them to your Backblaze cloud storage. By default, Backblaze copies everything for an ISO, DMG (Mac Disk Image), virtual drive, system files, or executables. You have the option to exclude other kinds of files if you want, but unless you are told to just ignore them, that will include all other kinds of files. We found it very simple and straightforward, and you can be sure that your entire computer can be recovered if necessary. We see it as a fit-and-forget solution: Backblaze is here to help you recover data, for example, if your hard drive fails disastrously or your laptop won't boot. Keep in mind, though, that Backblaze isn't built for syncing files between computers or accessing your music and video files in the cloud. You can include external hard drives and servers (commercially) in your backups, but network drives cannot be included. Backups can be continuous, once a day, or manually started. It would be nice to have some backup variety with these timescales, but we would expect most users to leave it in continuous backup mode. It should be noted that while you can back up an unlimited amount of data, you are limited to one computer per Backblaze account and mobile devices are not included. Backblaze will back up old versions of files and deleted files for thirty days. For an ancillary fee, this can be extended up to 1 year.
Backblaze interface
The Backblaze desktop user is aiming for simplicity rather than power or flash. The Backblaze package's options are limited, so the software doesn't have to do more than concentrate on the job at hand, making sure your files are backed up continuously in the background. There is an alternative to excluding some files and folders from a Backblaze backup, but it might be simpler. Since you have an unlimited amount of space in the cloud, it's easier to let Backblaze save everything, just in case. Transferring data from an entire computer to the web page is potentially a lengthy process, but the speeds handled by Backblaze were incredible. You can also choose to stop or slow down the download process if you think Backblaze is taking up too much bandwidth to cancel the automatic restriction. Like the desktop user, the web interface is also small and minimal, allowing you to view supported files and restore them if necessary. There is also a mechanism for sharing saved files with others that is unique to the web interface. Unfortunately, in terms of web functionality, Backblaze doesn't quite reach Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud when it comes to file sharing. In the event of a system crash or loss, the files can be downloaded for free or Backblaze will put them on a two hundred and fifty six GB ($XNUMX) flash drive or a physical USB hard drive of eight Tb (€XNUMX) for an ancillary fee and FedEx will send them to . . While it can't do more than suck up each and every file on a computer and let you restore it, Backblaze does these basic tasks really well.
Backblaze Security
Backblaze scores high marks from a security perspective: not only can you enable 2-step authentication on your account, but you can also rely on XNUMX-bit AES encryption and an SSL connection to prevent your data from being lost. The Internet. Although it is not full end-to-end encryption, it is indeed secure enough for most users. There's also the option to set up a private encryption key, known only to you, which adds an extra layer of protection to your data, for those who worry about having their issues taken care of by Backblaze staff. The downside is that Backblaze can't help you if you forget the key, and you must share it with Backblaze if you ever need to restore your data.
Backblaze pricing
You can try Backblaze for free for fifteen days without giving up your credit card information, but there is no free tier (as expected, you get unlimited cloud storage). Personal plans start at € six a month, but you can sign up for a year for € sixty (the equivalent of € five a month) or for a couple of years for € one hundred and ten (€ four hundred and fifty-eight a month). To allow access to deleted and old versions of files to be preserved for one year, an ancillary monthly fee of € two is required.
FREE Backblaze unlimited cloud storage with every ExpressVPN purchase
ExpressVPN, TechRadar's number one VPN provider, offers free and unlimited cloud storage through Backblaze for a full year with its annual subscription. Secure, professional-grade online backup for everyone, no strings attached. Business customers of the service get exactly the same cost, though you can contact Backblaze directly for different quotes for backing up multiple computers and servers, and putting more data in the cloud for long-term storage ( to replace backup copies) on tape). It's refreshing to see this kind of flexible pricing, but it makes it more difficult to compare Backblaze against competing services.