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File Storage · head to head

Backblaze vs MinIO

Backblaze logo

Backblaze

File Storage

Unlimited cloud backup at an affordable price

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MinIO logo

MinIO

File Storage

S3-compatible object storage server you run yourself, now under AGPL with a stripped community edition

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MinIO 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; MinIO the AGPL v3 licence applies copyleft over network use, so embedding MinIO in a product or hosted service obliges you to release your own source or buy a commercial licence, and legal review has removed it from several vendor stacks for this reason alone.
  • They diverge on capability: Backblaze covers Unlimited backup, MinIO covers S3 API implementation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backblaze and MinIO actually diverge.

Attributes where Backblaze and MinIO differ
AttributeBackblazeMinIO
Starting price$9/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebLinux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Docker
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 MinIO

  • S3 API implementation
  • Erasure coding
  • Single binary deployment
  • Bucket replication
  • Object locking and versioning
  • Identity provider integration

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

MinIO

  • Providing an S3 endpoint inside an air gapped or regulated network where a cloud bucket is not permittednot Backblaze
  • Backing a Kubernetes platform with object storage that lives on the same hardware as the clusternot Backblaze
  • Standing up S3 semantics in CI so tests exercise the same API path as productionnot Backblaze
  • Fronting local disk shelves with an S3 interface so applications only ever learn one storage APInot 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

MinIO

  • The AGPL v3 licence applies copyleft over network use, so embedding MinIO in a product or hosted service obliges you to release your own source or buy a commercial licence, and legal review has removed it from several vendor stacks for this reason alone.
  • The community edition console was reduced in 2025 to an object browser, so user, policy, bucket and configuration management now happen through the mc command line client or through the paid product, which is a real operational regression for teams that trained staff on the UI.
  • The vendor has changed the terms of the free edition twice, so planning long lived infrastructure around the community build carries the risk that the next change removes something you depend on.
  • Erasure coded deployments cannot be grown by adding single drives; capacity is added in server pools, so expansion is a hardware purchase in units rather than an incremental one.
  • Commercial pricing is capacity based and aimed at large deployments, so a team that outgrows the community edition faces an enterprise sized quote rather than a graduated upgrade path.

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

MinIO

Free
  • Community (AGPL v3)Free
    • Full server functionality
    • Erasure coding and replication
    • Object browser only in the web console
  • AIStor$undefined/year
    • Commercial licence removing AGPL obligations
    • Full management console
    • Vendor support with response commitments

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 MinIO if

  • You need s3 api implementation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Docker.
  • You also want erasure coding.
MinIO review

Questions people ask

Is Backblaze or MinIO better?
Neither clearly leads. Backblaze starts at $9/month and MinIO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backblaze or MinIO?
MinIO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Backblaze and Free for MinIO.
Does Backblaze or MinIO run on more platforms?
Backblaze runs on Windows, macOS, Web. MinIO runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Docker.
Can I use MinIO for free?
Yes. MinIO 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 MinIO is typically brought in for.
What can Backblaze do that MinIO cannot?
Backblaze covers Unlimited backup, Continuous backup, Version history, Private encryption key. MinIO covers S3 API implementation, Erasure coding, Single binary deployment, Bucket replication.

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
MinIO: Can I still use MinIO for free?

Yes, the AGPL v3 server remains available and functional. What changed is the console, which no longer manages users, policies or configuration in the community build.

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
MinIO: Does AGPL affect me if I only use it internally?

Internal use without offering the software over a network to third parties generally does not trigger the source obligation, but if MinIO forms part of a service you offer to others, it does. Take advice rather than a forum answer.

Backblaze: Does Backblaze support Linux systems?

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

Source
MinIO: What replaced the community console features?

The mc client and the server admin API. Third party UIs exist but they are not maintained by MinIO.

MinIO: Is it suitable as a Veeam or restic backup target?

Yes, object locking and versioning work and both tools treat it as standard S3. Immutability depends on configuring the lock policy at bucket creation.

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