Backblaze vs Crashplan

2017. CrashPlan shuts down its consumer cloud backup service to focus on business version



Popular cloud backup service CrashPlan has announced its decision to discontinue home subscriptions and shift its focus towards its business version, Code42. This move provides customers with a little over a year to find an alternative solution. Services like CrashPlan, Backblaze, and Carbonite have simplified the process of online backup, allowing users to subscribe and install a background app that automatically handles the backup process. CrashPlan has been a leading player in this market. However, the company has realized the potential for greater profitability by catering to larger enterprise customers. Hence, Code42 is providing ample time for its customers to transition away from CrashPlan, recognizing that uploading an entire hard drive can be a time-consuming process.


2015. Code42 snares $85M for its Crashplan



Code42, the company behind the enterprise backup tool Crashplan, has announced a significant funding round of $85 million. Originally developed as a laptop backup solution, Crashplan transitioned to cater to the enterprise market and has been experiencing rapid growth, with a yearly increase of 100 percent, as stated by Payne, a representative of Code42. One of the key advantages of Crashplan is its user-friendly nature, often requiring minimal IT involvement once implemented. Automatic file backups are performed, and Payne asserts that end users can restore files themselves in the majority of cases. The tool is platform-agnostic, extending its backup capabilities to Macs and Linux machines, and it leverages cloud storage, enabling users to retrieve their files from anywhere, including new devices. It's important to distinguish backup from storage: while storage involves keeping data on a hard drive, backup serves as a contingency plan in case of data loss, allowing users to recover their files. Crashplan focuses on backing up laptops and mobile devices rather than the entire data center.


2015. Backblaze offers low-cost Amazon S3 rival



Backblaze, known for its consumer and enterprise backup service, has announced Backblaze B2, a competitively priced cloud storage service that rivals Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, and Google’s Cloud Platform. Backblaze's service is half the price of Amazon Glacier, an extremely slow cold storage service, and costs only about a fourth of Amazon’s regular S3 service. By opting for Backblaze's low-priced service, you can store an additional copy of your data for approximately 15 percent of the cost compared to Amazon's cloud storage service. Backblaze expects users to utilize B2 for storing images, videos, data sets, and more. The service includes a free tier, offering up to 10GB storage, 1GB/day of outbound traffic, and unlimited inbound bandwidth. Developers can access it through an API and command-line interface, while a web interface is also available for non-technical users.


2008. Backblaze: Possibly world's easiest online backup

I recently received a preview of Backblaze, an online backup service or, as it's commonly referred to, cloud storage. This service focuses on one main function: backing up your PC (with Mac support coming soon). Setting it up is incredibly simple; just download and run the software, enter your ID and password, and you're good to go. By default, Backblaze automatically backs up your PC during idle periods, excluding system and program directories, as well as temporary files. There are no storage or bandwidth limitations, and it can store files up to 4GB in size. The cost of Backblaze is quite reasonable at $5 per month. If you want to customize the backup directories or filter out specific file types, you can easily do so in the control panel. The backup schedule can also be adjusted to avoid constantly waiting for idle time. Backblaze offers the option to set a private encryption key, adding an extra layer of security. However, it cannot access open files, meaning it won't back up Outlook email unless you remember to close the application. For a more configurable backup solution, there are other competitive options available, such as Mozy or Carbonite. Backblaze is best suited for individuals who need a simple backup solution and may be intimidated by the technical aspects or lack the motivation to ensure all necessary files are backed up. While Backblaze allows users to access their backed-up files through its website, it is not designed for sharing or syncing. The restore services, in my opinion, are not particularly impressive. Since the app doesn't back up the entire PC, it cannot be used for a complete system rebuild from backup. Restoring data over the web is limited to 1GB at a time in Zip files, or you can opt for a fee-based option of 4.7GB on a DVD, or in case of a major disaster, up to 160GB on a USB hard drive delivered via overnight mail for an additional fee.