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Restic VS Backblaze

Compare Restic VS Backblaze and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

Restic logo Restic

Easy: Doing backups should be a frictionless process, otherwise you are tempted to skip it.

Backblaze logo Backblaze

Backblaze's remote backup automatically backs up your data to our secure datacenter.
  • Restic Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-22
  • Backblaze Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-17

Restic features and specs

  • Deduplication
    Restic has built-in deduplication, which ensures that only unique data is stored, reducing backup size and saving storage space.
  • Encryption
    Restic provides top-notch encryption (AES-256 and RSA-4096 by default), ensuring data security during storage and transfer.
  • Cross-platform
    Restic is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, providing flexibility and ease of use across different environments.
  • Efficient Backups
    Restic performs incremental backups, ensuring that only changes made since the last backup are saved, which makes the process faster and conserves bandwidth.
  • Simplicity
    Restic is designed to be easy to use with a straightforward command-line interface, reducing the learning curve for new users.
  • Multiple Storage Backends
    Restic supports a variety of storage backends, including local disk, SFTP, Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Microsoft Azure, providing versatility and options for users.
  • Open Source
    Restic is open-source, allowing users to review the source code, contribute to the project, and avoid vendor lock-in.

Possible disadvantages of Restic

  • No Graphical User Interface (GUI)
    Restic primarily relies on a command-line interface. Users who prefer a GUI may find it less accessible or user-friendly.
  • No Granular Scheduling
    Restic does not have built-in scheduling capabilities, requiring users to set up their own cron jobs or use third-party scheduling tools for automated backups.
  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with command-line tools may find Restic's interface challenging to learn and use effectively.
  • Limited Restore Features
    While Restic is excellent at creating backups, it has fewer options for granular or flexible restore operations compared to some competitors.
  • Performance Issues on Large Repositories
    Although efficient, Restic can experience performance degradation when handling very large repositories, potentially slowing down backup and restore operations.

Backblaze features and specs

  • Unlimited Storage
    Backblaze offers unlimited storage for a fixed price, making it an excellent option for users with large amounts of data.
  • Simple Pricing
    Backblaze has a straightforward pricing model without hidden fees, simplifying budgeting for cloud storage.
  • Automatic Backups
    Backblaze provides automatic, continuous backups, ensuring that your data is consistently backed up without manual intervention.
  • Ease of Use
    The interface and setup process are user-friendly, making it accessible even for those with limited technical knowledge.
  • Rapid Restore
    Backblaze offers multiple restore options, including via hard drive delivery, which can significantly speed up the process of data recovery.
  • Highly Secure
    Using AES 256-bit encryption and optional private encryption keys, Backblaze places a strong emphasis on data security.

Possible disadvantages of Backblaze

  • No File Sync
    Unlike some competitors, Backblaze does not offer file syncing capabilities, limiting its usefulness for collaborative or cross-device work.
  • Initial Backup Speed
    The initial backup process can be slow, especially for users with large amounts of data and slower internet connections.
  • Limited Versioning
    Backblaze retains versions of files for 30 days only, which might be insufficient for some users who need longer-term versioning.
  • No Linux Support
    Backblaze does not support Linux operating systems, which can be a deal-breaker for users who rely on this platform.
  • Geographical Limitations
    Backblazeโ€™s data centers are predominantly located in the United States, which might pose latency issues for international users.

Analysis of Restic

Overall verdict

  • Restic is considered a good choice for individuals or organizations seeking secure and efficient backup solutions. Its performance, combined with strong encryption and cross-platform support, makes it a reliable option. However, like any tool, it depends on user needs and specific backup requirements. Some users may find that advanced configurations require more manual setup compared to more commercial solutions.

Why this product is good

  • Restic is a free and open-source backup software that is appreciated for its simplicity, security, and cross-platform capability. It's designed with a focus on being easy to use, while providing fast and secure backups. One of its key features is encryption, ensuring that all the data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Additionally, it supports deduplication, which helps in minimizing storage space usage efficiently. Restic also offers support for multiple storage backends, including local disks, SFTP servers, major cloud providers, and more.

Recommended for

  • Individuals looking for a simple and secure backup solution
  • Small to medium-sized businesses needing cross-platform backup options
  • IT professionals who prefer open-source software
  • Users who require data deduplication to save on storage costs
  • Developers and system administrators who prefer command-line tools

Restic videos

+ Add

Making Backups From The Linux Command Line: Restic Review

More videos:

  • Review - Using Restic for backups - Quick and Easy

Backblaze videos

+ Add

Backblaze Review - I ALMOST LOST IT ALL!

More videos:

  • Tutorial - BackBlaze Backup Review and Tutorial 2020
  • Review - The Ultimate Cloud Storage Backup Option - Backblaze

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Restic and Backblaze)

Restic

Backblaze

Cloud Storage
28 28%
Cloud Storage
72% 72
Backup
100 100%
Backup
0% 0
Backup And Disaster Recovery
0 0%
Backup And Disaster Recovery
100% 100
File Sharing And Backup
100 100%
File Sharing And Backup
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Restic and Backblaze. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Restic and Backblaze

Restic Reviews

25 Outstanding Backup Utilities for Linux Systems in 2020
Restic is a free open source, efficient, easy-to-use, fast and secure command-line based backup program. It is designed to secure backup data against attackers, in any kind of storage environment.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Backblaze Reviews

Best Top 12 MEGA Alternatives in 2024
Backblaze is a streamlined and secure online backup service. It's beginner-friendly and works well for backing up data from a variety of cloud services, such as backing up Google Drive to Backblaze. However, if you want more control over your backups, Backblaze may frustrate you.
Source: www.multcloud.com
Wasabi, Storj, Backblaze et al, are promising 80%+ savings compared to Amazon S3... What's the catch?
When you use a Big 3 provider, like Azure Blob Storage or Amazon S3, youโ€™re often paying for reliable storage that a vast swath of enterprises with low-risk tolerance can bet the farm on. Azure has a wide range of options for replication (which has a considerable impact on the reliability of your storage), including LRS (Low Redundancy Storage) if you want to save some cost....
Source: dev.to
Raising Prices is Hard
Every time a person leaves Backblaze we send one final email thanking them for their time with us, wishing them well, and asking if they have any feedback. Those emails go directly into our ticketing system where I read all of them every month to get a picture of why people are leaving Backblaze. Sometimes they are reasons we cannot address, but if we can, they go on our...
Source: www.backblaze.com
Google Drive Alternatives: 10 Best Cloud Storage Services
Thus if you have some sensitive files, you can choose not to upload them to the cloud. Once you set up the service, everything happens automatically without you having to do anything. The only problem with this service will happen once you want to restore your data, as your backup over time can become really large and it will take a long time to download it all. Apart from...
Source: beebom.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Restic should be more popular than Backblaze. It has been mentiond 192 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Restic mentions (192)

  • The 3-2-1 Backup Setup for Self-Hosters: restic + Backblaze B2
    In this guide I'll set up the backup system I actually run: restic pushing encrypted snapshots to Backblaze B2, automated on a timer, monitored, and โ€” the part everyone skips โ€” verified with a real restore. It works the same on a โ‚ฌ5 VPS or a home-lab box. - Source: dev.to / 26 days ago
  • Designing a Restore-First Desktop Backup Tool Around Restic (From Bash Script to Qt/C++)
    This realization is what led me from a small Bash script wrapped in KDialog to a full multithreaded Qt/C++ desktop application built around restic. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • resticprofile: Consolidating Exclusion Patterns, Generation Management, and Scheduling in a Single YAML File
    Resticprofile is a wrapper tool for centrally managing the configuration of restic. It is developed in Go and features cross-platform compatibility, just like restic. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Borg - Deduplicating Archiver with Compression and Encryption
    I switched to restic (https://restic.net/) and the backrest webui (https://github.com/garethgeorge/backrest) for Windows support. Files are deduplicated across machines with good compression support. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What are your peronsal data backup and sync setups? (2025)
    Used to be restic[1], but I switched to kopia[2]. For Android I just sync /storage/emulated/0/ with syncthing. All devices are backed up to a home server. Home server backups go to Backblaze (but any S3-compatible storage would do). 1. https://restic.net/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

Backblaze mentions (43)

  • Tech Stack Lessons from scaling 20x in a year
    Last year we used Backblaze for blob storage. It was cheap and reliable. The problem wasn't technical, it was purely political and a question of positioning. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • The Tech Stack of a Cloud Computing Startup
    Redis handles caching to keep things quick, and we stash blobs like Backups (encrypted at rest of course) in Backblaze for cheap, dependable object storage. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • What is this red exclamation mark in my Mac preferences view?
    I've been seeing this red exclamation mark in my Backblaze preferences view on my Mac. When I click it, it only takes me to my account view on backblaze.com. Obviously, it's intended to indicate that something isn't right, but I get no information. I recently deleted my existing backup and am starting fresh with my personal machine and two external drives. I'm running 8.5.0.660 (20230127194041) on Ventura 13.1.1 (a). Source: about 3 years ago
  • Unable to login
    What seems to be happening here is that the OP's ISP is blocking backblazeb2.com (where the API servers and all the files are), but allowing backblaze.com (where the login page is). Source: about 3 years ago
  • Best Cloud Storage for 4 TB data (EU - IT) MAC
    For more than that or for more fractioned billing, I'd suggest using Backblaze (neat price comparison https://www.vmwareblog.org/looking-affordable-cloud-storage-aws-vs-azure-vs-backblaze-b2/). They charge for data retrievals like 2 cents per GB. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Restic and Backblaze, you can also consider the following products

Rclone - rsync for cloud storage.

CrashPlan - Protect Your Data. Anytime. Anywhere.

Duplicati - Free backup software to store backups online with strong encryption. Works with FTP, SSH, WebDAV, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Google Drive and many others.

ManageWP - ManageWP is a service for bloggers, site owners and web based companies helping them manage multiple WordPress sites from one dashboard.

Duplicacy - A new generation cross-platform cloud backup tool

MiniTool Partition Wizard - As a partition magic alternative, Minitool Partition Wizard is the latest partition manager software which be used to manage partition on Windows 10/8/7/XP and Server 2003/2008/2012.

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