File Storage · head to head
IDrive e2 vs Kopia
IDrive e2
File Storage
Low cost S3-compatible object storage with egress included up to a multiple of what you store
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Kopia
Backup
Open source deduplicating backup with client side encryption and a repository on almost any storage
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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.; Kopia space is only reclaimed when maintenance runs, and in a shared repository full maintenance is owned by one client, so if that machine goes away the repository grows for ever while every backup still reports success.
- They diverge on capability: IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Kopia covers Content defined chunking.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IDrive e2 and Kopia actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 IDrive e2
- S3-compatible endpoints
- Included egress allowance
- Object lock
- Versioning
- Regional endpoints
- Cross region replication
Only in Kopia
- Content defined chunking
- Global deduplication
- Pack blobs
- Client side encryption
- Desktop and command line
- Repository verification
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IDrive e2
- The offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by Veeam, restic or a NAS backup clientnot Kopia
- Replacing an S3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requestsnot Kopia
- Small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line itemsnot Kopia
- Archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delaynot Kopia
Kopia
- Backing up laptops and workstations to cheap object storage with a desktop interface rather than a cron jobnot IDrive e2
- Deduplicating backups of several similar machines into one repository so common content is stored oncenot IDrive e2
- Replacing a chunk based tool whose per object charges made a cheap bucket expensivenot IDrive e2
- Keeping an encrypted offsite copy where the storage provider must never be able to read the contentsnot IDrive e2
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Kopia
- Space is only reclaimed when maintenance runs, and in a shared repository full maintenance is owned by one client, so if that machine goes away the repository grows for ever while every backup still reports success.
- The repository format has changed across versions and mixing client versions against one repository is discouraged, so a fleet must be upgraded together rather than machine by machine.
- There is no central orchestration or reporting for many machines, so monitoring a fleet means building your own alerting around exit codes.
- Restoring many small files is slower than the backup was, because content must be reassembled from pack blobs, and this is rarely tested until the day it matters.
- Encryption is client side with no escrow, so a lost repository password means the data is unrecoverable and there is no vendor to appeal to.
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Kopia
Free- KopiaFree
- Full functionality, no data limit
- Desktop application included
- Any supported storage back end
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Kopia if
- You need content defined chunking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
- You also want global deduplication.
Questions people ask
- Is IDrive e2 or Kopia better?
- Neither clearly leads. IDrive e2 starts at Free and Kopia at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, IDrive e2 or Kopia?
- IDrive e2 starts at Free and Kopia at Free.
- Does IDrive e2 or Kopia run on more platforms?
- IDrive e2 runs on Web, API. Kopia runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
- Can I use IDrive e2 for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is IDrive e2 best used for?
- IDrive e2 is most often used for the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client, replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests, small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line items, archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delay. Of those, the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client and replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests are not what Kopia is typically brought in for.
- What can IDrive e2 do that Kopia cannot?
- IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Included egress allowance, Object lock, Versioning. Kopia covers Content defined chunking, Global deduplication, Pack blobs, Client side encryption.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
Kopia: Is a partly corrupt repository still restorable?
Partly. Deduplication means one damaged pack blob affects every snapshot referencing its contents, but unaffected files still restore. Run verification regularly rather than assuming.
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.
Kopia: How does it compare with restic?
Similar guarantees, with packing that behaves better on per operation billing, a desktop interface, and compression enabled by default.
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.
Kopia: Do I need to run maintenance manually?
It is scheduled automatically by default, but you must ensure the client that owns full maintenance keeps running, otherwise deleted snapshots never free space.
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.
Kopia: Can several machines share one repository?
Yes, and that is where deduplication pays off, but they should run compatible versions and only one owns full maintenance.
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