Backblaze vs Mimecast
A side-by-side comparison of two security tools for small businesses.
Bottom line
For most small businesses, Backblaze edges out Mimecast 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 | Mimecast |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Mimecast suits SMBs in regulated or data-sensitive industries—accounting, legal, healthcare, financial services, real estate—where a single compromised email can trigger compliance violations or significant financial loss. It's particularly well-matched for companies running Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with 10 to 500 employees who need enterprise-grade protection without hiring a dedicated security analyst. Managed service providers supporting multiple SMB clients also find Mimecast's multi-tenant management useful. If your team regularly handles client funds, personal health information, or sensitive contracts over email, the combination of threat filtering, data loss prevention, and human risk coaching addresses the three most common failure points in SMB email security in one subscription. |
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.
Mimecast
Twenty years of email threat intelligence, packaged into one platform that keeps phishing, ransomware, and accidental data leaks out of your inbox.
Picture this: a 35-person accounting firm gets a spoofed email that looks exactly like a message from their payroll provider, asking for updated banking details. Without layered email security, one click from a distracted employee could wire tens of thousands of dollars to a frau…
Key features
- AI-driven phishing and impersonation detection trained on 20+ years of threat data
- Secure email gateway filters malware, ransomware links, and spoofed senders automatically
- Data loss prevention rules block accidental or intentional sensitive-file exfiltration
- Human risk management identifies repeat high-risk users and delivers targeted security nudges
- Email archiving and continuity keep messages accessible during outages or legal holds
- Brand protection monitors for domain lookalikes used to impersonate your company externally
- Centralized admin dashboard provides threat reports without requiring deep security expertise
Limitations
Mimecast is priced for ongoing subscription rather than one-time purchase, and costs scale per user, so fast-growing teams should model total spend carefully as headcount rises. The platform's breadth means the admin console has a learning curve—smaller teams without any IT background may need time to understand policy logic and interpret threat dashboards confidently. Some users report occasional false positives that quarantine legitimate vendor emails, requiring policy tuning during the first few weeks. Pricing details and exact feature tiers are not publicly listed in a simple table; prospective buyers should request a quote and verify exactly which capabilities—such as archiving or awareness training depth—are included at each tier versus sold as add-ons.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Backblaze or Mimecast better for small businesses?
- For most small businesses, Backblaze edges out Mimecast 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 Mimecast?
- Backblaze offers paid plans from about $8/mo. Mimecast offers custom / contact-sales pricing. Always confirm current plans on each vendor's website before you commit.
- When should I choose Backblaze over Mimecast?
- 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 Mimecast if you need Mimecast suits SMBs in regulated or data-sensitive industries—accounting, legal, healthcare, financial services, real estate—where a single….
Read the full profiles: Backblaze · Mimecast · All Security tools