A backup earns its keep when you need a file back. Space is only part of the choice. Which files get copied? How long do old copies stay? And how hard is it to get them back?
These two services charge in different ways. Backblaze Personal Backup has a price per computer. There is no cap on the total size of supported files. IDrive Personal lets one user back up several devices, but they share a storage limit.
This guide covers those personal plans. Both firms also sell cloud storage for developers. Those products have their own fees and rules. Do not use those prices to judge the desktop backup apps.
Backblaze vs IDrive at a glance
| Backblaze Personal Backup | IDrive Personal |
|---|---|
| Best for lots of local files on one PC or Mac | Best for several devices with a shared space limit |
| $99 a year for each computer | 5 TB: $119.88 a year at the full rate |
| Unlimited storage for supported files | Storage cap shared by your devices |
| Mac and Windows backup | Mac and Windows, plus other supported platforms |
| File backup, not a full system image | File backup and supported disk-image tools |
| Check cloud-managed folders with care | Check what you select on each device |
Prices are in US dollars before tax. IDrive's first-year deal for 5 TB is $6.99 a month, paid yearly. That comes to $83.88 for the year. Its full yearly rate is $119.88. The month-to-month plan is different: $11.99 a month.
Price: count your devices and your files
The Backblaze personal price is $99 a year for one computer. Two cost $198. Three cost $297. You do not pay more just because the supported file set grows.
IDrive charges for space. One person can back up a desktop and a laptop into the same 5 TB plan. That can cost less when you have a few devices with modest file sets.
Say you have 8 TB of supported files on one computer. Backblaze fits that need well. If you have 2 TB spread across two computers, IDrive's 5 TB plan looks like the better option.
Check the space meter with IDrive. Its Personal plan terms list an overuse fee of $0.25 per GB per month. A cheap first year can become costly if you pass the limit. Leave room for your files to grow.
Before paying for more space, check what you need to keep. You may have old downloads you no longer want to back up. But do not delete your only copy of a file to make the bill smaller. The point is to lower the risk of loss.
Unlimited storage does not mean every file
Backblaze selects supported user files for you. That makes the first setup easy. It does not mean it copies every byte on your hard drive.
The Personal plan does not back up your operating system, apps, or network storage. Some cloud-managed folders also need care. A file may show up in a folder even when the full file is not stored on your disk.
Backblaze's guide to cloud-sync exclusions explains another issue. A file can have special cloud-sync markers even when it looks local. Those markers may stop it from being backed up. Clicking a download button in the sync app may not fix this.
The best check is to look for your files in the restore view. Pick files from several folders you care about. If most of your work is in cloud-managed folders, solve this issue before you choose Backblaze.
IDrive gives you more control over the file list. That is useful, but you can still miss a folder. Check the list and the backup logs on each device. A green status means little if you selected the wrong files.
One personal computer or several devices?
Backblaze suits one Mac or Windows PC with a large set of local files. It can also copy files from attached external drives, under its drive rules. A NAS, which stores files on your home network, is not the same thing. That is outside this simple personal plan.
IDrive supports more platforms and device types. Its Personal account can cover several computers for one user. It also has mobile backup and supported routes for Linux and NAS devices. Check the exact device and setup before you pay.
Mobile backup does not always mean a full copy of a phone. The phone's operating system limits what an app can read. A NAS may need a different app or setup from your Windows laptop, too.
Test the hard part first. If NAS support is why you want the plan, check that before copying your laptop. Support for more platforms helps only if it covers yours.
Versioning: keep a way back to an old file
Versioning means keeping older copies when a file changes. It helps when you save over work or need a draft from last week. Deleted files have rules too. Neither should be confused with a promise to store every file forever.
Backblaze lets you turn on one year of Version History for no extra charge. Check that you have enabled it. Do not assume the longest free window is already on.
IDrive has versions and snapshots for old data. Its True Archiving feature keeps a backed-up file when you delete the local copy. It stays until you delete it from the backup or run cleanup. Check the version limits that apply to your account.
This matters for a drive you only plug in now and then. Read the rules before leaving it unplugged for months. A service that needs the drive to check in is not the same as a long-term archive.
Keep a second copy of files you cannot replace. Family photos, key work files, and old records may deserve a copy on another drive as well. Cloud backup is one layer of protection. It should not be your last resort after you throw out all the rest.
Restore a file before you need the whole backup
Both services let you get files back through apps or web tools. Backblaze has a mailed-drive restore option. IDrive has Express for large transfers. Check the fees, return rules, and who can use each service before relying on a shipped drive.
A large download can take days on a slow connection. File count matters as well as file size. A folder full of small files may take longer than you expect.
Try a restore with a mix of photos and documents. Save them to a new folder so you do not write over the live files. Then open them. Check the sizes, dates, and contents.
Do not pick a speed winner from one person's result. Their home connection and file set may be nothing like yours. A small test on your own network is more useful.
A Reddit thread about missing Backblaze files shows why this is worth doing. Some users only found gaps when they looked for a file. A thread cannot tell us the failure rate of a service. It can remind us to check while the originals are still safe.
Security: keep the key where you can reach it
Both services offer encryption, which scrambles data so it needs a key to read. Both also have a private key or passphrase choice. Read the setup notes closely. The choices affect how you get your data back.
With IDrive's private-key setup, the provider does not store your key. If you lose it, you may lose access to the backup. Backblaze's private passphrase also affects the restore process. The two systems do not handle the key in exactly the same way.
Keep recovery details somewhere you can reach if your PC fails. A password manager can hold the login, but it must not depend on that one broken device. Our Bitwarden vs 1Password guide explains personal and shared vaults.
Turn on two-step login where offered. Read warnings from the app. Keep it up to date. Strong security depends on your account and devices as well as the storage service.
Cloud storage and cloud backup do different jobs
A sync folder makes files available in more than one place. A backup keeps a copy you can restore after a mistake or failure. Those jobs overlap, but they are not the same.
Delete a file in a sync folder and that change may spread. A second device with the same folder may lose it too. If you miss the service's recovery window, that copy may be gone.
Think about notes and project files in this way. Our Obsidian vs Notion guide explains local notes and shared cloud pages. Include the files and exports you need in a backup you have checked.
Developer cloud storage is another choice again. Terms like egress fees, object lock, and per-GB storage rates belong to that separate market. They are not the price of the personal backup plans here.
How to switch without a gap
Start the new backup while the old plan is still active. The first upload may take days. Until it finishes, the new service is not a full replacement.
Look through the new file list. Read the logs for skipped data. Restore a sample with an old document, a large file, and something from an external drive if you use one.
Do not cancel the old plan too soon. The new service gets your current files. It does not gain the old service's version history just because you moved. An earlier draft may still exist only in the old backup.
Set a monthly reminder to check backup health. Look for failed uploads, full space, or a drive that has not checked in. These small checks do more for real recovery than another hour spent reading feature lists.
Try the software before paying
IDrive has a free tier with 10 GB of space. That will not fit most whole computers. It can hold a small test folder, though. Use the free tier to check file selection and a restore.
If you use Windows and macOS, check both. Check the support route for your NAS if you have one. A supported integration can still take time to set up.
After the first run, read the logs. Change a spare file, then check versioning. Delete a test copy and try to get it back. It is easier to learn this now than after a drive dies.
Ask support a clear question if you get stuck. Name the app, system, and step that failed. Do not send a private key or sensitive files. A useful answer can help you decide whether to trust the service with the rest of your data.
Backblaze vs IDrive: our verdict
Choose IDrive for several devices with a clear storage budget. One account can cover them all. You must keep an eye on the space limit and check which files you select.
Choose Backblaze for lots of local files on one computer. Its price is simple, and supported files have no total size cap. The main catch is coverage. Check excluded files and cloud-managed folders first.
With either service, restore a file before calling the job done. The best backup holds the files you need and gives them back when asked.