Backblaze B2 vs pCloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, pCloud grades higher than Backblaze B2: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
pCloud grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Backblaze B2
S3-compatible object storage billed per terabyte
pCloud
Swiss cloud storage sold by subscription or one-time payment
Which one is for you
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
Pick pCloud if
- Fits if you'd rather pay once than every month, and plan to stay for years
- Works for Linux users, who get the same desktop drive as Windows and Mac
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want files only you can unlock as standard, since that's a $49.99-a-year add-on for one folder
- Tight if you're staying free, because you start with 2 GB and earn your way to 10
- Skip it if you'd park photos on a free account and forget it, as idle ones are deleted after 12 months
- Skip it if you share folders across the Atlantic, as both accounts must be in the same region, and moving costs $19.99
- Watch out: lifetime prices are shown as promotions, refunds end after 14 days, and Family plans are lifetime only
How we grade them
| 2.0GPABackblaze B2Fair | 2.6GPApCloudGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C500 GB is $4.99 a month, which is exactly this category's middle price, and 2 TB is $9.99, where its dearest tenth starts. The lifetime plans are a long bet: $499 for 2 TB is five years of the subscription up front. And the Crypto folder is another $49.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe first 10 GB is always free, with free egress up to 3 times what you store, and you'll pass 10 GB quickly. | CUp to 10 GB with no card, but read that "up to": you start on 2 GB and earn the rest with a tutorial and invites. pCloud's terms also say a free account left idle for 12 months is deleted, files and all. |
| Features | 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. | CThe basics: a drive that uses no laptop space, phone photo backup, imports from other clouds, 30 days of old versions, a media player and pCloud Docs. Encryption only you can unlock is a separate $49.99 add-on, and it covers one folder. |
| Ease of use | DIt needs an API, keys and tooling, so it's a developer service. No store rating on record. | B4.67 from about 8,200 App Store ratings, a shade under the 4.7 the top of this category manages. On a computer it turns up as an extra drive, so you drag files in like any folder, and on a phone one switch backs up your photos. |
| Platforms and integrations | BThe vendor lists 8 integrations and an S3 API, but it is web only, with no apps. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus a browser add-on. It pulls files in from Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, OneDrive and Facebook, and there's a documented API for developers. |
| Best for | cheap object storage for developers and IT teams | paying once for cloud storage, not every month |
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: Backblaze B2 and pCloud. How we grade
Price against what you get
Backblaze B2 starts at $6.95 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. pCloud starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
pCloud scores higher and starts $2.78 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 20 score higher than Backblaze B2 for less, and 5 score higher than pCloud for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- pCloud can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Backblaze B2 also covers file management.
- pCloud also covers file sync and file sharing.
At a glance
| Backblaze B2 | pCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6.95 per TB / month | $4.99 per month, or $49.99 billed yearly |
| Free plan | The first 10 GB of storage is always free, with free egress up to 3x the data stored. | Free account with up to 10 GB of storage. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of pCloud Business; other paid plans carry a 14-day money-back guarantee |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Backblaze | pCloud International AG |
| Price read from | backblaze.com | pcloud.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
pCloud
- Client-side, zero-knowledge encryption is a paid add-on and is not part of the standard storage plans.
- The free account is limited to up to 10 GB.
- Family plans, for up to 5 users, are offered only as lifetime purchases, and Business pricing is shown from 3 users.
- Lifetime prices are shown as promotions against a higher list price, so the amount charged can change.
Key features
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.
pCloud
- pCloud Drive
- A desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that makes cloud files available as if they were stored locally, without using hard drive space.
- Backup and file history
- The desktop app backs up folders from a computer, and backups can also be pulled from Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, OneDrive and Facebook.
- Sharing and shared folders
- Files and folders are shared by link or through shared folders with access levels. Business adds branded links carrying a logo, cover and message.
- pCloud Encryption add-on
- Optional client-side, zero-knowledge encryption adds a Crypto folder to the account. It is priced separately at $49.99 billed yearly.
- Choice of data region
- Account holders choose whether their files are stored in a European or a US data center.
- Media player, Photos and Docs
- Includes an audio and video player, a photo timeline with a built-in editor, and pCloud Docs for creating and editing documents.
Plans
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.
pCloud
Free$0
Up to 10 GB of storage on a free account.
Premium 500 GB$4.99
per month, or $49.99 billed yearly
500 GB of storage for one person, with pCloud Photos and pCloud Docs.
Premium Plus 2 TB$9.99
per month, or $99.99 billed yearly
2 TB of storage for one person, with pCloud Photos and pCloud Docs.
Ultra 10 TB$29.99
per month, or $299.99 billed yearly
10 TB of storage for one person, with pCloud Photos and pCloud Docs.
Business$9.99
per user / month, billed monthly
Shown as 3 users with 3 TB for $29.97 a month, with teams, access levels, activity logs and a 30-day free trial.
Business Pro$19.98
per user / month, billed monthly
Shown as 3 users with 6 TB for $59.94 a month. New Business Pro accounts get 25% off, which makes it $14.98 per user.
Ways to pay less
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.
pCloud
- Lifetime license
Lifetime plans for a one-time payment
The 500 GB, 2 TB and 10 TB lifetime plans are listed at $279, $709 and $2,799. Promotional prices of $219, $499 and $1,499 were shown when checked.
- Lifetime license
Family lifetime plans for up to 5 users
Family 2 TB is listed at $999 and Family 10 TB at $3,499 as one-time payments. Promotional prices of $749 and $1,849 were shown when checked.
- Annual discount
About 17% lower with yearly billing
Yearly billing costs $49.99, $99.99 or $299.99, against $59.88, $119.88 or $359.88 for twelve monthly payments on the same plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Backblaze B2 or pCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, pCloud is cheaper to start with: $4.17 a month when paid by the year, against $6.95 a month for Backblaze B2. Backblaze B2 starts at $6.95 per TB / month, and pCloud starts at $4.99 per month, or $49.99 billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, Backblaze B2 or pCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Backblaze B2 and pCloud have a free plan.
Which platforms do Backblaze B2 and pCloud run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only pCloud lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list 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.