Backblaze Backup Review

If you need to backup your lots of data Backblaze is an excellent option. They have simple easy to use software for Mac and Windows, that will get you computer backing up in no time. It should be noted that they do not offer file syncing and sharing services, think dropbox or google drive. Backblaze focuses on one thing which is inexpensive, unlimited easy to use backup.

Starting at $5/month, it gets less expensive if you pay for a year or two upfront, it is hard to find a better deal especially with the wide array of restore options. The restore options include file download and putting your files on hard drive and shipping it to you. If you ever lose and entire drive this option is a lifesaver, instead of waiting days or weeks (depending on your internet connection) for hundreds or thousands of GB to download you can get your data in a couple of days.

Read on for our detailed review as we install, configure, and restore files.

Signup and Installation
This was super easy. We entered some basic information and then downloaded the Backblaze software to the desktop (mac). We installed it with no issues. On a Mac you access Backblaze through your Mac System Preferences. On Window use the start menu to get to Backblaze

Backup Settings & Configuration
Backblaze configuration is clean and easy to navigate. It is divided into six tabs: Setting, Performance, Schedule, Exclusions, Security and Reports. Each tab does what it says without clutter and confusion.

In Settings you can set the Online computer name, select the temporary data drive, set backup warning, show the back blaze icon in the menu bar, and select which drives to backup. The only option that needs explanation is the Temporary data drive. This feature protects the files being backed from damage in the event of a internet disconnect. This way the your actual files will not be damaged.

In Performance you are presented with some very cool information. This tab shows how many GB will be backed up per day and the transfer speed of the last file. This is real world data based on your computer and internet connection. We are on a basic cable modem connection, and Backblaze estimates we can backup about 40GB/day with file transfer speeds around 3 to 6Mbps. This is pretty fast, those on DSL connections may see slower speeds. You can set Automatic throttle and backup on battery power.

Schedule gives you three options, Continuously, Once Per Day, or Manually. These three options pretty much cover all the options that you would want. It might be to have the ability to select days of the week. However with the additional flexibility comes more complexity. I would imaging 95% of the users are happy with the schedule options, just know if you need advanced schedule options Backblaze may be a little limited here. For us and our business the options provided cover everything that we will need.

We opted for the once per day. I like the jobs to run at night. I start the jobs at 7PM and end at 7AM. By using these job settings, I ensure that our internet connection will not be slowed down. I am aware of the auto throttle setting but want to be sure that backups do not interfere with business. Backblaze gave us all the flexibility we needed.

In Exclusions you set which files to skip. This list is populated with standard files that may not need to be backed up: .exe, .dmg, .cab, .sys. You can add or remove extensions as needed. I found it to be a very fair list. Other companies will include audio and movie files by default.

In Security, you are given the option to create a private security key. When you set this key you are the only one who can access your files. This is both good and bad. It is good because nobody else can access your files. It is bad because if you loose this key you will not be able to access your own files.

In Reports you can see how many files are backed up They are shown in a bar graph broken down by file types. (Photos / Music / Movies / Zips / Etc…)

Restore
There are three file restore options
-- Web Download
-- USB Flash drive via FedEx
-- USB Hard Drive via FedEx.

The web download was easy to use. Once logged in you can select all the files to restore. Then the system prepares a zip file of all restore files and then emails you when the download is ready.

The flash and hard drive restore options have charges associated. This makes sense, they are giving you a physical device and shipping it to you, both cost money. The flash drive restore costs $99 with a max restore size of 53GB. The hard drive restore costs $189 and has max restore size of 3TB. Both prices include shipping.

We love these restore options. If you need just a few files restored you can download them. If you need a large about of data you can get them faster via flash and hard drive. It should be noted that If you have several hundred GB of data to restore it could take days or weeks. This is not a limitation of Backblaze, it is a limitation of your internet connection. It is nice to have these options for file restore if you have a big disaster and need to get a lot of files quickly.

We went through the physical restore option to restore just a few GB to the HardDrive option, Backblaze let us know that there was a less expensive option of using the flash drive restore, very nice touch and should save some customers some money.


Summary
We think Backblaze is one of the best options for home or work computer backup. The prices are more than fair, they have a great system for backing up and restoring files in an easy to use system with no hidden fees or upgrade charges. Backblaze does not have all of the file sharing and syncing like dropbox or some other companies, so you will need to ask your self do you need this.I would imagine for the majority of users the additional features are not needed.

If your are looking for Unlimited Backup that is easy to use and at the right price, Backblaze is an excellent option.