Arq Backup vs Backblaze B2 (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Arq Backup grades higher than Backblaze B2: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Arq Backup grades higher on value for money and ease of use. Backblaze B2 grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Arq Backup
Encrypted Mac and Windows backup to storage you choose
Backblaze B2
S3-compatible object storage billed per terabyte
Which one is for you
Pick Arq Backup if
- Fits if you already pay for cloud storage and want a one-time backup program
- Works for backing up to a NAS plus a cloud account at once
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want storage included, as Arq 7 is the app only and your provider bills extra
- Not for you if you use Linux, as the vendor lists Mac and Windows only
- Pricey if you keep updating, at $25 per computer for each year after the first
- Watch out: Arq Premium adds 1 TB for $69.99 a year, then $0.00699 per GB a month above that
Pick Backblaze B2 if
- Fits if you have developers or an IT person to point backup tools at an S3 bucket
- Works for teams storing terabytes of backups that rarely get read back
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a folder that syncs to your laptop, as there is no consumer sync app
- Tight if you read a lot back: egress beyond 3 times your stored data costs $0.01 per GB
- Watch out: API calls past the first 2,500 a day cost $0.004 per 10,000 on Class D transactions
- Watch out: B2 Overdrive is $15 per TB and up, with a multi-petabyte commitment bought by quote
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAArq BackupFair | 2.0GPABackblaze B2Fair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$59.99 once is under a year of the category's $7 middle subscription ($84). Storage is on top, and updates after the first year are $25 per computer. | C$6.95 per TB a month matches the category's middle price. This is a different kind of product from consumer storage, billed by the terabyte. |
| Free plan and trial | C30-day free trial that you download, with no card shown. No free plan after it. | CThe first 10 GB is always free, with free egress up to 3 times what you store, and you'll pass 10 GB quickly. |
| Features | CBackup does the job fully, with client-side encryption, versioned history, schedules and bandwidth limits, and it is a narrower job than storage. It does not sync or share files. | CStorage through an S3-compatible API with lifecycle and partner integrations, but the page shows no consumer sync app. It does its narrow job fully. |
| Ease of use | CYou pick and connect each destination, such as S3, Backblaze B2, SFTP or a NAS. No store rating is on record. | DIt needs an API, keys and tooling, so it's a developer service. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac and Windows programs only, with no Linux, iOS or Android apps. | BThe vendor lists 8 integrations and an S3 API, but it is web only, with no apps. |
| Best for | backing up a Mac or PC to storage you choose | cheap object storage for developers and IT teams |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Arq Backup and Backblaze B2. How we grade
Where they differ
- Arq Backup is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Arq Backup can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Arq Backup also covers file sync.
- Backblaze B2 also covers file management.
At a glance
| Arq Backup | Backblaze B2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $59.99 per computer, one-time | $6.95 per TB / month |
| Free plan | None | The first 10 GB of storage is always free, with free egress up to 3x the data stored. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Haystack Software LLC | Backblaze |
| Price read from | arqbackup.com | backblaze.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Arq Backup
- No Linux, iOS or Android apps; the vendor lists Mac and Windows only.
- Arq 7 does not include storage, so cloud fees from your provider are extra.
- Updates are included for one year; after that, further years cost $25 per computer.
- Arq Premium storage above 1 TB is billed at $0.00699 per GB per month.
Backblaze B2
- Egress beyond 3x the average monthly data stored costs $0.01 per GB, except to partner CDNs and compute services.
- Class D API transactions cost $0.004 per 10,000 calls after the first 2,500 each day.
- B2 Overdrive needs a multi-petabyte commitment and is sold by quote.
- It is a storage service for developers and IT teams; the page shows no consumer sync app.
Key features
Arq Backup
- Your own destinations
- Back up to a cloud account you already have, an SFTP server, a NAS or an external drive, or several of these at once.
- Client-side encryption
- The vendor says backups are encrypted so only the owner can read them, and stored in an open, documented format.
- Versioned history
- Keeps multiple versions of files so you can restore an earlier copy after corruption, deletion or ransomware.
- Efficient backups
- Uses compression, de-duplication and block-level incremental backup, with APFS snapshot support on Mac.
- Schedule and limits
- Run hourly or daily, skip certain Wi-Fi networks or battery power, cap bandwidth, and set exclusion rules.
- Open-source restore tool
- A separate open-source tool, arq_restore, lets advanced users read backed-up data directly.
Backblaze B2
- S3-compatible object storage
- The page describes S3-compatible storage for active archiving, backup and recovery, media and application workloads.
- No minimums on files or duration
- There are no minimum file size or storage duration fees, and class A, B and C API calls are free on pay as you go.
- Free egress allowances
- Egress is free up to 3x the average data stored, and free to partner CDNs and compute services such as Cloudflare, Fastly and bunny.net.
- Capacity commitments
- Customers can commit to a set amount of storage for 1 to 5 years, billed for the full term at contract start with a locked rate.
Plans
Arq Backup
Arq 7$59.99
per computer, one-time
App only; you supply the storage. Includes one year of updates, then $25 per computer per year if you want more.
Arq Premium$69.99
per year
Arq 7 on up to 5 computers plus 1 TB of vendor-managed storage and web access to backups.
Backblaze B2
Backblaze B2$6.95
per TB / month, billed monthly on byte-hours stored
Pay as you go, or commit to capacity for 1 to 5 years with discounts. Free egress up to 3x stored data, then $0.01/GB.
B2 Overdrive$15
per TB / month and up
For AI, HPC and research workloads: dedicated vaults, unlimited free egress and a multi-petabyte commitment. Sold by quote.
Ways to pay less
Arq Backup
No public discounts listed.
Backblaze B2
- Other savings
Discounts for volume and term commitments
The pricing page says discounts are available when you commit to volume and a 1 to 5 year term; the amounts are not published.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Arq Backup or Backblaze B2?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Arq Backup starts at $59.99 per computer, one-time, and Backblaze B2 starts at $6.95 per TB / month.
Which has a free plan, Arq Backup or Backblaze B2?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Backblaze B2 has a free plan. Arq Backup does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Arq Backup and Backblaze B2 run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Arq Backup lists macOS and Windows apps and only Backblaze B2 lists a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.