Backblaze vs Datto
A side-by-side comparison of two security tools for small businesses.
Bottom line
For most small businesses, Backblaze edges out Datto 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 | Backblaze | Datto |
|---|---|---|
| SMB score | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Category | Security | Security |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Starting price | From $8/seat/mo | Contact sales |
| Best for | 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. | Datto is the strongest fit for small and mid-sized businesses that have on-premises servers, Windows endpoints, or heavy reliance on Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace—particularly those in industries where downtime has direct financial consequences, like professional services firms, medical practices, legal offices, manufacturers with ERP systems, and retail operations running point-of-sale infrastructure. It also excels for businesses that already work with a managed service provider, since Datto's MSP-centric distribution model means your IT partner handles configuration, monitoring, and testing. Companies in regulated industries needing documented backup chains for HIPAA, SOC 2, or cyber-insurance audits will find the audit trail features especially relevant. |
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.
Datto
Business-grade backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint management built to survive ransomware and keep SMBs operational.
Picture this: it's Monday morning and your office manager calls to say the file server is encrypted and a ransom note is on every screen. For businesses running Datto, that scenario ends not with a wire transfer but with a rollback. Datto is a platform built around the assumption…
Key features
- Immutable cloud backups that ransomware cannot encrypt or delete remotely
- Instant cloud virtualization spins up failed servers in minutes, not hours
- Covers Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace SaaS data with scheduled backups
- Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) for patching and endpoint control
- Screenshot verification automatically tests each backup restore is bootable
- Centralized multi-site dashboard for MSPs managing multiple SMB clients
- Configurable retention policies support compliance requirements across industries
- Network monitoring and management available as an add-on module
Limitations
Datto is not a self-serve product. Pricing is quote-based and varies by appliance size, data volume, retention length, and whether you're buying direct or through an MSP—budget predictability requires a detailed scoping conversation upfront. Smaller businesses without an IT partner may find the onboarding process slow and the ongoing management overhead higher than expected. The RMM and networking modules are separate add-ons, so total cost can climb quickly if you need the full platform. Businesses with exclusively cloud-native infrastructure and no local servers may find the value proposition thinner relative to lighter SaaS backup tools. Verify current pricing and module availability on the vendor site.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Backblaze or Datto better for small businesses?
- For most small businesses, Backblaze edges out Datto 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 Backblaze and Datto?
- Backblaze offers paid plans from about $8/mo. Datto offers custom / contact-sales pricing. Always confirm current plans on each vendor's website before you commit.
- When should I choose Backblaze over Datto?
- Backblaze is a strong fit for Backblaze is a strong fit for small businesses where most critical data lives on employee laptops and desktops rather than on servers.…. Lean toward Datto if you need Datto is the strongest fit for small and mid-sized businesses that have on-premises servers, Windows endpoints, or heavy reliance on….
Read the full profiles: Backblaze · Datto · All Security tools