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Alibaba Cloud vs Backblaze

Alibaba Cloud logo

Alibaba Cloud

Software

Asia's leading cloud computing provider

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Backblaze logo

Backblaze

Software

Unlimited cloud backup at an affordable price

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included; Backblaze personal Backup is $99 a year billed annually, with no monthly option
  • They diverge on capability: Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Backblaze covers Unlimited backup.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alibaba Cloud and Backblaze actually diverge.

Attributes where Alibaba Cloud and Backblaze differ
AttributeAlibaba CloudBackblaze
Starting priceFree$9/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliWindows, macOS, Web
Founded20092007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Alibaba Cloud

  • Elastic Compute Service
  • Object Storage Service
  • RDS Database
  • MaxCompute
  • Function Compute
  • CDN
  • Load Balancer
  • API Gateway

Only in Backblaze

  • Unlimited backup
  • Continuous backup
  • Version history
  • Private encryption key
  • Restore by mail
  • Mobile apps
  • macOS
  • Windows

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Backblaze
  • Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Backblaze
  • Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Backblaze
  • CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Backblaze

Backblaze

  • Unlimited backup of a personal computer and external drivesnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Restoring files from anywhere through the webnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Mailed hard drive restore for large recoveriesnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Private encryption key control for sensitive datanot Alibaba Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
  • Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
  • Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic

Backblaze

  • Personal Backup is $99 a year billed annually, with no monthly option
  • Web restores are capped at 500GB per request
  • Forever version history is a Business tier add-on rather than included
  • Administrative controls and SSO are Business features
  • Backs up user data from a computer and attached drives, so NAS and server backup are not covered by the personal plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Alibaba Cloud

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Free tier credits
    • ECS instances
    • Cloud storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible billing
    • No commitments
    • Global reach

Backblaze

$9/month
  • Personal Backup$9/month
    • Unlimited storage for single computer
    • Unlimited version history
    • 30-day trial
  • B2 Cloud Storage$6/TB/month
    • S3-compatible storage
    • Pay-as-you-go model

Which should you pick?

Choose Alibaba Cloud if

  • You need elastic compute service.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage service.
Alibaba Cloud review

Choose Backblaze if

  • You need unlimited backup.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want continuous backup.
Backblaze review

Questions people ask

Is Alibaba Cloud or Backblaze better?
Neither clearly leads. Alibaba Cloud starts at Free and Backblaze at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alibaba Cloud or Backblaze?
Alibaba Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Alibaba Cloud and $9/month for Backblaze.
Does Alibaba Cloud or Backblaze run on more platforms?
Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Backblaze runs on Windows, macOS, Web.
Can I use Alibaba Cloud for free?
Yes. Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Backblaze starts at $9/month.
What is Alibaba Cloud best used for?
Alibaba Cloud is most often used for cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific, pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment, committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloads, cdn and data transfer packages for content delivery. Of those, cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific and pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment are not what Backblaze is typically brought in for.
What can Alibaba Cloud do that Backblaze cannot?
Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Backblaze covers Unlimited backup, Continuous backup, Version history, Private encryption key. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Backblaze: What is the pricing for Backblaze Personal Backup?

Backblaze Personal Backup costs $9/month on monthly billing or $8.25/month when billed annually, providing unlimited storage for a single computer.

Source
Backblaze: What storage options does Backblaze B2 offer?

Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage is priced at $6/TB per month with a pay-as-you-go model, and is S3 compatible for flexible cloud storage.

Source
Backblaze: Does Backblaze support Linux systems?

No. Backblaze does not support Linux operating systems, limiting it to Windows, macOS, and web access only.

Source
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