Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage vs. Barracuda Copy (Discontinued)

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.

Incentivized

I actually recommend this service to all my students and colleagues. It's got more storage space for free than any provider I've found (and for students and teachers, this is a BIG deal). It's wonderful if you want to upload video, too, because where Dropbox and other providers severely limit file upload sizes, Copy is much more generous. Also, since Copy is cloud-based, you don't even need your own computer to use it necessarily since you can access it online. I can't really think of a situation where it would be less appropriate unless you wanted to store classified documents (in which case I'd wonder why you're uploading them to a cloud-based server in the first place).

• File management
• Pricing
• Customer Service

Incentivized

• Copy is similar to Dropbox, in that you have a folder on your computer where you store the files you want to be able to access and sync via Copy's online service. It's very reliable about making sure files are synced across machines.
• You can create "shortcuts" to files on your main computer in order to access them from other locations without it impacting the amount of space you're using on your account. It seems to work almost like a VPN (but not quite).
• You can share folders and files with others, allowing various privileges and rights. This process is incredibly easy. It also sends your affiliate link in case the people you are sharing with want to sign up (bonus space!).
• Copy is attractive and simple to use. It's not complicated, and their support site is clear and monitored.
• Copy is great if you regularly need to upload or share video files. It allows a larger upload size than Dropbox which means that those videos you shoot on your smart phone can be uploaded and shared more easily.

• costs just went up some
• might be nice to get confirmation that it's working occasionally
• nothing else

Incentivized

• One thing Copy doesn't do is allow you to sync any folder on your hard drive (like Sugar Sync does). You have to save the file in the designated Copy folder. However, Dropbox and most other popular cloud storage services don't allow this either, so although this is a negative, it's so common that it's hardly a major drawback.
• EDIT: You can work around this by creating shortcuts in your Copy folder that point to the folder in its original location on your hard drive.
• There are a few areas of support (instructions, primarily, in regards to file shortcuts) that are a little vague (although at the time of this writing they may have been clarified and detail added).
• Copy isn't as well known as other cloud service providers, so your friends may need to be caught up on its awesomeness. This also means that it isn't as well integrated into apps and programs. I'm hoping time will change this as the service grows.

It's by far the most reasonably priced storage solution. Microsoft OneDrive has great pricing, but most would agree that this service isn't quite as easy to use as some of the others (I do actually use it, but not for sharing or collaborating). Also, Copy's less stringent file limitations makes it a step above every other service I've tried. And, it's super easy to explain to others how it works and how to use it.

Copy is so easy to use, it's beautiful, and it just works well. Although finding my referral link could be easier, I'm constantly recommending it to others. I love that there are no restrictions on the size of file uploads, making it my favorite place to upload video files that are shot on my phone. I like that I can share files if I want. It's a great service, and I don't think anyone beats the amount of free space you start with.

Because they continuously had times they required updating the account and there were hiccups when that happened, over time, I became skeptical of their ability to keep my files secure. They were the first cloud backup storage company I had ever used and I stayed with them for almost two decades. Then it happened that we did have to do a recovery two different times because of hardware failures. It was anything but a smooth or complete recovery, and their price kept rising as their service declined. Hundreds of files were totally lost in the process. I guessed that among their strategies, it might well have been a re-focus on their part to build up their enterprise accounts and didn't seem to care about small business. I finally had enough and left them as a client.

Incentivized

Although Dropbox, SugarSync, and Google Drive are all excellent services (and I still use one or two of them depending on the circumstance - required by business, collaborative document creation, etc.), Copy is probably my favorite. The closest second is SugarSync. What keeps me coming back to Copy (after a long, happy stay with SugarSync) is the pricing and the amount of space you are given for the amount paid (that and my business started blocking SugarSync and Dropbox). Copy has a clean interface, has an equal (or better) user interface and functionality, makes sharing a breeze, and offers a ton of storage for a very reasonable price. And, since I've installed it, I've had zero problems with it getting out of sync or losing files. I'm in love!

• We haven't had any data loss situations yet, however I'm sure our ROI will be fairly high if we have to recover any data. Backblaze is in the insurance industry, not storage.

Incentivized

• +easier file sharing with my colleagues and students (less stress, more efficient than using flash drives).
• +easy access to files I use regularly, whether on my home computer, my phone, or at work, meaning increased productivity.
• +fast syncing (and selective syncing) means that I can choose which files to sync to each location, leading to optimized storage management on my hard drives.
• +since it's super easy to get lots of free space, the ROI is awesome. Plus, because you start with more free space than other options, you're already one step ahead.