Contents x
About Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
    • Print
    • Dark
      Light
    Contents

    About Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

      • Print
      • Dark
        Light
      Article Summary

      The Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage service stores your files in the cloud. Files are available for download at any time, either through APIs or a browser-compatible URL.

      Backblaze B2 is simple, reliable, affordable object storage. For more information about Backblaze B2 pricing, click here.

      To use Backblaze B2, you need a Backblaze account. After you enable Backblaze B2 for your account, you have access to your app key and app key ID that let you call the Backblaze APIs.

      Backblaze supports two different suites of APIs: S3-Compatible API and Native API.

      You can use the Backblaze APIs to:

      • Upload, download, and delete files.
      • Create and manage the buckets that hold files.
      • Manage the configuration of your account (Native API only).

      If you have experience with Amazon S3, Backblaze recommends that you use the S3-Compatible API when you write new applications and integrations because it is supported by a wider range of SDKs and libraries.

      You can use the Backblaze web UI or the Native API to access functionality that is not supported by the S3-Compatible API such as app key management and Lifecycle Rules.

      B2 Cloud Storage vs. Backblaze Computer Backup

      Backblaze offers a Computer Backup service as well as a more flexible object storage service in the form of Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage. This section summarizes the difference between the two services.

      Computer Backup

      Backblaze Cloud Backup backs up PC and Mac desktop computers including external USB hard drives. The personal backup product is encrypted and the data in the backup is accessible only by the account owner.

      The online backup service includes software to automatically manage the backups of a Mac or Windows computer. The Backblaze Cloud Backup software creates a mirror copy of the data that is on the licensed computer, except for data that is explicitly excluded, with a running file revision history.

      Backblaze introduced extended version history. Version history allows you to recover previous versions of your data. For more information about extended version history, click here.

      Backblaze Cloud Backup is not designed to be used as offsite data archival or offsite storage for data that will not be retained on the licensed computer.

      B2 Cloud Storage

      Backblaze B2 is generic cloud storage. You can use it from any computer, on any operating system, for any cloud storage purpose.

      Service charges for Backblaze B2 are variable based on the amount of data storage, bandwidth used, and transactions performed.

      Data that you store in Backblaze B2 is not encrypted, making it possible to share files with other people or serve up data for websites, downloads, or applications. However, we do offer the option to apply server-side encryption to buckets.

      Backblaze B2 does not include any client software to interface with the storage. The storage is accessible through the Backblaze web UI, APIs (you can integrate with third-party software), or the command-line interface (CLI).

      Because the data in Backblaze B2 is not tied to a specific computer, data archival or offsite data storage are both excellent use cases for Backblaze B2.

      Was this article helpful?
      Related articles
      What's Next