vs

Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage vs. Amazon S3

Which is the best cloud object storage provider for you?

October 27, 2022

Written by
Louis-Victor Jadavji, Cofounder of Taloflow

Who Should You Choose, and Why?

âś‹ Only choose Amazon S3 if

  • Your object storage is already deeply embedded with the rest of the AWS services, like Amazon Athena or AWS Lambda. If you are planning to use many AWS services, the same rule applies.
  • You need data cross-region replication factors greater than 3 (Backblaze has a limited number of regions).
  • You require HIPAA-compliant storage (although Backblaze is happy to enter into a Business Associate agreement with you).

🤔 Strongly consider Amazon S3 over Backblaze B2 if

  • You are doing a lot of data analytics off your stored data (e.g., S3 to Snowflake).
  • There is a lot of intra-regional data traffic between storage buckets and other cloud services on the same provider.
  • AWS's Glacier and Glacier Deep Archive tiers of storage are actually cheaper than Backblaze B2, although neither tier provides fast access to files.
  • You need some of the more management-oriented native features on Amazon S3, like the ability to tag resources.

🤔 Strongly consider Backblaze B2 over S3 if

  • You are looking to store a backup of your data on another provider, or have to store data over long periods of time for archival and compliance purposes.
  • You want cheap storage pricing but need fast and frequent access to your files.
  • You want a much simpler pricing structure to work with.

📝 Other Notes

If you are storing data with very little intent to ever retrieve it, AWS's Glacier and Glacier Deep Archive tiers of storage are actually cheaper than Backblaze B2. Neither tier provides fast access to files.


Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Backblaze B2 is a great choice for storing data that requires frequent or semi-frequent access, without the need for deep integration with services native to other cloud platforms such as AWS. Its simplicity and competitive pricing make it a compelling choice for businesses seeking a straightforward, cost-effective cloud storage solution. The service also excels in delivering a reliable and robust platform for storing and retrieving data as per business requirements.
AWS S3

AWS S3

Amazon S3 is an object storage service offering industry-leading scalability, data availability, and performance for a wide array of use cases. Renowned for its durability, security, and scalability, Amazon S3 is designed to serve businesses of all sizes and across various industries. It provides straightforward storage management features, enabling users to organize data and configure finely-tuned access controls to meet specific business, organizational, and regulatory requirements.
We put all the information below in an interactive quiz to make your object storage provider choice easy.
Get my free object storage evaluation
It takes 5 minutes

“Gotchas”

  • If you migrate to Backblaze B2 from Amazon S3, you will incur charges related to intra-regional data transfer that AWS was not charging for. Note: These will likely be ongoing monthly charges, not one-time.
  • Backblaze B2’s S3-compatible API does not completely match every feature available when using Amazon S3 natively.
  • Backblaze B2 has a weekly 2-hour maintenance window.

Feature Comparison

Feature

Management

Performance

Reliability

Security

Availability

Use Case Suitability

Pricing Comparison

Integration With Other Services

Not all object storage providers have the integrations or compatibility with tools like IPFS, Filezilla or specific CDN providers.



Compliance Requirements

Compliance with standards like PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, FedRAMP and more have been tracked and recorded.



Learn about Cloud Object Storage

Learn more about Cloud Object Storage from our deep dive posts created with the help of the leading industry analysts in the field.

About the Author

Louis-Victor Jadavji (or "LV") is a recognized leader in the cloud services industry. He's helped 50+ digital native companies like ModusBox, Later, and NS1 choose the right cloud stack for their applications. His work has been featured in Forbes (30 Under 30 All-Star), HuffPost, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, and Inc. Magazine.

Read more
Avoid future problems at scale, prioritize using over 300 dimensions, and get a transparent report.
Get my free object storage evaluation
Best pricing
Stack integration
Feature trade-offs
Reviewed quarterly
Profile photo of David Wilson for a testimonial for Taloflow
David Wilson | CFO at NS1
“Taloflow's buying insights allow us to find and compare new products in verticals like object storage with technical rigor”