Amazon S3 vs Backblaze B2

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Amazon S3

AWS's object storage service, with many storage classes from hot data to deep archive.

Free plan + paid

Visit Amazon S3 Amazon S3 profile

Backblaze B2

Low-cost S3-compatible object storage for backups, media and application data.

Free plan + paid

Visit Backblaze B2 Backblaze B2 profile

The short answer

Amazon S3 suits teams building on AWS who need archive tiers, lifecycle rules and tight links to other AWS services. Backblaze B2 suits developers and IT teams who want cheap, predictable S3-compatible storage. The biggest difference is billing: S3 charges per request and for data transfer out across many storage classes, while B2 has one always-hot tier, free egress up to three times stored data and no minimum storage duration.

Amazon S3 or Backblaze B2: our take

Both are object storage services you reach over the S3 API, so backup tools, NAS devices and apps that speak S3 can usually point at either one by changing an endpoint. Amazon S3 is the original that others copy. It offers a range of storage classes (Standard, Intelligent-Tiering, Infrequent Access, Express One Zone and Glacier) plus lifecycle rules, versioning, cross-region replication, event notifications and integration with nearly every AWS service. Backblaze B2 is deliberately simpler: a single always-hot tier, a native API alongside the S3-compatible one, a browser console and command-line tools.

Pricing is where they part ways. S3 bills per gigabyte stored, per request and per gigabyte transferred out, and its pricing tables vary by class and region, which makes bills hard to predict. Its strength is cold data: Glacier Deep Archive starts from $0.00099 per GB a month. New AWS customers can get up to $200 in credits. B2 starts at $6.95 per TB/month, the first 10 GB is free, downloads are free up to three times what you store, common API calls are free on pay-as-you-go accounts, and there are no minimum file size or storage duration fees. Egress beyond that 3x allowance is billed, and some API call types still carry small charges.

On reach and ecosystem, S3 runs in AWS regions worldwide, is designed for 11 nines of durability and plugs into AWS analytics, AI and serverless services. B2 has fewer regions and far fewer managed services around it, though many CDN and compute partners get free egress.

Pick S3 if your workloads already live on AWS, you need deep archive tiers for data you rarely touch, or you rely on event-driven pipelines and fine-grained access policies. Pick B2 for backups, media libraries and application data that is read regularly, where a simple per-terabyte price and generous free egress matter more than a large surrounding platform.

Choose Amazon S3 if…

Teams building on AWS that need archive tiers, lifecycle rules and deep service integrations
Many storage classes, including automatic tiering and Glacier archives
Integrates with nearly every AWS service

Choose Backblaze B2 if…

Developers and IT teams who want cheap S3-compatible storage without minimum duration fees
First 10 GB of storage is free
No minimum file size or storage duration fees

What is Amazon S3?

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is the object storage service from Amazon Web Services and the one whose API most other providers copy. You store files as objects in buckets and access them over the S3 API, SDKs, the AWS console or command line. S3 offers a range of storage classes, from Standard for frequently used data through Intelligent-Tiering, which moves objects between tiers automatically, to Glacier classes for cheap long-term archives. Around storage it adds lifecycle rules, versioning, replication across regions, fine-grained access policies, event notifications to serverless functions and integration with nearly every AWS analytics and AI service. Pricing is pay-as-you-go per gigabyte stored, per request and per gigabyte transferred out, so bills depend heavily on access patterns, and a free tier is available to new AWS accounts. It runs in AWS regions worldwide. It suits teams already on AWS or needing its archive tiers and ecosystem.

What is Backblaze B2?

Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage is an object storage service from the company behind Backblaze's personal computer backup. It offers an S3-compatible API alongside its own native API, so backup tools, NAS devices, media workflows and apps can store data in buckets without code changes beyond an endpoint. Pricing is per terabyte stored with a single always-hot tier, and the first 10 GB is free. Downloads are free up to three times the amount you store each month, and many CDN and compute partners get free egress beyond that. Basic API calls are free for pay-as-you-go accounts, and there are no minimum file size or minimum storage duration fees, unlike several rivals. Capacity can also be bought annually with volume discounts, and a faster B2 Overdrive tier targets AI and high-throughput workloads. It runs as a web service with a browser console and command-line tools. It suits developers, IT teams and creators who want cheap, predictable cloud storage.

Side by side

Attribute	Amazon S3	Backblaze B2
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web
Best for	Teams building on AWS that need archive tiers, lifecycle rules and deep service integrations	Developers and IT teams who want cheap S3-compatible storage without minimum duration fees
Status	Active	Active