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Backblaze vs Chef

Backblaze logo

Backblaze

Software

Unlimited cloud backup at an affordable price

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Chef logo

Chef

Software

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chef has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Backblaze personal Backup is $99 a year billed annually, with no monthly option; Chef priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
  • They diverge on capability: Backblaze covers Unlimited backup, Chef covers Recipes.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backblaze and Chef actually diverge.

Attributes where Backblaze and Chef differ
AttributeBackblazeChef
Starting price$9/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebLinux, Windows, Mac, Api
Founded20072009

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 Backblaze

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

Only in Chef

  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Roles
  • Data bags
  • Attributes
  • Chef Server
  • Chef Infra
  • Chef Compliance

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Mac support

What people use each for

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

Backblaze

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

Chef

  • Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Backblaze
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Backblaze

Where each one falls short

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

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

Chef

  • Priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
  • Tripling the price between the two published tiers puts compliance and audit features well above basic automation
  • Enterprise Plus and every self managed deployment are custom quoted with no published price

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Chef

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Chef Infra
    • Community support
    • Full functionality
  • Chef Automate$4000/year
    • Chef Infra
    • Compliance automation
    • Insights

Which should you pick?

Choose Backblaze if

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

Choose Chef if

  • You need recipes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want cookbooks.
Chef review

Questions people ask

Is Backblaze or Chef better?
Neither clearly leads. Backblaze starts at $9/month and Chef at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backblaze or Chef?
Chef has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Backblaze and Free for Chef.
Does Backblaze or Chef run on more platforms?
Backblaze runs on Windows, macOS, Web. Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
Can I use Chef for free?
Yes. Chef has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Backblaze starts at $9/month.
What is Backblaze best used for?
Backblaze is most often used for unlimited backup of a personal computer and external drives, restoring files from anywhere through the web, mailed hard drive restore for large recoveries, private encryption key control for sensitive data. Of those, unlimited backup of a personal computer and external drives and restoring files from anywhere through the web are not what Chef is typically brought in for.
What can Backblaze do that Chef cannot?
Backblaze covers Unlimited backup, Continuous backup, Version history, Private encryption key. Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Both handle Windows support, Mac 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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