Backblaze Personal Backup (Unlimited) review 2027

What problem does Backblaze Personal Backup solve?

Sync services keep a folder in step across devices. Backblaze Personal Backup does something different: it copies every file on the machine, with no size limit, for a flat $99 a year. That is the thing people mean when they say cloud storage but actually need. In testing, we backed up 4 TB from one machine for $99, and the service backs up everything automatically, which sync services do not.

It is not sync, and that is the point. Run it alongside a sync service rather than instead of one. Anyone who wants their whole machine backed up is the audience here.

How did it score 7.9?

The score comes from five weighted criteria.

• Sync speed & reliability — 20/25. Time to upload and download the same 10 GB set over the same 100 Mbps line, three times, plus conflict handling when two machines edited a file at once.
• Privacy & encryption — 16/25. Zero-knowledge options, where data is held, what the provider can read, published audits and the jurisdiction that governs it.
• Features & sharing — 13/20. Selective sync, versioning, file recovery, link sharing with expiry and passwords, office integration.
• Platform coverage — 8/10. Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, web and network-drive mounting.
• Value — 22/20. Cost per terabyte a year on the plan a household or small team would buy, and the lifetime options.

What does it do better than the rest?

Unlimited storage at a flat price is the headline. We backed up 4 TB from one machine for $99, and the plan does not meter that. The optional private encryption key means the company cannot recover your data, which is a stronger position than a provider that holds the keys. Restore works by download or by a posted hard drive, so a full-machine recovery does not depend on your connection. And it backs up everything automatically, which sync services do not.

How does the zero-knowledge encryption work?

Zero-knowledge means the provider stores your files in a form it cannot read. You hold a private encryption key; the data is encrypted on your side before it leaves the machine, and the key needed to decrypt it is not held by the service. If the provider is asked for your files, it can hand over encrypted data only. Backblaze offers this as an optional private encryption key the company cannot recover — which also means losing that key means losing the data.

What are the parts and specifications?

• 2 TB a year: 99 USD
• Free storage: 0 GB
• 10 GB upload (our test): 21 min
• Zero-knowledge encryption: Yes, with a private encryption key
• File versioning: 30 days (1 year or forever as add-ons)
• Linux client: B2 only, not Personal Backup
• Data jurisdiction: United States
• Lifetime plan: No

How does it compare with the other services we tested?

pCloud scored 8.7 at $99.99, with 10 GB free, a 16-minute 10 GB upload, zero-knowledge encryption via its Crypto add-on, 30-day versioning (365 on Extended), a Linux client, Swiss jurisdiction with optional EU servers, and a lifetime plan at 2 TB for $399. Backblaze is ahead on unlimited capacity and on price per machine; pCloud is ahead on sync, free storage, upload speed and lifetime options.

Sync.com scored 8.4 at $96, with 5 GB free, a 24-minute upload, zero-knowledge encryption on everything by default, 180-day versioning (365 on Teams), no Linux client, Canadian jurisdiction under PIPEDA, and no lifetime plan. Backblaze is ahead on capacity and on Linux for B2; Sync.com is ahead on default encryption and versioning length.

Google One (Drive) scored 8.1 at $99.99, with 15 GB free, a 13-minute upload, no zero-knowledge encryption, 30-day or 100-version history, third-party Linux clients only, US jurisdiction, and no lifetime plan. Backblaze is ahead on capacity and encryption; Google One is ahead on upload speed and free storage.

Where does it fall short?

It is not sync. There are no shared folders and no multi-device access to the same live files. The $99 is per computer, and external drives must stay connected. Personal Backup has no Linux support — only B2 does. Free storage is 0 GB, versioning runs 30 days unless you pay for 1 year or forever as add-ons, and there is no lifetime plan.

Is $99 good value?

The price summary is $99, and the value criterion scored 22 out of 20. That reflects unlimited storage at a flat rate: cost per terabyte a year on the plan a household or small team would buy, plus the lifetime options, which here are none.

Who should buy Backblaze Personal Backup?

Anyone who wants their whole machine backed up. If you already run a sync service, add this alongside it rather than instead of it. If you need shared folders, live multi-device files or Linux support on the personal plan, look elsewhere in this ranking.