Backblaze

I understand the name Backblaze, I think: it’s a backup service that’s meant to be blazingly fast. Or it’s something like a backfire, a protective measure. Still, I’m not crazy about the sight of flames with an app meant to protect data. But I’m using and can recommend using Backblaze, Wirecutter’s choice for best online backup service. Wirecutter’s recommendation — not mine — is the one that should carry weight.

I’ve used Mozy forever, or at least for the past fourteen or sixteen years, so switching was a difficult decision. Did I want to back up everything from scratch? No. But I switched anyway, because of Mozy’s high cost and disappointing customer service. Mozy charges $5.99 a month for 50GB of storage, and $9.99 a month for 125GB, with a $2 a month charge for every additional 20GB. Backblaze: $50 a year for unlimited backup. $119.88 v. $50: that’s an easy choice. And here is a recent example of Mozy’s customer service. In sharp contrast: when I had a couple of questions about how Backblaze manages large files, I filed a support request and had a reply within a day.

If you’d like to try Backblaze, here’s a link that will get you and me a free month each. One suggestion: look carefully at what Backblaze is backing up. You don’t really want to back up your Dropbox folder, do you?

[What’s the deal with prices ending in “.99”? A Mozy joke, like “reticulating splines”?]