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Short answer: Backblaze Computer Backup is the clearer buy for a typical Windows or Mac computer, provided you can accept its 30-day default version history and its exclusion of NAS and network drives. CrashPlan requires more careful plan verification: CrashPlan for Small Business and CrashPlan Essential are legacy subscriptions that cannot be newly purchased, while CrashPlan Endpoint and Enterprise are the current endpoint offers. Do not use an old Small Business comparison as a current quote.
The right choice depends less on the word “unlimited” than on what you need to protect: individual computers, attached external disks, Linux endpoints, NAS data, deleted-file retention, and the way you expect to restore a large backup. The comparison below separates currently available products from legacy descriptions and identifies the decisions that can change the result.
Check which plans you can actually buy
CrashPlan’s support article “CrashPlan Products and Subscription Plans,” updated July 27, 2026, lists CrashPlan Endpoint and Enterprise among its active endpoint paths. It identifies CrashPlan for Small Business and CrashPlan Essential as legacy subscriptions that are unavailable to new purchasers; existing customers can continue to manage them. That distinction matters because many older comparison pages still present Small Business pricing and features as if they were open to new customers.
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#1 Best Overall
- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
CrashPlan’s current Endpoint and Enterprise prices are not established as a single public consumer price in the reviewed material. They use per-user licensing in the support table rather than the historical per-device Small Business model. Request a current quote and confirm the included devices before comparing total cost.
At-a-glance comparison
| Decision point | CrashPlan | Backblaze Computer Backup |
|---|---|---|
| New-customer availability | Endpoint and Enterprise are listed as active paths. Small Business and Essential are legacy and unavailable to new buyers. | Consumer Computer Backup offer is published. |
| License basis | Endpoint is per user with one device per user in the support table. Enterprise is per user with up to two devices per user. Obtain a current quote. | Subscription term rather than a historical per-device quote; accounts with more than 50 computers are directed to sales. |
| Storage model | The classic endpoint table lists unlimited storage for Small Business and Endpoint, metered storage for Essential, and unlimited storage for Enterprise and MSP. These are plan-specific details. | Unlimited data and file-size support for the Computer Backup product. |
| Version and deletion retention | The classic table lists deleted-file retention of up to 90 days for Small Business and Endpoint, one month for Essential, and unlimited retention for Enterprise and MSP. Confirm the terms for the current offer. | 30 days by default; one year can be enabled at no added charge; Forever retention for files older than one year costs $0.006 per GB per month. |
| Operating systems | The classic endpoint table lists Windows, Mac and Linux. Verify platform support for the current Endpoint or Enterprise contract. | Native Mac and Windows client materials are documented. |
| External drives | Documentation describes external drives as possible local destinations and allows them to be included in configured selections. | Connected USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt drives can be backed up, but they must remain part of the live source set. |
| NAS and network volumes | Support depends on the exact current plan and configuration; do not infer coverage from the legacy table. | Computer Backup excludes NAS, network-mounted, remotely mounted and shared volumes. Backblaze points to its separate B2 Cloud Storage product for network-drive workflows. |
| Restore methods | Reviewed product documentation describes file recovery and device migration. A current equivalent of a mailed-drive recovery option was not established. | Web, iOS and Android downloads plus a shipped hard-drive restore option. The stated drive fee is refunded when the device is returned within 30 days, subject to the applicable terms and geography. |
What “unlimited” means in this comparison
Unlimited storage capacity does not mean unlimited retention, unlimited devices or unlimited source types. CrashPlan’s classic endpoint table separates storage capacity from deleted-file retention and shows materially different allowances by subscription. Backblaze’s Computer Backup plan advertises unlimited data, but its default version history is 30 days and its source-drive mirroring policy affects what remains in the cloud.
Neither service should be treated casually as a complete bare-metal image system. CrashPlan advises selecting user files rather than operating-system and application files. Backblaze’s documentation likewise excludes operating-system and application files by default. If you need a bootable system image, application-consistent database backup or virtual-machine protection, evaluate a product and workflow designed for that job in addition to endpoint file backup.
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CrashPlan: current offers, legacy terms and workload fit
Current products versus historical Small Business comparisons
For a new customer in 2026, begin with CrashPlan Endpoint or Enterprise, not an old Small Business checkout page. The support article names Small Business and Essential as legacy subscriptions that existing customers may continue using but new customers cannot purchase. A historical table can explain how the product family evolved, but it is not a current quotation.
The same classic endpoint table records these plan distinctions: Small Business was per device with unlimited storage; Essential used metered storage; Endpoint was per user with one device per user and unlimited storage; Enterprise was per user with up to two devices per user and unlimited storage; and MSP was per device with unlimited storage. The table also lists deleted-file retention of up to 90 days for Small Business and Endpoint, one month for Essential, and unlimited retention for Enterprise and MSP. Treat those figures as attributes of the documented plan family and confirm what your current contract includes.
Files CrashPlan is designed to protect
CrashPlan Support says, “The CrashPlan app is designed to back up and restore your user files.” Its guidance warns that selecting operating-system or application files can fill the work queue and delay or prevent completion. For databases and other open-file workloads, the safer pattern is often an application-generated dump or export that the backup client can capture, rather than assuming a live database file is consistently restorable.
Rank #2
- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
The documented policy context describes continuous protection, unlimited file versions and unlimited retention of deleted files, while also describing local folders such as external hard drives as configurable destinations. Because the current plan table shows different deletion-retention terms by subscription, apply the policy only after confirming the exact Endpoint or Enterprise terms in writing.
When CrashPlan is the better fit
- You need a business-oriented endpoint contract rather than a consumer checkout flow.
- You have Linux endpoints and the current plan confirmation explicitly supports them.
- You require retention rules that exceed Backblaze’s default 30-day history and the quoted plan supplies that retention.
- You want to configure more than one destination, such as a convenient on-site copy and a separate off-site disaster-recovery copy.
- You can wait for a quote and verify device-per-user limits instead of relying on legacy pricing.
Backblaze Computer Backup: simple endpoint coverage with important boundaries
Price, trial and scale
The Backblaze Computer Backup page displayed $9 per month on October 13, 2026, and also listed annual and two-year licenses. It stated that a two-year license totaled $189 and offered a 15-day complimentary trial. Those are the figures shown on the checked US-facing page, not a guaranteed worldwide price. Users with more than 50 computers are directed to contact sales rather than use the ordinary individual offer.
Version history and Forever retention
Every account includes 30 days of version history. Backblaze says the one-year option can be enabled at no added charge. Forever retention for files older than one year is priced at $0.006 per GB per month. Retention is therefore a separate budgeting decision from unlimited backup capacity: a large active data set may fit the unlimited plan while its oldest versions create a recurring Forever charge.
External-drive mirroring
Computer Backup supports external drives connected through USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt. It is not an archival upload service, however. Backblaze says that when files are removed from the source external drive, those files are also removed from the cloud copy. The client must continue running and the drive must remain connected as directed for the mirror to stay current.
If you disconnect an external disk and place it in storage, maintain another independent copy. Otherwise, a later source-drive deletion, failure to reconnect or retention event can remove the only cloud copy you expected to preserve.
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Excluded source types
Computer Backup excludes NAS devices, network-mounted drives, remotely mounted volumes and shared volumes. Backblaze names B2 Cloud Storage as a separate option for network-drive backup. Do not buy Computer Backup expecting it to crawl a household NAS or a mapped office share.
Rank #3
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Choose by workload, not by the “unlimited” label
One Windows or Mac computer with an attached drive
Backblaze is usually the more straightforward path: the public price is easy to identify, the client supports the documented computer platforms, and attached external drives are included. Set the version-history period deliberately and keep the external disk connected. Choose CrashPlan instead when a current Endpoint or Enterprise quote provides retention, policy or business controls you specifically need.
Several computers for a small organization
Compare license math rather than multiplying a consumer price blindly. CrashPlan Endpoint is listed per user with one device per user, while Enterprise allows up to two devices per user in the support table. Backblaze directs accounts above 50 computers to sales. For either service, count users, devices and any servers separately and ask what happens when an employee changes computers.
Linux endpoints
The classic CrashPlan endpoint table lists Windows, Mac and Linux, but that table does not prove that every current offer has identical platform support. Obtain written confirmation for the current Endpoint or Enterprise plan. Backblaze’s documented Computer Backup client materials cover Mac and Windows, so a Linux requirement should be treated as a decisive compatibility check rather than assumed coverage.
NAS or network-share data
Backblaze Computer Backup is not the right product for a NAS or mapped network share. Investigate a separate network-storage workflow, including B2 where appropriate. For CrashPlan, identify the exact current plan, whether the NAS can be selected as a source rather than merely a destination, and how licensing applies. Never infer NAS support from the fact that a client can write to an external destination.
Long-term deleted-file retention
Backblaze gives you 30 days by default, one year at no added charge and a paid Forever option for files older than one year. CrashPlan retention varies by plan in the classic table, from one month or up to 90 days on some entries to unlimited on Enterprise and MSP. If regulatory, legal or operational requirements drive the decision, place the retention period and deletion behavior in the quote or contract rather than relying on a product-family slogan.
Restoring data: the recovery method is part of the purchase
Backblaze downloads and mailed drive
Backblaze describes restoring through its web interface and iOS and Android applications. For a large recovery, it also lists a shipped hard-drive option. The product page describes a fee that is refunded when the drive is returned within 30 days under the stated terms. That is a refundable-device process, not an unconditional free drive, and availability, shipping and return conditions can vary by location.
Rank #4
- Easily store and access 4TB of content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Use the download route for a small selection of files or when your internet connection is adequate. Consider the mailed-drive route when downloading a multi-terabyte restore would take too long, and verify the current geography and return instructions before depending on it for an incident plan.
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CrashPlan documentation reviewed for this comparison describes file recovery and device migration. It does not establish an equivalent current mail-drive recovery option. Ask the provider how a large restore is delivered, whether a replacement computer can inherit the old device’s backup set, and what administrative approval is required.
Questions to answer before an emergency
- How many terabytes might need recovery?
- Is the normal internet connection fast enough for that volume within your recovery target?
- Can the service ship media to your country, and who pays or receives the refundable fee?
- Will deleted files still exist when you discover the loss?
- Can you restore individual files without restoring an entire computer?
Setup checklist for a reliable deployment
Before installing either client
- List every Windows, Mac and Linux endpoint, external disk, NAS and network share.
- Mark which data is user-created, which is an operating-system or application file, and which database or virtual-machine workload needs an application-aware export.
- Choose a version-history and deleted-file period based on how long an unnoticed deletion could go undetected.
- Define a restore target: individual files, a replacement computer, or a large media shipment.
- Keep a second local or offline copy for irreplaceable data; cloud endpoint backup is not a substitute for every recovery layer.
Backblaze deployment
- Start the current Computer Backup trial or subscription and confirm the currency and term shown at checkout.
- Install the Mac or Windows client and review its exclusion list before the first backup.
- Attach each supported external drive that should be protected and keep it connected during normal operation.
- Enable one-year history if 30 days is too short, or calculate the Forever charge for older files before selecting it.
- Confirm that no required data lives only on a NAS, mapped share or disconnected archive disk; move that workload to an appropriate separate workflow.
- Perform a small web restore and document the mailed-drive procedure, including the 30-day return condition, before an incident occurs.
CrashPlan deployment
- Ask for a current Endpoint or Enterprise quote and record whether licensing is per user, how many devices each user receives, and which operating systems are supported.
- Confirm deleted-file retention, version retention, source and destination support, and restore options in the plan documentation.
- Select user data rather than operating-system and application directories unless a documented reason and tested recovery procedure requires otherwise.
- Create application dumps or exports for databases and other open-file systems, then include those outputs in the backup selection.
- Configure more than one destination when the plan and workflow support it: one convenient local copy and one off-site copy provide different recovery paths.
- Test file recovery and device migration on a schedule, recording the steps an administrator or replacement computer would need.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Buying a legacy CrashPlan plan
An old article may quote Small Business or Essential as if either were available to new customers. Check the July 27, 2026 support classification and request a current Endpoint or Enterprise offer.
Confusing unlimited capacity with permanent history
Backblaze’s unlimited capacity still has a 30-day default history, while CrashPlan’s retention varies by subscription. Write the retention requirement down before comparing monthly totals.
Treating Backblaze as an archive for a disconnected drive
Backblaze mirrors the source. Removing files from the source drive can remove them from the servers too. Keep the drive connected and retain a separate offline copy when long-term preservation matters.
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Assuming a mapped drive is a computer folder
Backblaze Computer Backup excludes network-mounted and shared volumes. A NAS owner needs a separate product or workflow, not a different exclusion setting.
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Selecting every system file
Both products’ guidance focuses on user files and excludes or discourages operating-system and application files. Whole-machine disaster recovery requires additional planning.
Skipping a restore test
A backup is only useful if the account, retention policy, source connection and recovery route work when needed. Restore representative files and document the result before trusting the service with an irreplaceable workload.
Which service should you choose?
Choose Backblaze Computer Backup when
- You want a clearly published consumer endpoint offer for Mac or Windows.
- Your data is on local computer storage and connected external drives, not a NAS or network share.
- A 30-day default history, or the one-year and Forever options, matches your recovery needs.
- You value a documented web/mobile restore path and a shipped-drive option for large recoveries.
Choose CrashPlan Endpoint or Enterprise when
- You are prepared to obtain and evaluate a current per-user quote.
- Your organization needs a business-oriented endpoint arrangement, Linux confirmation or retention terms that fit a defined policy.
- You need to discuss device migration, multiple destinations, application exports or administrative controls with a provider.
- You understand that the legacy Small Business and Essential offers are not available to new customers.
For either choice, keep the comparison honest: no independent restore-speed, reliability or user-survey result was established here. The practical decision is the service whose current contract covers your source devices, retention period and recovery method without assumptions.
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Is CrashPlan Small Business still available to new customers in 2026?
No. CrashPlan’s support article updated July 27, 2026 classifies Small Business and Essential as legacy subscriptions unavailable for new purchase. New buyers should ask about CrashPlan Endpoint or Enterprise instead.
Does Backblaze Computer Backup back up a NAS?
No. Computer Backup excludes NAS, network-mounted, remotely mounted and shared volumes. Backblaze identifies its separate B2 Cloud Storage product as an option for network-drive backup.
How long does Backblaze keep deleted files?
The default version history is 30 days. One-year history can be enabled at no added charge, while Forever retention for files older than one year costs $0.006 per GB per month.
Can Backblaze restore a very large backup without a long download?
Backblaze lists a shipped hard-drive restore option in addition to web, iOS and Android downloads. The stated drive fee is refundable when the device is returned within 30 days under the applicable terms; verify availability and shipping conditions for your location.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteDoes CrashPlan support Linux?
The classic CrashPlan endpoint table lists Windows, Mac and Linux, but that historical table does not establish identical support for every current offer. Confirm Linux support for the specific Endpoint or Enterprise plan before subscribing.
Are these services full computer-image backups?
They are primarily file-backup services. CrashPlan advises focusing on user files, and Backblaze excludes operating-system and application files by default. Use a separate tested image or application-aware recovery process when bare-metal or database recovery is required.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
