Backblaze vs Carbonite: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Backblaze
8.6(5,200 reviews)
Simple, affordable cloud backup with unlimited storage for $9/month. No complex setup, no storage limits, and easy restores via download or USB drive.
Carbonite
Cloud backup solution for small businesses and individuals with automatic file protection, endpoint backup, and server recovery options.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Backblaze | Carbonite |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Freelancers and creative professionals with terabytes of media files needing affordable unlimited backup | Non-technical small businesses that need simple cloud backup without managing complex infrastructure |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $6/mo | $6/mo |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| Platforms | WEB, WINDOWS, MAC | WEB, WINDOWS, MAC |
| Rating | 8.6/10 | 7.2/10 |
Pros & Cons
Backblaze
Pros
- Unlimited backup storage at $9/month is the best price-to-value ratio in personal and small business backup
- Truly set-and-forget: install once, it backs up everything automatically with near-zero CPU and bandwidth impact
- USB drive restore option ships overnight so you can get terabytes of data back faster than downloading
- B2 Cloud Storage at $6/TB/month is a cheap, reliable S3-compatible target for Veeam and other backup tools
- Published hard drive reliability reports and transparent operations build genuine customer trust
Cons
- No server or VM backup capability at all—endpoints only, which limits usefulness for businesses with servers
- No bare-metal recovery or system image restore: if your drive dies, you restore files manually to a new machine
- No ransomware detection or protection—it will happily back up encrypted files without alerting you
- No centralized IT management beyond basic groups—enterprises need additional tools for policy enforcement
- File versioning keeps deleted files for only 30 days by default (extendable to 1 year for extra cost)
Carbonite
Pros
- Dead simple set-and-forget backup that non-technical users can install and manage without IT help
- Unlimited cloud storage on personal plans eliminates capacity planning headaches
- Continuous background protection catches new and changed files automatically without scheduled windows
- Self-service web portal for file restores reduces IT support tickets significantly
- Affordable entry price at $6/month makes cloud backup accessible for individuals and tiny businesses
Cons
- Initial backup is painfully slow—500GB can take a week or more with throttled upload speeds
- No seed drive shipping option to accelerate the first full backup like Backblaze offers
- Business products feel disjointed post-acquisition: three separate product lines with different consoles
- Disaster recovery capabilities are basic compared to Datto or Veeam—no instant virtualization
- Support quality has declined since the OpenText acquisition according to multiple customer reports
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Backblaze | subscription | $6/mo |
| Carbonite | subscription | $6/mo |
Our Verdict
Choose Backblaze if...
Freelancers and creative professionals with terabytes of media files needing affordable unlimited backup
Choose Carbonite if...
Non-technical small businesses that need simple cloud backup without managing complex infrastructure
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.