Apple iCloud vs. Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Apple iCloud
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Apple iCloud is a document management software offering from Apple. It includes features such as access to music, photos, calendars, contacts, and documents, and it is built into every new iOS device.
$0.99
per month
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Score 9.3 out of 10
N/A
Backblaze, headquartered in San Mateo, provides cloud storage and online backup, boasting trust with over an exabyte of data from customers in 175 countries. A backup service specialist, Backblaze describes their B2 cloud object storage service as S3 compatible and purpose built to provide simplicity, reliability, and affordability. B2 Cloud Storage is available at $0.005/GB/Month, with single-tier pricing.
$6
per month per TB
Pricing
Apple iCloudBackblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Editions & Modules
50GB
$0.99
per month
200GB
$2.99
per month
2TB
$9.99
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Apple iCloudBackblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details—Two pricing models are available: consumption-based pay-as-you-go, and capacity-based storage bundles. Pay-as-you-go consumption-based cloud storage costs $6/TB per month, with your first 10GB free. Egress is free up to 3x of average monthly data stored, and unlimited to many leading content delivery network (CDN) and compute partners. Capacity-based storage, called B2 Reserve, is designed for companies looking for all-inclusive pricing on a single invoice. Storage bundles start at 20TB and can be purchased for one, two, or three years. Egress is always free.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Apple iCloudBackblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Apple iCloudBackblaze B2 Cloud Storage
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
8.1
77 Ratings
4% below category average
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
10.0
3 Ratings
17% above category average
Versioning8.453 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Video files9.073 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Audio files9.070 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Document collaboration7.066 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control7.464 Ratings10.02 Ratings
File search8.069 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Device sync8.076 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
7.1
73 Ratings
20% below category average
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
10.0
3 Ratings
14% above category average
User and role management6.757 Ratings10.02 Ratings
File organization7.769 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Device management7.070 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
7.1
77 Ratings
19% below category average
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
10.0
3 Ratings
16% above category average
Performance7.377 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Reliability8.077 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Storage Reports6.060 Ratings10.02 Ratings
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Apple iCloudBackblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Small Businesses
SugarSync
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Score 4.5 out of 10
SugarSync
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Score 4.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Druva Security Cloud
Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.7 out of 10
Druva Security Cloud
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Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
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Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.7 out of 10
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Score 9.7 out of 10
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User Ratings
Apple iCloudBackblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(77 ratings)
10.0
(4 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(23 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
8.2
(12 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.5
(20 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apple iCloudBackblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Likelihood to Recommend
Apple
iCloud is also great to keep access to photos synced across devices. Ex: I can snap a photo at a job site and have access to that photo on my desktop when I return to my office. I can then drop the photo into a document that is stored in iCloud and have instant access to that document on my iPad at a client's office later in the day. Seamless transitions make life much easier.
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Backblaze
Providing the option of purchasing a much longer archive if desired or limiting the length of time in maintaining what's been saved is brilliant. It makes all the sense in the world. At the very least, unless the retention period is clearly mandated somehow, it causes a decision maker (especially a small business owner) to think strategically about what the storage needs truly are.
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Pros
Apple
  • Syncing files, appointments, Notes and contacts. If I'm away from home, and set an appointment using my phone, that appointment automatically updates real time to my home laptop and vice-versa.
  • It stores files (e.g photos) nicely
  • Once it's set up, it's fairly easy to use.
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Backblaze
  • File management
  • Pricing
  • Customer Service
Read full review
Cons
Apple
  • Customization - iCloud is great at the stuff it does well. But it lacks features that some competitors (in Google Drive or Dropbox) do really well. API support for third-party apps is really great for some other people.
  • Remote use - Managing or accessing information from iCloud while not on one of your logged-in apple devices can sometimes be an issue. From a work computer for example. It doable, but the experience is much less user-friendly.
  • Ability to edit documents on the cloud similar to google docs or some other competitors
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Backblaze
  • My chief complaint about the former lack of S3 compatibility was resolved so I have no complaints now.
  • Please keep egress free!
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Likelihood to Renew
Apple
It's so seamless that I can't imagine another product doing a better job synchronizing all of my devices. I simply do not think about it at all. Everything happens behind the scenes and I'm confident that Apple keeps my data safe and secure. I'm a happy customer as far as this is concerned. I have not had a bad experience with this service.
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Backblaze
No answers on this topic
Usability
Apple
While it may be great to use with other Apple products, I find it's an absolutist-style workflow to be debilitating and to lead to many problems. When you sign into the cloud, it completely takes over your device in many ways that you don't notice at first until there is a problem.
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Backblaze
Since Backblaze added S3 compatibility a few years ago, it's become the most perfect online backup solution.
I also like their transparency in describing their platform and the reports of hard drive reliability are very interesting.
The free egress is priceless, too.
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Performance
Apple
Occasionally, large files that haven't yet been synced require a few minutes to pull down but I've rarely noticed delays. It does a good job of keeping data cached on my local machines while updating them with changes from other machines transparently.
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Backblaze
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Apple
Apple customer service is fantastic. iCloud is built with Apple in mind and its design is extremely intuitive and user-friendly. Additionally, whenever our team has encountered issues, the speed of Apple support has been more than timely in addressing our issues and solving our request. We have encountered relatively few issues in my time with the platform and this only improves our overall score for those who keep the platform stable.
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Backblaze
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Apple
Apple does offer an alternative to Office & the Google Docs family but trusting to use it with both internal and external parties is tough. Google is more universal and easier for 3rd parties to collaborate with. Apple works well for a closed internal group that is native to Apple's ecosystem. Google offers more storage space than Apple
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Backblaze
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage is the best of the bunch. It's priced better than the more expensive cloud based solutions and more robust than the file storage sites like Dropbox or Google Drive.
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Return on Investment
Apple
  • If I lose track of my credentials or my continuing education documentation, I could end up not being able to renew my certification. This would lead to a major loss in revenue.
  • Time is money and having all of my required documents easily accessible in iCloud saves me time and allows me to work more efficiently.
  • My Apple devices were certainly not cheap purchases. iCloud has allowed me to maximize my productivity through synchronizing my work no matter which device I'm working on.
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Backblaze
  • Difficult to quantify the peace of mind Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage services provides.
  • Based on the reported experiences of other Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage clients, recovery has been smooth. We have not yet had the need to use that function.
  • Because Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage's service has been seamless, I feel much more confident in their ability to deliver what they promise when we have the need to expand or enhance what we are purchasing from them.
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ScreenShots

Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage Screenshots

Screenshot of Files are stored in BucketsScreenshot of B2 Cloud Storage Dashboard