Acronis vs Backblaze: Backup service provider comparison

Acronis and Backblaze are some of the most popular backup services available, but their ideal use cases differ. See which solution is the best fit for your business.

Data has become the world’s most valuable resource, so preventing data loss is crucial for businesses today. Companies need to go beyond preventing IT accidents and ensure they can get files back if something does happen. For many, that means choosing between Acronis and Backblaze for backup services.

What is Acronis?

Once called Acronis Cyber Backup, Acronis Cyber Protect is a comprehensive data security solution. Backup and recovery make up just one of its three main components, along with cybersecurity and endpoint protection; though, they’re arguably the platform’s key selling points and were its original use case.

Acronis emphasizes flexibility and security, aiming to keep critical data safe regardless of users’ specific needs or IT environments. That means a slew of security features on top of traditional backups and support for various file types, systems and infrastructure requirements.

What is Backblaze?

By contrast, Backblaze is more focused on the backup and recovery process. The platform is a dedicated backup solution, emphasizing cost efficiency and scalability. Backblaze backs up virtually every type of data across every type of system and aims to do so at minimal expense and manual work.

While Backblaze takes a more focused approach to its offerings, it caters to a wider audience, serving both business and consumer markets. The company’s business backups fall into four categories, including computer, server, network-attached storage (NAS) and Veeam, which can help integrate with existing backup systems.

Acronis vs. Backblaze feature comparison

What makes the ideal data backup solution often depends on the specific features companies need. With that in mind, here’s a look at some in-demand features and their availability across Acronis and Backblaze.

Common features of Acronis and Backblaze

Acronis and Backblaze have many features in common; though, their approaches to these offerings can differ. Different companies likely have varying needs, so these distinctions can make a considerable difference in which backup solution is right for a particular use case.

Cloud backups

Many teams are moving to the cloud, with 94% of small businesses reporting security improvements from doing so, making cloud storage crucial for backups today. Backblaze stores backups in the cloud by design, utilizing a dedicated cloud storage service called B2. This service includes multicloud support, multiregion storage and managed compliance with many regulations.

SEE: Best cloud backup services and solutions 2022 (TechRepublic)

While Acronis doesn’t upload backups to the cloud by default, the cloud is one of its many storage options. Like Backblaze, Acronis has a dedicated cloud service, but it also lets users choose from any private or public cloud provider like AWS, Azure or Google Cloud. Where Backblaze’s B2 service may provide more trust and control, Acronis’s wide range of options offer more flexibility.

Encrypted storage

Encryption is another essential part of backup security that both Acronis and Backblaze offer. Backblaze lets users encrypt their data on their devices, in transit and in storage using AES-128 encryption. While Backblaze will encrypt data for users, it also lets them use a third-party encryption tool before uploading anything to the B2 cloud, which can help standardize operations for companies already using encryption solutions.

The most notable distinction with Acronis’s protection is that it uses AES-256 encryption. This higher standard reduces the risk of data leakage even further, making data virtually impossible to decipher. Unlike Backblaze, Acronis also handles all encryption itself, but if needed, it can back up encrypted files that used another service.

Backup automation

Since human error accounts for 88% of data breaches, automation is another crucial feature for backup solutions. Backblaze enables both scheduled and automated backups, backing up everything automatically by default but letting users adjust settings to make some backups manual. The service will also store previous file versions for 30 days automatically, but these settings can be adjusted if necessary.

Acronis automatically backs up files daily; though, users can modify these schedules. Unlike other alternatives, Acronis can automate backups according to user activity instead of time of day, too. The service will also automatically sort files according to their importance, ensuring it protects the most sensitive data first.

Choosing Acronis vs. Backblaze

Both Acronis and Backblaze provide fast, reliable backup and recovery services for virtually all file types. What makes either the preferable choice depends on users’ specific needs in other areas.

Overall, Acronis is the better backup solution for larger organizations or those with more pressing security needs. Conversely, Backblaze is best for smaller teams with less sensitive data.

Acronis is less user-friendly and requires more setup, but it offers a higher encryption standard and more robust security features. While not every business needs this level of protection for their backups, companies in sectors like finance with a lot of high-value, often-targeted data may prefer it.

Backblaze is by no means risky, but it lacks some more advanced protective measures. If teams don’t work with as much highly sensitive data and are smaller or less experienced, then Backblaze’s ease of use and extensive automation may be more valuable than Acronis’s security.