Backblaze Business Backup vs. IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2

Backblaze's "set it and forget it' interface is ideal for home users. In addition, the $50/year pricing is very competitive. Most business should find Backblaze as a very good backup solution, but in cases where a backup archive needs to be kept indefinitely, alternative solutions should be looked at (specifically CrashPlan - though it is significantly more expensive at $10/month).

Incentivized

IDrive really excels at automating the backup process by allowing you the ability to schedule them as desired as well as enable continuous protection in real time so your data stays backed up. It also excels at allowing customization of not just the desired data you want backed up but also where you want the data to be back up too (online, local, or express service) as well as various sources to pull from (computer, mobile, external hard drive, etc). Only scenario where I believe IDrive is not really appropriate is if you are looking for an unlimited storage option since IDrive packages all of have a finite storage limit

Incentivized

• Backblaze offers unlimited backups for a low-low cost per computer. Essentially, it's $5 for an all you can eat back-up buffet.
• The interface is simple - both on the computer side when you're configuring it. But more importantly, the online interface to search through your stored data is simple and efficient. Once you find what you're missing you can restore via downloading a zipped archive, requesting a USB drive, or you can have large data loaded onto a hard drive.
• It has never let me down - which in the world of remote back-up is amazing.

• I'm using it on MAC, the app works very well in the background
• Logging activities is something I really like, because I can check whether the backup was successful or not.
• I really like the option of being able to select external drivers and back up only specific folders or files.
• The application itself is very easy to use, even though it doesn't have a version in my language (pt-br), I had no trouble setting it up and I'm using it without any problems.

Incentivized

• Backblaze, once installed, resides in the app tray on the lower right of windows. It's just a small menu that takes you to your website to perform recovery operations. You also have to install their little download and unzipping app after you select files to restore. I would like to see a single backup and restore interface that runs locally and handles all those details in the background.
• If you have to reinstall your computer, they additionally setup and charge you for a new license, even though you have an account, you can't simply log in and reconnect to it. I didn't find this out until I saw the charge on my credit card. Now that I have the data I need downloaded, I have to call them and have the original license canceled for a pro-rated (partial) credit. I was told this is how system administrators preferred to minimize downtime. As a small business owner, I found it irritating.

Incentivized

• DropBox-protected folders were not initially backed up as IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 did not follow the symbolic links created
• I experienced some UX confusion in adding new folders to backup; it's a different interface than setting up exclusions, and they should follow the same workflow and page buttons
• After a reboot, it appears like a full disk scan is performed which can take quite a long time on a disk which has many files and lots of space

Incentivized

It does everything that it needs to to create an effecitve Three level backup to the cloud of all your important data, its reliable, dependable and peformant in its use cases. It overcomes the need to store offsite physical media such as Tape or disk storage. And its cost and level of reporting can be tailored to fit the use case of your business.

Incentivized

The only bad thing about Backblaze B2 is that to use it to its full ability, you need a third party to truly get any use out of it and its cheap price because they don't have their own software. Now, on the desktop endpoint back-up for non-B2 storage, they have a fantastic client with unlimited back-ups that is only $6 per month.

Incentivized

IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 is already an incredibly idea user experience, so it's tough to think of thing. The only area I experienced that could be improved would be streamlining / tutorializing the first time setup for newer users (like me) since there are so many options available. I suppose a 'Pro Mode' where quicker file searching / backup setting up / set management would be great, once I've gotten really used to IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 and want to make changes as quick as using a terminal.

I've never had to reach out to customer support, but their periodic emails letting me know if a device is missing are very nice for informing me when something is wrong. Based on how helpful their system is, I would imagine their customer support is top-notch.

Incentivized

I have not had to use their tech support. I did call once but luckily figured out what to do while I was on hold so I disconnected. If I really needed them it would have been a very long hold time I suppose.

Incentivized

Did not participate in the implementation.

Incentivized

I previously used CrashPlan before they pivoted their business model. CrashPlan was fine, and has feature parity with Backblaze. I was motivated to move from CrashPlan to Backblaze for 2 reasons - 1, as they pivoted, they increased their cost, which was frustrating, and 2, because they had always had a java-based client that wasn't as performant as a native client. Backblaze is so unobtrusive because of its highly performant client, and I couldn't be happier.

Incentivized

I was a Backblaze user for 5 years because they had a very cost effective plan for my storage needs. However, they were very poor at backing up external devices quickly, and made it a pain in the butt to keep the backups active due to their 30 days connectivity policy.

Dropbox is a great fit for cloud backup when you need to access the backup files in the cloud frequently.

IDrive is the best solution out there for true backup of devices in case they are damaged or lost.

• The Backblaze service has provided a huge return on investment. We had a system fail, and it was very easy to have a drive with the backup data shipped to us for recovery.
• The service has been very cost effective, allowing us to keep costs down while maintaining a good system integrity.

Incentivized

• For individual users such as my case, the savings with the Personal plan are important compared to alternatives like ElephantDrive. For 5TB ElephantDrive costs $600/yr in the comparable Family plan, whereas IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 costs only $99.50/yr.

Incentivized