Backblaze and Carbonite both promise unlimited backup for a single computer, but they are built for different jobs. Backblaze splits into two distinct…
| Backblaze | Carbonite | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Cloud Storage | Cloud Storage |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Usage-based (storage) & subscription (backup) | Subscription |
| Starting price | $6.95/TB/month (B2 Cloud Storage); $9/month (Computer Backup) | $4.91/month (billed annually) |
| Free plan | Yes | Not documented |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
Core product structure
Backblaze: Backblaze offers two separate products: unlimited Personal Backup for one computer, and B2 Cloud Storage, an S3-compatible object storage service billed per gigabyte.
Carbonite: Carbonite offers a single line of tiered Safe Basic, Plus, and Prime backup plans for computers, plus a separate Business tier for servers and Microsoft 365.
Buyers need to know whether they are choosing a consumer backup app, a developer storage platform, or both, since the pricing and use case differ sharply.
Pricing model
Backblaze: Personal Backup is a flat $9/month or $99/year per computer, while B2 Cloud Storage is billed per gigabyte starting at $6/TB/month with 10GB free.
Carbonite: Carbonite Safe plans are priced per computer on an annual billing cycle, from about $6/month for Basic up to about $12/month for Prime.
Flat-fee versus usage-based pricing changes how predictable and how scalable costs are as storage needs or device count grow.
External hard drive backup availability
Backblaze: Backblaze includes automatic backup of attached external hard drives on its base Personal Backup plan.
Carbonite: Carbonite only includes external hard drive backup on its higher-tier Safe Plus and Safe Prime plans, not on Safe Basic.
Users with external drives need to know upfront whether that coverage requires upgrading to a pricier plan.
Developer and object storage API
Backblaze: B2 Cloud Storage exposes an S3-compatible API used by developers, backup vendors, and media workflows, with free or discounted egress through CDN partners like Cloudflare and Fastly.
Carbonite: Carbonite's documented features do not include an object storage API or developer-facing storage product.
Teams building their own applications or backup integrations need programmable, S3-compatible storage, which only one of these two tools provides.
Business server and Microsoft 365 backup
Backblaze: Backblaze's Business Backup adds centralized group management, deployment, and reporting for teams, but does not document server or Microsoft 365 backup.
Carbonite: Carbonite's Business tier explicitly backs up physical and virtual servers and Microsoft 365 mailbox and file data.
Organizations protecting servers or Microsoft 365 alongside laptops need a vendor that documents that coverage.
Large restore options
Backblaze: Backblaze offers restores via direct download, its mobile app, or a mailed USB flash drive or hard drive.
Carbonite: Carbonite offers a courier recovery service, documented under its Safe Prime plan, that ships a physical hard drive containing backed-up data for large restores.
Downloading a very large restore over a home internet connection can take days, so a physical-media option matters for users with large backups.
Encryption approach
Backblaze: Backblaze offers an optional user-managed private encryption key for Personal Backup as an extra layer of privacy control on top of standard encryption.
Carbonite: Carbonite encrypts files both in transit and at rest by default, without a documented user-managed encryption key option.
Users who want sole control over their encryption key, so even the vendor cannot read their data, need that option explicitly.
Free tier versus free trial
Backblaze: Backblaze offers a free trial for Personal Backup alongside a permanently free 10GB tier for B2 Cloud Storage.
Carbonite: Carbonite has historically offered a free trial period to test the service, but no permanently free storage tier.
A free storage tier lets developers experiment indefinitely at no cost, while a free trial only lets buyers evaluate the full service for a limited time before paying.
Company background
Backblaze: Backblaze was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California.
Carbonite: Carbonite was founded in 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts, and was acquired by OpenText in 2019, continuing to operate as a backup brand within OpenText's portfolio.
Ownership and corporate structure can affect long-term product direction, support structure, and how the brand fits into a broader vendor portfolio.
| Feature | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited backup for one computer | Available | Available |
| External hard drive backup | Available | Limited |
| Large video file backup | Not documented | Available |
| Server backup (physical/virtual) | Unavailable | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| S3-compatible object storage API | Available | Unavailable |
| Per-gigabyte usage-based pricing | Available | Unavailable |
| Free or discounted egress via CDN partners | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| Direct download restore | Available | Available |
| Mailed or courier physical drive restore | Available | Available |
| Mobile app restore | Available | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption in transit and at rest | Available | Available |
| User-managed private encryption key | Available | Not documented |
| File version history | Available | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| Centralized group management for teams | Available | Available |
| Microsoft 365 backup | Not documented | Available |
| Custom or enterprise pricing tier | Available | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| Works as a storage target for third-party backup software or NAS devices | Available | Not documented |
| Cross-platform desktop apps (Windows and Mac) | Available | Available |
| Dedicated iOS and Android mobile apps | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| Permanently free storage tier | Available | Unavailable |
| Free trial period | Available | Available |
| Published self-service pricing calculator | Available | Not documented |
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Backblaze Personal Backup and Carbonite Safe Basic start at a similar price, with Backblaze at $9/month or $99/year per computer and Carbonite Safe Basic at about $6/month billed annually, though Carbonite's price rises to about $9 to $12/month for the external drive and large-file coverage that Backblaze includes on its base plan, and Backblaze's B2 Cloud Storage adds a separate, much cheaper per-gigabyte option starting at $6/TB/month with 10GB free.
Backblaze includes external hard drive backup on its base Personal Backup plan, while Carbonite only offers it on the higher-tier Safe Plus and Safe Prime plans, so Backblaze is the more cost-effective choice if external drive backup is a must-have from day one.
No, Carbonite's documented features cover computer, server, and Microsoft 365 backup but do not include an S3-compatible object storage API or per-gigabyte developer storage product, so it cannot replace Backblaze B2 for developers or businesses building their own storage integrations.
Both are designed for hands-off, automatic backup once installed, with Backblaze Personal Backup and Carbonite Safe Basic each requiring minimal configuration for a single computer, so beginners can expect a similarly simple setup on either tool's entry-level plan.
Both offer a physical-media option for large restores: Backblaze mails a USB flash drive or hard drive, while Carbonite ships a physical hard drive through its courier recovery service documented under the Safe Prime plan, in addition to direct download and mobile app restore on Backblaze and anytime file access on Carbonite.
Carbonite's Business tier explicitly backs up physical and virtual servers plus Microsoft 365 mailbox and file data, while Backblaze's Business Backup focuses on centralized group management and reporting for computers without documented server or Microsoft 365 coverage.
Read the full Backblaze review · Read the full Carbonite review