Auvik vs Backblaze
A side-by-side comparison of two security tools for small businesses.
Bottom line
For most small businesses, Backblaze edges out Auvik on overall SMB fit (9/10 vs 8/10), especially for Backblaze is a strong fit for small businesses where most critical data lives on employee…. That said, weigh pricing and the feature breakdown below against your needs.
At a glance
| Attribute | Auvik | Backblaze |
|---|---|---|
| SMB score | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Category | Security | Security |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Starting price | — | From $8/seat/mo |
| Best for | Auvik fits best with small and mid-sized businesses that have at least one dedicated IT person on staff or work with a managed service provider. Professional services firms, healthcare practices, financial offices, and retail operations running 20 to 500 users across one or more locations gain the most value—particularly those that have experienced unexplained outages or whose network documentation lives in an outdated spreadsheet. MSPs managing multiple SMB clients will find the multi-tenant design especially practical. It's also a strong fit for companies preparing for compliance audits that require demonstrable network visibility and configuration management. | Backblaze is a strong fit for small businesses where most critical data lives on employee laptops and desktops rather than on servers. Professional services firms—accountants, consultants, photographers, video editors, and small law offices—benefit most because their work product is tied directly to individual machines. Retail shops and small agencies with two to twenty-five computers get immediate value from the per-seat flat pricing, which scales predictably. It works especially well for businesses that have zero dedicated IT staff and need a solution that an owner or office manager can deploy and forget. Remote and hybrid teams also benefit since the backup happens wherever the laptop is connected to the internet. |
Auvik
Automatically map, monitor, and troubleshoot every device on your network before small issues become costly outages.
Picture this: it's Monday morning and your office's internet connection is crawling, two employees can't print, and nobody can tell you which switch is causing the problem. Without visibility into your network, tracking down the culprit means physically walking cables, pulling up…
Key features
- Automatic network discovery builds a live topology map within minutes of deployment
- 64 pre-built alerts cover common failure scenarios without manual configuration
- Automated device configuration backups enable fast restore after misconfigurations
- Real-time traffic analysis identifies bandwidth hogs and unusual usage patterns
- Multi-site dashboard gives centralized visibility across multiple office locations
- Multi-tenant architecture supports MSPs managing several SMB clients from one portal
- Cloud-based platform requires no on-premises management server to maintain
Limitations
Auvik's subscription cost scales with the number of billable devices, which can grow quickly once discovery counts every managed switch, router, and firewall on a larger network. Pricing is not publicly listed in detail, so SMBs should request a quote and model the device count carefully before committing. The platform is focused on network infrastructure and does not provide endpoint detection, vulnerability scanning, or help desk capabilities—you'll need complementary tools for those functions. Very small networks with minimal complexity are unlikely to see enough return to justify the cost. Some users note the initial configuration terminology assumes familiarity with networking concepts, which may require a brief ramp-up for generalist IT staff.
Backblaze
Flat-rate, unlimited cloud backup for every business Mac and PC at $99 per computer per year—no file-size caps, no surprises.
Picture this: a two-person accounting firm wraps up tax season, and the next morning one employee's laptop hard drive fails completely. No recent backup means weeks of client files, spreadsheets, and correspondence are simply gone. That single incident can cost more in recovery a…
Key features
- Continuous automatic backup runs silently without manual intervention or scheduling
- Unlimited data per computer—no file size or file type restrictions apply
- Flat annual pricing per computer simplifies IT budget forecasting for small teams
- Web-based restore lets any authorized user retrieve files from a browser
- External drive backup covers USB and Thunderbolt drives connected at backup time
- Business Groups dashboard gives owners centralized visibility across multiple computers
- Optional physical restore via mailed USB drive speeds large file recoveries
- Version history retains deleted or changed files for up to one year by default
Limitations
Backblaze backs up computers, not servers—Windows Server editions and NAS devices are not supported under the standard personal or business computer plans (Backblaze B2 cloud storage is a separate product for those use cases). The initial backup of a large hard drive can take several days to several weeks depending on upload speed and data volume, which is a real gap in protection during onboarding. Files on external drives must be connected at the time of backup or they'll be flagged as missing and eventually removed from the backup set. It is not a sync tool, so it cannot replace Dropbox or Google Drive for real-time file sharing. Verify current retention limits and add-on costs on the vendor site before assuming defaults meet your needs.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Auvik or Backblaze better for small businesses?
- For most small businesses, Backblaze edges out Auvik on overall SMB fit (9/10 vs 8/10), especially for Backblaze is a strong fit for small businesses where most critical data lives on employee…. That said, weigh pricing and the feature breakdown below against your needs.
- How does pricing compare between Auvik and Backblaze?
- Auvik offers a free tier or trial. Backblaze offers paid plans from about $8/mo. Always confirm current plans on each vendor's website before you commit.
- When should I choose Auvik over Backblaze?
- Auvik is a strong fit for Auvik fits best with small and mid-sized businesses that have at least one dedicated IT person on staff or work with a managed service…. Lean toward Backblaze if you need Backblaze is a strong fit for small businesses where most critical data lives on employee laptops and desktops rather than on servers.….
Read the full profiles: Auvik · Backblaze · All Security tools