Gamer Cloud: Useful Software Kiwami[Backblaze] A brief comparison and review of the best hosting services for gamers
Rated on a 100-point scale for compatibility with storing gameplay videos and save data
Evaluating cloud storage solutions for the specific demands of gamers and streamers requires a nuanced approach, considering factors beyond mere storage capacity. For Backblaze, its compatibility with storing gameplay videos and save data is assessed on a 100-point scale, reflecting its strengths and limitations in this specialized niche.
Backblaze's core offering, Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage, is an object storage service designed for scalability and cost-effectiveness. When considering gameplay videos, which are often large, high-resolution files, Backblaze's ability to handle such data is paramount. Its infrastructure is built for massive data volumes, making it technically capable of housing extensive video libraries. However, the "compatibility" score isn't solely about storage; it also encompasses ease of access, integration with gaming ecosystems, and performance during retrieval.
For save data, which typically consists of smaller, more numerous files, the compatibility assessment shifts to factors like synchronization capabilities, versioning, and the potential for rapid restoration. While Backblaze offers robust versioning for files, its primary interface is not designed for real-time, granular synchronization often desired for game saves across multiple devices.
The 100-point scale is broken down as follows:
Raw Storage Capacity & Scalability (20 points): Backblaze excels here, offering virtually unlimited storage with B2. Its ability to scale with growing video libraries and save data is a significant advantage.
Upload/Download Speed (15 points): While Backblaze's speeds are generally good, they are dependent on the user's internet connection and the chosen data center. It's not optimized for the ultra-low latency often desired for immediate game save synchronization.
File Size Handling (15 points): Backblaze is adept at handling large files, making it suitable for high-bitrate gameplay videos. There are no practical upper limits on individual file sizes within its B2 service.
Versioning and Data Retention (10 points): Backblaze offers robust versioning, which is crucial for recovering corrupted or accidentally deleted save files or video edits. This feature is a strong point.
Integration with Gaming Platforms/Tools (5 points): This is an area where Backblaze, like most general-purpose cloud storage, falls short. It lacks direct, native integrations with popular gaming platforms (Steam, Epic Games, etc.) or streaming software (OBS, Streamlabs).
Accessibility and Sharing (10 points): While files can be shared via public links, the interface isn't optimized for collaborative video editing or quick sharing of game clips within a gaming community.
Cost-Effectiveness (15 points): Backblaze is highly competitive on price, especially for large volumes of data, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious gamers and streamers.
Ease of Use for Specific Use Cases (10 points): While the general interface is user-friendly, setting up automated backups for specific game save folders or managing large video archives requires some technical understanding beyond a simple drag-and-drop.
Based on these criteria, Backblaze scores approximately 75/100 for compatibility with storing gameplay videos and save data. It is a strong contender for archival storage of large video files due to its cost and scalability, but less ideal for real-time, highly integrated game save synchronization or collaborative video workflows without additional third-party tools.
Ideal for storing what kind of gameplay videos and save data
Backblaze is particularly well-suited for specific types of gameplay videos and save data, primarily those that prioritize long-term archival, cost-effectiveness, and large-scale storage over immediate, low-latency access or direct integration with gaming platforms.
For gameplay videos, Backblaze excels as a repository for:
Archival Footage: High-resolution, unedited gameplay footage that streamers and content creators wish to keep for future editing, compilation videos, or as a historical record. This includes 4K, 8K, or high-bitrate 1080p recordings that consume significant local storage. The cost-effectiveness of Backblaze B2 makes it an excellent choice for offloading these massive files from local drives.
Completed Stream VODs (Video On Demand): After a stream concludes, the raw VOD file can be quite large. Backblaze provides a reliable and affordable solution for storing these VODs, especially if a streamer wants to retain them indefinitely beyond the retention limits of platforms like Twitch or YouTube.
Project Files for Video Editing: While not ideal for active, real-time editing directly from the cloud, Backblaze can serve as a backup for entire video editing projects, including raw footage, project files, and rendered exports. This ensures that if a local drive fails, the entire project can be restored.
"Cold" Storage for Less Frequently Accessed Content: Videos that are not actively being edited or frequently re-watched but are still valuable to keep can be stored efficiently on Backblaze. This frees up faster, more expensive local storage for current projects.
For save data, Backblaze is best suited for:
Long-Term Archival of Single-Player Game Saves: For games where progress is highly valued and a player might want to revisit an old save file years later, Backblaze offers a secure, off-site backup. This is particularly useful for games with extensive campaigns or character progression.
Backup of Entire Game Save Folders: Instead of relying solely on in-game cloud saves (which can be platform-specific or have limited storage), backing up the entire game save directory from a PC to Backblaze provides a comprehensive, independent backup. This is especially useful for games that don't offer native cloud saving or for modded games where specific save states are critical.
Disaster Recovery for Critical Save Data: In the event of a hard drive failure, ransomware attack, or accidental deletion, having game saves backed up to Backblaze ensures that years of progress are not lost. The versioning feature is particularly valuable here, allowing restoration to a point before corruption or deletion.
Less Frequently Modified Save Data: For games where saves are not constantly being updated across multiple devices, Backblaze can serve as a reliable backup. It's less ideal for real-time synchronization of saves across a gaming PC, laptop, and handheld device due to its design as an object storage service rather than a real-time sync solution.
In essence, Backblaze shines as a robust, cost-effective, and scalable solution for the archival and backup of large, valuable gameplay videos and critical save data, ensuring data longevity and protection against loss. It is less optimized for scenarios requiring immediate, low-latency access or seamless, real-time synchronization across multiple active gaming devices.
Basic performance and features
Backblaze offers a suite of services, but for gamers and streamers, the primary focus is on Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage and, to a lesser extent, Backblaze Computer Backup. Understanding their basic performance and features is crucial for evaluating their utility.
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Backblaze B2 is an object storage service, akin to Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage, but often lauded for its simpler pricing and user-friendly approach.
Storage Capacity: B2 offers virtually unlimited storage. Users pay for what they use, making it highly scalable for growing video libraries and save data archives. There are no artificial caps on total storage, allowing streamers to store terabytes or even petabytes of data.
Data Durability: Backblaze B2 boasts 11 nines (99.999999999%) of data durability. This means that over a period of one year, if you store 10 million objects, you might expect to lose one object every 10,000 years. This level of durability is achieved through redundant storage across multiple drives and data centers, ensuring that gameplay videos and save data are highly protected against hardware failures.
Availability: B2 offers 99.9% uptime, meaning the data is almost always accessible. While not 100%, this is standard for cloud services and generally sufficient for archival purposes.
Upload/Download Performance: Performance is highly dependent on the user's internet connection and the geographical proximity to Backblaze's data centers. Backblaze utilizes a global network of data centers to minimize latency. While specific speeds are not guaranteed, users generally report competitive transfer rates. For large video files, this means uploads can take hours or days depending on the file size and bandwidth. Downloads for restoration are similarly affected. Backblaze offers a "Fireball" service for physical data transfer (shipping a hard drive) for extremely large data sets, which can be useful for initial large uploads or disaster recovery.
Versioning: B2 supports file versioning, meaning that when a file is updated, previous versions are retained. This is invaluable for gameplay videos (e.g., if an edited version needs to be reverted) and especially for save data (e.g., if a save file becomes corrupted, an earlier working version can be restored). Users can configure retention policies for these versions.
Lifecycle Rules: Users can set rules to automatically move older versions of files to "cold" storage tiers or delete them after a certain period, optimizing storage costs. This is useful for managing the lifecycle of gameplay footage that might become less critical over time.
API and Integrations: B2 provides a robust API (Application Programming Interface) that allows developers to integrate Backblaze storage into their applications. This enables third-party tools to interact with B2, which can be leveraged by tech-savvy users or developers to create custom backup solutions for game saves or video management.
Security: Data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption. Data in transit is secured using SSL/TLS. Backblaze also supports two-factor authentication (2FA) for account access.
Cost: B2 is known for its straightforward and competitive pricing, typically charging a low per-gigabyte rate for storage and a separate, equally low rate for downloads (egress). This makes it very attractive for storing large volumes of data without unpredictable costs.
Backblaze Computer Backup
This service is designed for backing up an entire computer, including operating system, applications, and user files, with unlimited storage for a single computer.
Unlimited Storage: For a fixed monthly fee, users get unlimited storage for one computer. This is a significant advantage for gamers who want to back up their entire game library, save files, and streaming software configurations without worrying about storage limits.
Continuous Backup: Backblaze Computer Backup operates continuously in the background, automatically backing up new and changed files. This ensures that game saves are regularly updated in the cloud.
Version History: It retains versions of files for 30 days, 1 year, or indefinitely, depending on the subscription. This is crucial for recovering older game saves or video edits.
External Drive Backup: It can also back up connected external hard drives, which is common for streamers storing large video archives.
Restoration Options: Users can restore individual files, folders, or their entire computer. Restoration can be done via download or by requesting a physical hard drive (for a fee).
Encryption: Data is encrypted before leaving the computer and remains encrypted at rest. Users can opt for a private encryption key for enhanced security, though this means Backblaze cannot assist with password recovery.
In summary, Backblaze B2 offers highly durable, scalable, and cost-effective object storage ideal for archiving large gameplay videos and critical save data. Backblaze Computer Backup provides an unlimited, continuous backup solution for an entire gaming PC, including all its associated files. Both services prioritize data safety and cost-efficiency, albeit with different operational models.
Reliability and security
The reliability and security of any cloud storage service are paramount, especially for valuable gameplay videos and irreplaceable save data. Backblaze has established a strong reputation in both these areas, employing industry-standard practices and transparent policies.
Reliability
Backblaze's reliability stems from its robust infrastructure and operational design.
Data Durability: As mentioned, Backblaze B2 boasts 11 nines of data durability (99.999999999%). This is achieved through a combination of techniques:
Redundant Storage: Data is not stored on a single drive or server. Instead, it is broken into smaller pieces and distributed across multiple drives and servers within a data center. This means that even if several drives fail, the original data can be reconstructed from the remaining pieces.
Erasure Coding: Backblaze utilizes erasure coding, an advanced form of data redundancy that allows for the reconstruction of data even if a significant number of storage components fail. This is more efficient than simple replication for large-scale storage.
Geographic Redundancy (Optional for B2): While not automatic for all B2 buckets, users can configure cross-region replication for even higher levels of disaster recovery, ensuring data is stored in geographically separate data centers.
System Uptime: Backblaze B2 targets 99.9% uptime, meaning the service is designed to be available almost continuously. Planned maintenance windows are typically communicated in advance and scheduled during off-peak hours to minimize disruption.
Hardware Management: Backblaze is known for its innovative approach to hardware, utilizing custom-designed "Storage Pods" built from commodity hardware. This allows them to scale efficiently and cost-effectively. They also publish their drive statistics, demonstrating a commitment to transparency regarding hardware reliability and failure rates.
Disaster Recovery: The distributed nature of their storage and the use of erasure coding provide inherent disaster recovery capabilities. Even if an entire storage pod or rack fails, the data remains accessible and reconstructible from other parts of the system.
Security
Backblaze implements multiple layers of security to protect user data from unauthorized access, corruption, or loss.
Encryption at Rest: All data stored on Backblaze servers is encrypted using AES-256 encryption. This is a strong, industry-standard encryption algorithm. Even if an unauthorized party were to gain physical access to the storage drives, the data would be unreadable without the encryption key.
Encryption in Transit: Data transferred between the user's computer and Backblaze servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security). This prevents eavesdropping and tampering during the upload and download process, protecting gameplay videos and save data as they travel across the internet.
Private Encryption Key (Backblaze Computer Backup): For Backblaze Computer Backup users, there is an option to set a private encryption key. This means that only the user possesses the key to decrypt their data, providing an additional layer of security. However, if this key is lost, Backblaze cannot recover the data.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Backblaze supports 2FA for account login, adding an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step (e.g., a code from a mobile app) in addition to the password. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized account access.
Physical Security: Backblaze data centers are secured with physical access controls, surveillance, and environmental monitoring to protect the hardware from unauthorized entry and environmental hazards.
Compliance: Backblaze adheres to various compliance standards, which can be important for professional streamers or content creators who might have specific regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA for certain types of data, though less relevant for pure gameplay content).
Privacy Policy: Backblaze has a clear privacy policy outlining how user data is handled, emphasizing that they do not access or share user data without explicit consent or legal obligation.
In conclusion, Backblaze demonstrates a strong commitment to both reliability and security. Its redundant storage architecture, robust encryption, and adherence to security best practices provide a trustworthy environment for storing valuable gameplay videos and save data, giving gamers and streamers peace of mind.
Interface and ease of use
The interface and ease of use are critical factors for any cloud service, especially for users who may not be highly technical. Backblaze generally receives high marks for its straightforward and intuitive design, though there are distinctions between its Computer Backup and B2 Cloud Storage services.
Backblaze Computer Backup Interface
Installation and Setup: The installation process for Backblaze Computer Backup is remarkably simple. Users download a small client application, install it, and log in. The software then automatically begins backing up the entire computer. There's minimal configuration required initially, making it very user-friendly for those who just want a "set it and forget it" solution.
Dashboard: The web-based dashboard provides a clear overview of the backup status. Users can see which files have been backed up, when the last backup occurred, and manage their account settings.
Restoration Process: Restoring files is also straightforward. Users can browse their backed-up files through a web interface, select specific files or folders, and initiate a download. The interface allows for filtering by date, making it easy to find specific versions of game saves or video files. For very large restorations, the option to request a physical hard drive is also managed through the web interface.
Client Application: The desktop client is unobtrusive, running in the background. It provides basic controls like pausing backups, adjusting backup schedules (though continuous backup is the default and recommended), and viewing backup reports.
Simplicity over Granularity: The strength of the Computer Backup interface lies in its simplicity. It's designed for broad, comprehensive backups rather than highly granular, real-time synchronization of specific folders. This means less technical users can easily protect their entire system, including all game installations, save files, and video assets, without needing to understand complex configurations.
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage Interface
Bucket-Based Storage: B2 operates on a "bucket" model, where users create buckets to store their files. The web interface allows for easy creation and management of these buckets.
File Management: Within each bucket, users can upload, download, delete, and manage files directly through the web interface. It functions much like a standard file explorer, allowing for drag-and-drop uploads for smaller files. For larger files or bulk uploads, Backblaze recommends using its command-line interface (CLI) or third-party tools that integrate with the B2 API.
API-First Design: While the web interface is functional, B2 is fundamentally an API-first service. This means its full power and flexibility are often realized through programmatic access or integrations with third-party applications (e.g., backup software, media management tools). For gamers and streamers, this might mean using a tool like rclone or a dedicated backup client that supports B2 to manage their video archives or game save backups more efficiently.
Lifecycle Rules and Versioning: The B2 web interface provides clear options for configuring lifecycle rules (e.g., deleting old versions of files) and managing file versions. This is crucial for optimizing storage costs and ensuring data integrity for evolving video projects or game saves.
Public Links and Sharing: Generating public download links for files stored in B2 is straightforward, allowing streamers to share specific video clips or assets with their audience or collaborators.
Developer-Friendly: The documentation for the B2 API is comprehensive and well-regarded, making it accessible for developers who wish to build custom solutions for managing game-related content.
Overall User Experience
Backblaze prioritizes a clean, uncluttered interface. For the Computer Backup service, the emphasis is on "it just works," requiring minimal user intervention. For B2, while the web interface is intuitive for basic file operations, users looking to leverage its full potential for large-scale video archives or complex backup strategies might need to explore third-party tools or command-line options. This distinction is important: Computer Backup is for general PC backup, while B2 is for more flexible, scalable object storage. Both are designed with user accessibility in mind, but B2 offers more power for those willing to delve slightly deeper. The consistent design language across both services contributes to a cohesive user experience.
Guidance and support
Effective guidance and support are crucial for any cloud service, ensuring users can maximize its utility and resolve issues promptly. Backblaze is generally well-regarded for its comprehensive support resources and responsive customer service.
Documentation and Knowledge Base
Extensive Knowledge Base: Backblaze maintains a very thorough and well-organized knowledge base on its website. This resource covers a wide array of topics, from basic setup guides for both Backblaze Computer Backup and B2 Cloud Storage to advanced configurations, troubleshooting common issues, and explanations of features like versioning and lifecycle rules.
User Guides: Detailed user guides are available, walking users through specific processes step-by-step. For gamers and streamers, this includes guides on how to back up specific folders, manage large files, and understand pricing.
FAQs: A comprehensive FAQ section addresses frequently asked questions, often providing quick answers to common queries without needing to contact support directly.
API Documentation (for B2): For users leveraging Backblaze B2's API, the developer documentation is exceptionally detailed and clear, providing code examples and explanations for integrating B2 into custom applications or scripts. This is invaluable for streamers or developers building automated backup solutions for their content. ( API Design for the Cloud )
Blog and Tutorials: Backblaze's blog often features articles and tutorials on best practices for data backup, security tips, and how to use their services for specific use cases, which can include scenarios relevant to media creators.
Customer Support Channels
Email/Ticket Support: The primary method for direct customer support is through a ticketing system or email. Backblaze is known for its responsive support team, often providing detailed and helpful responses within a reasonable timeframe. This channel is suitable for complex issues that require personalized assistance.
Live Chat (Limited Availability): While not 24/7, Backblaze occasionally offers live chat support during business hours. This can be a quicker option for immediate questions or minor troubleshooting.
Community Forums/Social Media: While Backblaze doesn't host its own official community forum, its presence on social media platforms allows for some level of public interaction and quick queries. However, for detailed support, the official ticketing system is recommended.
Phone Support (Limited): Direct phone support is generally not a primary channel for Backblaze, aligning with many modern cloud service providers who prioritize scalable online support. However, for critical issues or specific account-related problems, they may offer callbacks.
Proactive Guidance
System Notifications: The Backblaze Computer Backup client provides notifications regarding backup status, potential issues (e.g., external drive disconnected), and successful backups, keeping users informed without constant manual checks.
Transparent Communication: Backblaze is generally transparent about service outages, planned maintenance, and security updates, communicating these through their status page and sometimes via email.
For gamers and streamers, the extensive knowledge base is a significant asset, allowing them to self-serve for many common questions regarding large file backups, versioning, and cost management. When direct assistance is needed, the email/ticket support is reliable and knowledgeable. The availability of robust API documentation for B2 further empowers more technical users to tailor their cloud storage solutions to their specific gaming and streaming workflows. The overall approach to guidance and support is designed to be comprehensive and accessible, catering to both novice and advanced users.
Feedback and user experiences
User feedback and experiences provide invaluable insights into the real-world performance and usability of a cloud service. For Backblaze, the general sentiment among users, including gamers and streamers, is largely positive, often highlighting its reliability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use for its intended purpose.
Positive Feedback Themes
Reliability and Data Recovery: A recurring theme in user feedback is the peace of mind Backblaze provides. Many users recount successful data recoveries after hard drive failures, ransomware attacks, or accidental deletions, particularly for critical game saves or extensive video archives. The robust versioning and data durability are frequently praised.
Cost-Effectiveness: Backblaze is consistently cited as one of the most affordable cloud storage solutions, especially for large volumes of data. Gamers and streamers, who often deal with terabytes of video footage, appreciate the predictable and low pricing of B2 and the unlimited nature of Computer Backup. This allows them to store more content without breaking the bank.
Simplicity (Computer Backup): For the Computer Backup service, users frequently laud its "set it and forget it" nature. The automatic, continuous backup process is highly valued by those who don't want to manage complex backup schedules or configurations.
Performance for Archival: While not designed for real-time, low-latency access, users generally find the upload and download speeds for archival purposes to be satisfactory, especially when dealing with large video files. The option for physical drive restoration for massive data sets is also appreciated in disaster recovery scenarios.
Responsive Support: Many users report positive experiences with Backblaze's customer support, describing them as knowledgeable, helpful, and quick to respond to inquiries, particularly via their ticketing system.
Transparency: Backblaze's transparency regarding its drive statistics and infrastructure is often mentioned positively, fostering trust among its user base.
Areas for Improvement / Common Criticisms
Lack of Real-time Sync (Computer Backup): While excellent for backup, Backblaze Computer Backup is not a real-time synchronization service like Dropbox or Google Drive. Users sometimes wish for more granular control over which folders are continuously synced across multiple devices, particularly for game saves that might be accessed from a desktop and a gaming laptop.
B2 Interface for Non-Technical Users: While the B2 web interface is functional, some less technical users find it less intuitive than consumer-grade cloud storage for everyday file management. They might prefer a more graphical, drag-and-drop experience for managing large video libraries without resorting to third-party tools or the CLI.
Egress Fees (B2): While Backblaze B2's egress fees are low compared to some competitors, the concept of paying for downloads can be a point of concern for users who might need to frequently access or restore large portions of their video archives. However, for typical archival use, these costs are usually minimal.
No Native Linux Client (Computer Backup): The Computer Backup service is primarily for Windows and macOS. Linux users, including some streamers or server administrators, often wish for a native client, though B2 can be accessed via CLI or third-party tools on Linux.
Limited Direct Integrations: Gamers and streamers often wish for more direct, native integrations with gaming platforms (Steam, Epic Games) or streaming software (OBS, Streamlabs) for automated game save backups or video uploads. This is a common limitation for general-purpose cloud storage, not unique to Backblaze.
Specific to Gamers and Streamers
Gamers and streamers often use Backblaze for:
Archiving Raw Footage: Many streamers use it to offload raw, unedited gameplay footage from their local drives, freeing up space for active projects.
Backup of OBS/Streamlabs Settings: Backing up configuration files for streaming software is a common use case, ensuring settings can be restored quickly after a system reinstallation.
Critical Game Save Backups: For single-player games with extensive progress, Backblaze serves as a reliable safety net against data loss.
In summary, Backblaze enjoys a strong reputation for being a reliable, secure, and cost-effective cloud storage solution, particularly for large-scale archival needs. While it may not offer the real-time synchronization or deep platform integrations desired by some gamers and streamers, its core strengths make it an excellent choice for protecting valuable gameplay videos and save data.
Plan structure
Backblaze offers two primary services, each with a distinct plan structure tailored to different user needs: Backblaze Computer Backup and Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage. Understanding these structures is key for gamers and streamers to choose the most appropriate solution for their specific requirements.
1. Backblaze Computer Backup
This service is designed for backing up an entire computer (Windows or macOS) and is characterized by its simplicity and unlimited storage.
Pricing Model: It operates on a flat-rate subscription model. Users pay a fixed monthly, yearly, or two-year fee per computer. This makes budgeting straightforward, as the cost does not fluctuate based on the amount of data stored.
Unlimited Storage: The most significant feature is truly unlimited storage for the backed-up computer. This is ideal for gamers and streamers who accumulate vast amounts of data, including game installations, save files, and raw video footage, without worrying about hitting storage caps.
External Drive Backup: The plan typically includes the ability to back up an unlimited number of connected external hard drives, which is crucial for streamers who store large video archives on external media.
Version History: Users can choose their file retention policy:
30 Days: Standard retention, keeping previous versions of files for 30 days.
1 Year: Extended retention, keeping previous versions for one year.
Forever: Indefinite retention, keeping all versions of files indefinitely. This is particularly valuable for critical game saves or video projects that might need to be reverted to very old states.
Restoration Options: Included in the plan are free downloads of backed-up files. For very large restorations, users can opt to have a physical USB hard drive or flash drive shipped to them (for a fee, which is refunded upon return of the drive).
Target Audience: Best suited for individual gamers and streamers who want a simple, comprehensive, and unlimited backup solution for their primary gaming/streaming PC and associated external drives.
2. Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
B2 is an object storage service, designed for developers, businesses, and users who need flexible, scalable, and cost-effective storage for specific files or applications.
Pricing Model: B2 uses a "pay-as-you-go" model, similar to other object storage providers. Users are charged based on:
Storage Used: A low per-gigabyte rate for the actual data stored. This makes it highly cost-effective for large archives.
Downloads (Egress): A low per-gigabyte rate for data downloaded from B2. The first gigabyte of downloads per day is typically free. This is a key difference from Computer Backup, where downloads are generally free.
Transactions: A very small charge for API requests (e.g., uploading, downloading, listing files). These charges are usually negligible for most users unless performing millions of small operations.
Free Tier: Backblaze B2 offers a generous free tier, typically including 10 GB of storage, 1 GB of downloads per day, and 2,500 transactions per day. This allows users to test the service or store smaller, critical files without cost.
Bucket-Based Storage: Data is organized into "buckets," which are logical containers for files. Users can create multiple buckets for different purposes (e.g., "Gameplay Videos," "Game Saves Archive," "Stream Assets").
Versioning and Lifecycle Rules: B2 offers robust versioning, allowing multiple versions of a file to be retained. Users can also set lifecycle rules to automatically manage these versions (e.g., delete old versions after a certain period) or move files to different storage classes (though B2 primarily offers a single "hot" storage class).
API Access: B2 is designed with an API-first approach, allowing for deep integration with third-party applications, custom scripts, and command-line tools. This provides immense flexibility for automating backups of specific game save folders or managing large video archives.
Target Audience: Ideal for streamers and content creators who need a highly scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solution for archiving large volumes of raw video footage, edited projects, and specific game save folders that might not be covered by the Computer Backup service. It's also suitable for those who want to integrate cloud storage into their custom workflows or use it as a backend for other applications.
In summary, Backblaze Computer Backup offers a simple, unlimited, flat-rate solution for backing up an entire PC. Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage provides a flexible, pay-as-you-go object storage service for specific, large-scale archival needs, with more granular control and API integration capabilities. Gamers and streamers might even consider using both services in conjunction: Computer Backup for their primary PC and B2 for dedicated, long-term video archives or specific project backups.