Backblaze vs MyPC Backup

• Design
• Ease of use
• Cost
• Syncing and sharing
• Settings
• iPhone App
• Comparison Table
• Conclusion

1. MyPC Backup: Home Screen
2. Backblaze: Home Screen

Both are very slick with clean lines and easy to read text. MyPC Backup takes a little more colorful approach with lots of blue and icon-based illustrations to help navigate you through their website. Their software clean and uses icon’s for just about everything. A little too much if you ask me.

Backblaze takes a more Apple-esc approach to their design. Everything is super clean with plenty of white space and only hints of color here and there. Their software blends seamlessly into the system preferences and uses very few icons. Much better than MyPC Backup in that regard. When it comes to the settings or preferences of the software, neither really make it that interesting design wise, but that’s ok, information is more important in the settings area.

1. MyPC Backup: Bandwidth preferences
2. Backblaze: Performance preferences

If you asked me to give you an quick answer, I would have to say both companies are extremely easy to use. Both operate on a similar less-is-more principle. With most backup consumers asking for something easy and straight forward, a lot of these companys’ development efforts for the software and website goes into usability.

One of the best examples of this is in the settings area where you can control the bandwidth. MyPC Backup gives you a number based way to limit bandwidth during daily or monthly uses as well as limiting download and upload bandwidth by Kbps. This isn’t particularly exciting graphically, and doesn’t give you any estimated information about how long your backups will take when you change the speeds, but it gives you some great tools to limit your bandwidth accurately.

Backblaze gives you a little more information in terms of what you can expect from your backup. As you move the slider along the manual throttle you will see the approximation of backup change (seen above at 14GB/day). Another features is the last file transfer speedometer which gives you the Mbps of the last file transferred. In our case it was 2.01Mbps.

Each is very easy to use. I would say the graphic representation of speed and the approximation of the backup time that Backblaze is easier to understand than MyPC Backup’s settings. That being said, some people will prefer to use the numbers based system. In this example, both companies do a pretty good job at paying attention to the type of settings customers need while making them easy to control.

Backblaze is $3.96/Month and MyPC Backup is $4.95/Month. Getting the most out of either of these companies will be slightly different. With MyPC Backup, a lot of their revenue comes from their addons which add new functionality to their software. With Backblaze most of these features are built in, like the ability to backup external drives. Backblaze you pay less and do not get syncing or sharing options. Syncing and sharing comes standard with MyPC Backup.

Picture: MyPC Backup Website – Sync Folder

Backblaze simply does not have syncing or sharing abilities. You will only find this with MyPC Backup. This is one of biggest differences between the two companies. MyPC Backup is one of the first companies to offer a sync folder as part of the unlimited backup package. The sync folder is 1GB but upgradable to 10GB’s

1. MyPC Backup Scheduling
2. Backblaze Scheduling

You basically get the same type of settings with both backup company’s software with some minor differences. MyPC Backup has more not included with Backblaze which include scheduling options like hourly backups (purchased add-on), calendar based scheduling, and pausing backup between two time periods.

Backblaze backs up everything except any files you exclude, applications and system files. MyPC Backup will backup everything on your computer (but not by default), and backing up external drives requires you to purchase an add-on to use (Free to backup external drives with Backblaze). There are a couple other settings which we cover in our full reviews of Backblaze and MyPC Backup

1. MyPC Backup: Website File Viewer
2. Backblaze: Website File Viewer

Both of these companies are equally good at restoring. The main difference is that with Backblaze you have to go to their website to download your files. MyPC Backup will let you download files using the desktop software.

If you want to download files in bulk, Backblaze and MyPC Backup will do it for you. You can select as many files as you want and click restore. MyPC creates a folder with the title and date of the restore in the folder of your choosing. Backblaze will archive all of the files into a downloadable .zip file then they email you the link.

Two other options worth noting at Backblaze is the flash drive restore and hard drive restore. Flash drive restore will get you a 64GB capacity flash drive with your restore on it via FedEx and the hard drive restore will get you a 3TB capacity hard drive with your restore on it via FedEx.

MyPC Backup doesn’t offer either of these options. If you’re in a pinch and you need your data overnighted to you rather than downloading 3TB’s of information, you will probably want to choose Backblaze as your backup provider. Otherwise both of these companies have the same capabilities except one uses the web and the other uses the software.

1. MyPC Backup App: Media
2. Backblaze App: Browse

I am much more impressed with the MyPC Backup design and functionality over Backblaze’s. When you download the MyPC Backup app you are given several options like the always present, “would you like to receive notifications from this app” question box. I am extremely happy to find one feature built in and that’s the backup photos automatically. I love this because no longer do you have to worry about deleting photos to make room on your phone, you can rest assured you can retrieve them later from MyPC Backup.

Overall the app is clean, well design and looks on par with any of the latest iPhone apps. One other feature that beats out Backblaze is the ability to find your files by category. Simply put, MyPC Backup’s app finds all of your video, audio and photos, and puts them into several easy to find folders which can be found under “Media”.

When you open the Backblaze app there are only two options: browse and downloads. Browse gives you a folder navigation much like it would on the computer leaving it up to you to find your way to your files. Some times this process takes a lot of tapping from one folder to the next. This app has no automatic photo backup, categorized files or much else.

Unfortunately, I have to say, this app is very plain. They give you enough to call it an “App”, but there’s very limited functionality there. To me there’s no comparison between the two in this category.

These two companies are not the easiest to choose between. They both perform pretty well. The simple answer for me is to go with MyPC Backup for a more well-rounded backup solution that does more than simply backup your computer. You will get the ability to sync, more tools/features, a better app and it costs a little less. MyPC Backup is a little cheaper, but comes with space limitations and the need to purchase addons to boost your service.

Backblaze is great if you want a simple, out of the way solution. I would get Backblaze if you have A LOT of files or large files to back up because of their unlimited space plan. You get a very simple, clean and out-of-the-way desktop application that runs smoothly. The settings are pretty good, but could have a little more. The iPhone app is sub par.