Backblaze and IDrive both solve cloud backup, but they are built for different jobs. Backblaze Personal Backup is a simple, unlimited-storage app for one…
| Backblaze | IDrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Cloud Storage | Cloud Storage |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Usage-based (storage) & subscription (backup) | Freemium |
| Starting price | $6.95/TB/month (B2 Cloud Storage); $9/month (Computer Backup) | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Not documented |
| Platforms | Web, Mac, Windows | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Not documented | Not documented |
| Public API | Yes | Not documented |
Devices covered per plan
Backblaze: Backblaze Personal Backup covers one computer per license, with attached external drives backed up automatically
IDrive: IDrive covers an unlimited number of computers, phones, and tablets under a single account
Households or teams with several devices pay per license with Backblaze but pay once for unlimited devices with IDrive
Pricing structure
Backblaze: Personal Backup is a flat $9/month or $99/year with unlimited storage for one computer; B2 is $6/TB/month
IDrive: Plans start at $99.50/year for 5TB shared across unlimited devices, with higher tiers up to 100TB
Backblaze pricing is simplest to predict for one heavy-storage machine, while IDrive pricing depends on total data across all devices
Server and NAS backup
Backblaze: Backblaze supports NAS and server backup only through third-party integrations like Synology, Veeam, and MSP360
IDrive: IDrive natively supports backing up physical servers, virtual machines, and NAS devices
Teams needing server-level protection get it built-in with IDrive rather than needing separate integration setup
Developer object storage
Backblaze: B2 Cloud Storage is Backblaze's S3-compatible object storage with free or discounted egress through CDN partners like Cloudflare and Fastly
IDrive: IDrive e2 is IDrive's S3-compatible object storage product for developers and businesses
Both offer developer-facing storage, but Backblaze documents specific egress-cost partnerships that can lower data transfer bills
Physical drive restore and shipping
Backblaze: Backblaze can mail a USB flash drive or hard drive containing a restore
IDrive: IDrive Express ships physical drives both to and from the customer for backup or restore
Both speed up large restores without relying on internet bandwidth, though IDrive frames its service as a two-way shipping option
Business and team management
Backblaze: Backblaze Business Backup adds centralized deployment, group policies, and reporting on top of Personal Backup
IDrive: IDrive Team and Business plans add a centralized admin console with a shared storage pool across users
Both extend into team management, but IDrive frames its business tiers around a shared storage pool while Backblaze frames it around per-computer licensing with central oversight
Company history
Backblaze: Backblaze was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California
IDrive: IDrive was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Calabasas, California
IDrive has a longer operating history in data backup, while Backblaze built its reputation partly through publishing hard drive reliability reports
Free tier
Backblaze: Backblaze offers 10GB free on B2 Cloud Storage but no free tier for Personal Backup itself
IDrive: IDrive offers a free Basic plan with 10GB of backup storage and no credit card required
IDrive lets a user try full consumer backup functionality for free, while Backblaze's free tier applies only to its developer-facing object storage
| Feature | Backblaze | IDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Devices per plan | Limited | Available |
| External hard drive backup | Available | Not documented |
| Server backup | Not documented | Available |
| NAS device support | Available | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | IDrive |
|---|---|---|
| S3-compatible object storage | Available | Available |
| Free or discounted egress via CDN partners | Available | Not documented |
| Free object storage tier | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Backblaze | IDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Physical drive shipping for restore | Available | Available |
| Mobile app restore | Available | Available |
| Web-based restore access | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | IDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Private encryption key | Available | Available |
| Version history for changed or deleted files | Available | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | IDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Available | Available |
| Mac | Available | Available |
| Mobile apps (iOS/Android) | Available | Available |
| Linux | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | IDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Centralized admin console | Available | Available |
| Shared storage pool across users | Not documented | Available |
| Deployment and reporting tools | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Backblaze | IDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Available | Available |
| Flat-rate unlimited personal storage | Available | Unavailable |
| Per-TB or tiered pricing | Available | Available |
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
For a single computer with heavy storage needs, Backblaze Personal Backup's flat $9/month unlimited plan is usually cheaper, but IDrive's $99.50/year for 5TB shared across unlimited devices can be cheaper for households backing up several machines.
IDrive is built for multiple devices, allowing an unlimited number of computers, phones, and tablets under one account, while Backblaze Personal Backup licenses cover only one computer each.
IDrive natively supports backing up servers, virtual machines, and NAS devices, while Backblaze only reaches NAS and server backups through third-party integrations such as Synology, Veeam, and MSP360.
Both do; Backblaze offers B2 Cloud Storage and IDrive offers e2, and both are S3-compatible object storage products aimed at developers and businesses.
Yes, both offer a free tier; Backblaze gives 10GB free on B2 Cloud Storage, and IDrive gives a free Basic backup plan with 10GB of storage and no credit card required.
Backblaze Personal Backup is generally simpler because it is a single unlimited-storage app for one computer, whereas IDrive's broader feature set across devices, servers, and NAS can mean more settings to configure.
Read the full Backblaze review · Read the full IDrive review