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File Storage · head to head

Backblaze vs IDrive e2

Backblaze logo

Backblaze

File Storage

Unlimited cloud backup at an affordable price

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IDrive e2 logo

IDrive e2

File Storage

Low cost S3-compatible object storage with egress included up to a multiple of what you store

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only IDrive e2 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; IDrive e2 the included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.
  • They diverge on capability: Backblaze covers Unlimited backup, IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backblaze and IDrive e2 actually diverge.

Attributes where Backblaze and IDrive e2 differ
AttributeBackblazeIDrive e2
Starting price$9/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownPer terabyte per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebWeb, API
Founded2007Unknown

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

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 IDrive e2

  • S3-compatible endpoints
  • Included egress allowance
  • Object lock
  • Versioning
  • Regional endpoints
  • Cross region replication

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 IDrive e2
  • Restoring files from anywhere through the webnot IDrive e2
  • Mailed hard drive restore for large recoveriesnot IDrive e2
  • Private encryption key control for sensitive datanot IDrive e2

IDrive e2

  • The offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by Veeam, restic or a NAS backup clientnot Backblaze
  • Replacing an S3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requestsnot Backblaze
  • Small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line itemsnot Backblaze
  • Archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delaynot 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

IDrive e2

  • The included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.
  • The region list is short compared with the hyperscalers, so data residency requirements outside the main markets are hard to satisfy and multi region designs have fewer options.
  • S3 compatibility covers the common calls but not the long tail, so software that relies on less common features can fail in ways that are hard to diagnose against a provider with thin public documentation.
  • Support is organised around a consumer and small business backup product rather than a platform engineering organisation, so escalating a storage layer problem takes longer than it would with a specialist provider.
  • IDrive publishes far less about the underlying architecture, durability engineering and incident history than its competitors, so due diligence on the storage layer is largely taking the vendor at its word.

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

IDrive e2

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 GB stored
    • S3 API access
    • Egress within the included allowance
  • Pay as you go$4/month
    • Roughly 4 USD per terabyte stored per month
    • Egress included up to a multiple of stored data
    • No per operation charge on standard usage

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 IDrive e2 if

  • You need s3-compatible endpoints.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want included egress allowance.
IDrive e2 review

Questions people ask

Is Backblaze or IDrive e2 better?
Neither clearly leads. Backblaze starts at $9/month and IDrive e2 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backblaze or IDrive e2?
IDrive e2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Backblaze and Free for IDrive e2.
Does Backblaze or IDrive e2 run on more platforms?
Backblaze runs on Windows, macOS, Web. IDrive e2 runs on Web, API.
Can I use IDrive e2 for free?
Yes. IDrive e2 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 IDrive e2 is typically brought in for.
What can Backblaze do that IDrive e2 cannot?
Backblaze covers Unlimited backup, Continuous backup, Version history, Private encryption key. IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Included egress allowance, Object lock, Versioning.

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
IDrive e2: Is the egress genuinely free?

It is included up to an allowance tied to how much you store, not unlimited. Read heavy workloads on a small bucket will exceed it.

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
IDrive e2: Does it work with Veeam and restic?

Yes, both treat it as a standard S3 endpoint, and object lock is supported for immutable backup chains.

Backblaze: Does Backblaze support Linux systems?

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

Source
IDrive e2: Is there a minimum retention period?

No fixed minimum retention charge on standard storage, which is a real difference from providers that bill ninety days on early deletion.

IDrive e2: How does it compare with Backblaze B2?

The rates are close. B2 is the better documented and more widely integrated service; e2 is cheaper at list and has a different egress allowance model.

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