Backblaze B2 vs Cloudflare R2: Which is Better in 2026?
Backblaze B2 and Cloudflare R2 are both Object Storage tools, made for different people. Backblaze B2 is for teams storing backups, media archives or large datasets who want a low per-TB price and free egress within limits. Cloudflare R2 is for apps and data teams whose stored files get downloaded a lot, and who want S3 compatibility without egress bills.
Quick verdict
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Backblaze B2 if your bill is driven by storage volume rather than request count. Choose Cloudflare R2 if you serve user uploads, media or public datasets.
Backblaze B2 vs Cloudflare R2: Side by Side
| Backblaze B2 | Cloudflare R2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Object Storage | Object Storage |
| What it is | S3-compatible object storage | S3-compatible object storage (Cloudflare) |
| Storage price | $6.95 per TB-month | $0.015 per GB-month |
| Egress | Free up to 3x stored, then $0.01 per GB | Free |
| Free access | First 10 GB free | 10 GB a month free |
| API | S3-compatible | S3-compatible |
| Pricing | From $6.95/mo | Free · paid from $0.015/mo |
| Starting price | From $6.95/mo | Free tier available |
| Free tier | — | |
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Best for | Object Storage: backups, low cost, S3-compatible | Object Storage: zero egress, S3-compatible, public assets |
Ratings are App Stack Builder’s editorial score out of 5, not an average of user reviews.
Pros & Cons
- Low per-TB storage price
- Generous free egress
- S3-compatible
- Most API calls free
- Fewer regions than the hyperscalers
- No archive tiers
- Smaller integration ecosystem
- Zero egress fees
- S3-compatible API
- Free monthly allowance
- Simple price list
- Fewer storage classes than S3
- Smaller ecosystem of native integrations
- Class A writes cost more per request than S3 PUTs
Key Features Compared
Backblaze B2
- $6.95 per TB-month, billed by the byte-hour
- Free egress up to 3x average monthly storage, then $0.01 per GB
- Free egress through many CDN and compute partners
- Class A, B and C API calls free; Class D $0.004 per 10,000 after 2,500 free a day
- First 10 GB always free; S3-compatible API
Cloudflare R2
- Standard storage $0.015 per GB-month; Infrequent Access $0.01 plus $0.01 per GB retrieved
- Class A operations $4.50 per million; Class B $0.36 per million (Standard)
- Egress to the internet is free
- Free each month: 10 GB storage, 1 million Class A and 10 million Class B operations
- S3-compatible API
Choose Backblaze B2 if…
- Your bill is driven by storage volume rather than request count.
- You download a moderate share of what you store.
- You want S3 compatibility at a lower per-TB price.
Choose Cloudflare R2 if…
- You want to start free. Cloudflare R2 has a free tier and Backblaze B2 does not.
- Budget is tight: paid plans start lower ($0.015/mo vs $6.95/mo).
- You serve user uploads, media or public datasets.
- You want to switch from S3 without rewriting code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Backblaze B2 better than Cloudflare R2?⌄
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Backblaze B2 if your bill is driven by storage volume rather than request count. Choose Cloudflare R2 if you serve user uploads, media or public datasets.
What is the difference between Backblaze B2 and Cloudflare R2?⌄
What it is. Backblaze B2: S3-compatible object storage. Cloudflare R2: S3-compatible object storage (Cloudflare). Storage price. Backblaze B2: $6.95 per TB-month. Cloudflare R2: $0.015 per GB-month. Egress. Backblaze B2: Free up to 3x stored, then $0.01 per GB. Cloudflare R2: Free. Free access. Backblaze B2: First 10 GB free. Cloudflare R2: 10 GB a month free.
Backblaze B2 vs Cloudflare R2: which is cheaper?⌄
Backblaze B2 pricing: From $6.95/mo. Cloudflare R2 pricing: Free · paid from $0.015/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Backblaze B2 or Cloudflare R2?⌄
On our editorial score, Backblaze B2 is 4.5 out of 5 and Cloudflare R2 is 4.6 out of 5, so Cloudflare R2 is slightly ahead. This is our own score, not an average of user reviews.
When should I skip both Backblaze B2 and Cloudflare R2?⌄
Skip Backblaze B2 if you need archive tiers or deep AWS integration. Amazon S3 offers both. Skip Cloudflare R2 if you need archive tiers for data you rarely read. Amazon S3 has more storage classes.
Sources · tool facts checked November 2026
See more options in our guide to the best object storage tools for startups.
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