Object storage and managed backup include different jobs

Per device or per seat does not belong in a $/GB ranking

A managed backup service can bill per computer, protected workload, or protected SaaS seat because the purchased unit includes workload-specific backup behavior. Backblaze Computer Backup is licensed per computer. Acronis documents per-workload billing and protected Microsoft 365 seat billing for relevant configurations. [1] [4] [5]

Object storage bills stored capacity and may also meter requests, retrieval, and egress. The buyer still needs compatible backup software, a schedule, credentials, retention rules, monitoring, and a tested restore procedure. Backblaze's B2 documentation separates the storage service from the integrations that write to it. [6] [7] [8]

Putting $/device or $/seat beside $/GB and sorting by the numeral would mislead. The managed price buys a defined service, while the storage price buys capacity. Neither unit reveals the other category's full monthly cost. [1] [4] [6]

Route by workload and operating responsibility

Start with managed backup when the requirement is automatic protection for a documented endpoint or SaaS workload and the buyer does not already operate backup software. Verify that the service covers the exact operating system, application, network source, identity scope, retention, and recovery method. [2] [5]

Start with object storage when a compatible backup product already protects the workload and needs a destination, or when an operator is prepared to own the backup policy and recovery runbook. S3 compatibility describes an interface, not workload coverage or a successful restore. [8]

Leave this comparison if the workload is unsupported, the required recovery point and recovery time are unstated, or no compatible backup tool is named. A cheap storage rate does not fill those gaps, and this page has not tested managed products. [2] [8]

Normalize the recovery path before comparing cost

A managed-backup estimate starts with the number and type of protected devices, workloads, or seats, then adds any published storage allowance, overage, retention, or restore-media charges. An object-storage estimate starts with retained volume and then keeps backup-software cost, write and read requests, retrieval, public-internet egress, retention overhead, and operations separate. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Egress is the decision variable for a recovery comparison because recovery can move much more data than an ordinary month. A low storage rate cannot answer the restore question. The destination, restored volume, allowance already consumed, and provider-specific egress schedule must be stated. [7]

A read-only restore may incur retrieval, restore or read requests, temporary readable-copy storage, and egress. It never incurs an early-deletion charge because the source object is not deleted, overwritten, moved, or transitioned. If a separate workflow deletes or overwrites the source, that is a different operation and must be priced separately. [11] [12]

Why we do not rank online backup services

This page has not installed agents, run backups, measured recovery time, tested file selection, exercised support, or restored production workloads. It therefore does not award a managed-backup winner. [2] [5]

Object-storage offers may be compared only after the workload and backup tool are fixed and the complete storage-and-recovery bill is available. If a required price is not published, or the figures are not comparable, we show that and decline to name a false winner. [6] [7] [8]