Buying & comparison
Cloud Backup: Backblaze vs Wasabi vs S3
A source-backed comparison of cloud backup for a home or NAS: Backblaze Personal, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, and AWS S3 Glacier Deep Archive — egress, immutability, and restore.
Who this is for
Cloud storage can provide the off-site copy in a 3-2-1 plan, but recovery depends on the backup software, credentials, encryption keys and retention you configure. Personal computer backup, an S3-compatible NAS target and a cold archive serve different needs. Compare normal storage costs, a full restore and backup-version turnover with the backup plan builder.
Bottom line
Backblaze Personal Backup covers supported computer data, not NAS/network shares. For a NAS, compare B2 and Wasabi using the exact backup-client integration and your stored/downloaded volume. B2 includes egress up to 3× average monthly storage and no minimum storage duration; Wasabi Pay-Go has a 1 TB monthly billing floor and 90-day minimum object duration, with conditional free egress. Glacier Deep Archive suits a slow outer copy when retrieval delay and total restore costs are acceptable. Object Lock can protect retained versions, but mode, permissions and backup-client compatibility must be tested before setting a long lock.
Before you order
- Confirm the exact backup app/version supports the provider, region, authentication and restore workflow. A generic S3 API does not prove every app feature works.
- Estimate normal stored versions, monthly downloads, a full disaster restore and early deletions. Include minimum bills, retrieval, requests, temporary restored storage and internet egress where applicable.
- Choose a recovery-time target and region. Hot storage avoids archive thawing but download speed still depends on network and workload.
- Keep recovery credentials and encryption keys separately from the NAS. Test a small restore onto a different destination before relying on the service.
- If using Object Lock, verify the backup client supports the chosen retention mode and pruning/rotation. Trial the complete workflow in a separate bucket first; compliance retention cannot be shortened.
How to choose
- Supported backup source
- Personal Backup uses a computer agent; NAS/network shares are not supported. B2/Wasabi provide object storage for a compatible backup application. Glacier Deep Archive is an AWS S3 storage class; client/lifecycle support needs verification.
- Storage, churn and full-restore costs
- B2’s included monthly egress is 3× average monthly stored data, with charges above it. Wasabi free egress is conditional: downloads greater than active stored volume may fall outside policy. Pay-Go has a 1 TB billing minimum and 90-day minimum object duration. Charging for early deletion does not preserve a recoverable deleted file.
- Object Lock mode and backup compatibility
- In governance mode, authorized users can bypass retention; compliance mode prevents early deletion/shortening of retained versions. Locks protect specific versions until expiry, not your credentials, keys or all future backups. Verify your backup app’s retention/pruning support before enabling a long lock. See immutable backups.
- Region and recovery time
- B2 lists US West, US East, EU Central and Canada East; choose the account region deliberately. Wasabi offers multiple regions including Asia-Pacific. Deep Archive Standard retrieval typically takes up to 12 hours and Bulk up to 48 hours, before the final download. Match the target region and end-to-end recovery time to your needs.
The options
No dollar amounts are listed — pricing models are stable but the rates change, so each option links to its official pricing page for the current number.
Backblaze Personal Backup
BackblazeAgent-based backup for a supported computer and locally attached drives; not an S3 storage target.
Best for
Supported computer data, with the selected version history and external-drive reconnection procedure understood.
Watch-outs
NAS/network shares are not supported. External-drive history depends on the selected retention plan: the 30-day option requires timely reconnection; one-year history retains eligible missing/deleted data longer. Check the actual account setting and keep external drives participating in backup.
| Spec | Value | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat-rate unlimited per computer — unlimited data, file size, and upload speed, no per-GB metering. NAS/network drives are not a supported source. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Egress / restore fees | Supported restore downloads are included; shipped-drive options and refund conditions have separate current terms. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Versioning / retention | 30-day, one-year and Forever version-history options; detached-drive recovery depends on the selected history. Check the account setting rather than assuming an unconditional 30-day purge. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| S3-compatible API | None — it's an agent-based backup service, not object storage, so it cannot be a NAS off-site sync target. Use Backblaze B2 for that. | Researchedsource |
| Restore model | Computer-backup restore tools and optional shipped media; check current preparation, size and availability limits. No Glacier-style archive thawing. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
BackblazeMetered, always-hot object storage with Native/S3 APIs and Object Lock; pair with a verified backup client.
Best for
NAS backups needing hot retrieval and no minimum object storage duration, with costs estimated for retained versions and disaster downloads.
Watch-outs
Egress above 3× average monthly stored data is charged unless an applicable partner route covers it. Retained versions grow storage charges. Region is selected for the account and cannot simply be changed later; recovery still needs your app and keys.
| Spec | Value | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-TB/month metered object storage; no minimum storage duration and no minimum file size. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Egress / download fees | Free egress up to 3× average monthly stored data, then per-GB; egress through partner CDNs/compute (Fastly, Cloudflare) is free. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Immutability / Object Lock | Object Lock offers governance and compliance retention. Privileged governance bypass is possible; compliance retention cannot be shortened. Test client compatibility and pruning. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| S3-compatible API | S3-compatible API; verify the exact backup-client version, endpoint, authentication and features rather than assuming a drop-in integration. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Regions | US West, US East, EU Central and Canada East. Select the account region at creation; use separate accounts for separate regions. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage
WasabiS3-compatible hot storage with conditional free egress and minimum-billing/duration rules.
Best for
Backups whose required region, stored volume, download volume and retention fit the chosen Wasabi plan.
Watch-outs
Pay-Go bills at least 1 TB monthly and charges the remaining 90-day duration for early-deleted objects. This is a billing rule, not recoverable retention. Downloads greater than active storage can fall outside free-egress policy; repeated full restores are not an unlimited entitlement.
| Spec | Value | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-Go storage billing with a 1 TB monthly minimum. Egress/API pricing is subject to the service’s policy and your plan. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Egress / download fees | Conditional free egress: monthly downloads greater than active stored volume are outside the stated suitable-use policy; service may be limited or suspended. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Minimum storage duration | Pay-Go minimum object duration is 90 days. Early deletion can incur remaining-duration charges, without making the deleted object recoverable. Confirm other contract terms separately. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Immutability / Object Lock | Object Lock governance/compliance modes have different bypass rules. Confirm the backup client supports the chosen mode and version retention. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Regions | Multiple regions including Asia-Pacific; verify the target endpoint and current regional availability. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
AWS S3 Glacier Deep Archive
Amazon Web ServicesA cold S3 archive class for an outer recovery copy whose retrieval delay and full costs are acceptable.
Best for
Long-retained archives behind a faster copy, when the backup workflow supports archive retrieval and its costs.
Watch-outs
Standard retrieval typically completes within 12 hours; Bulk within 48 hours, before downloading. Budget retrieval, requests, temporary hot restored copies, storage metadata and egress. The 180-day minimum can charge early deletion.
| Spec | Value | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Low archive storage rate with separate retrieval/request costs; compare the complete workload and region rather than assuming the lowest total backup cost. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Retrieval / egress fees | Per-GB retrieval fees (varying by tier) on top of standard S3 egress — cold-archive retrieval is explicitly fee-laden. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Minimum storage duration | 180-day minimum; objects deleted earlier are billed for the remaining days. Each object carries ~40 KB of extra metadata. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
| Immutability / Object Lock | S3 Object Lock can protect versions in archive classes; governance permits authorized bypass while compliance prevents early deletion/shortening. | Researchedsource |
| Restore model | Cold — data is not immediately readable; it must be restored/thawed (Standard ~12h, Bulk ~48h) before download. | Manufacturer-confirmedsource |
Pick by use case
Supported laptop/desktop data
→ Backblaze Personal Backup. Choose version history and reconnect attached drives as required. A NAS share is not a supported source.
Hot NAS backup with frequently pruned versions
→ Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage. No minimum object duration, with 3× average monthly storage included for egress. Verify client support and total retained volume.
NAS backup needing a Wasabi region or matching its plan
→ Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage. Compare the 1 TB floor, 90-day Pay-Go duration and conditional download policy against actual backup/restore usage.
Slow outer archive behind a faster copy
→ AWS S3 Glacier Deep Archive. Use only when retrieval delays, minimum duration and the full restoration bill fit the recovery plan.
Run the numbers
Turn the decision into a calculation before you buy — size the capacity, the backup, and the UPS for your exact setup.
Related runbooks
How we verified this guide
2026-09-27 · Reviewed by HomeTechOps. Source-reviewed against Backblaze, Wasabi and AWS documentation on 2026-09-27. Billing minimums, backup retention and Object Lock are distinct. No physical NAS-to-cloud integration, immutable repository pruning or multi-terabyte disaster restore was performed for this comparison; verify the exact client and run a small restore before committing data or long compliance retention.
Source-backed checks
HomeTechOps turns official docs and conservative safety rules into a shorter runbook. These links are the source trail for the page direction.
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