Pick / avoid summary (fast)
Skim these triggers to pick a default, then validate with the quick checks and constraints below.
- ✓ You’re Cloudflare-centric and want tighter ecosystem adjacency
- ✓ Your workload is delivery-heavy and egress dominates cost
- ✓ You want S3-style workflows without hyperscaler complexity
- ✓ Your primary use case is backups, archives, or a large media library
- ✓ You’re optimizing for cost-driven storage economics over ecosystem adjacency
- ✓ Your restore frequency is predictable and you can model requests/egress
- × Not a full hyperscaler ecosystem; enterprise governance breadth may be limited
- × S3-compatible does not guarantee parity in behavior, features, or pricing mechanics
- × Not a hyperscaler ecosystem; governance and integrations can be narrower
- × Request-heavy or restore-heavy access patterns can change economics materially
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CheckModel request volume and restore frequency—those often matter more than storage $/GB
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The trade-offCloudflare adjacency and delivery economics vs backup/media-oriented storage mechanics
At-a-glance comparison
Cloudflare R2
S3-compatible object storage often evaluated to reduce egress-driven spend and support edge-adjacent workflows. Fit depends on access pattern, request pricing, and Cloudflare ecosystem alignment.
- ✓ Positioned for egress-sensitive workloads where bandwidth dominates total cost
- ✓ S3-compatible API surface can reduce migration friction for many tools
- ✓ Strong adjacency to Cloudflare ecosystem and edge delivery patterns
Backblaze B2
Cost-driven object storage for backups and media libraries, often evaluated versus Wasabi and S3 when the decision is pricing mechanics (egress + requests) rather than raw storage price.
- ✓ Often chosen for cost-driven storage economics in backup and media use cases
- ✓ S3-compatible API option supports many common tools and workflows
- ✓ Good fit when storage footprint is large and hyperscaler complexity is unnecessary
What breaks first (decision checks)
These checks reflect the common constraints that decide between Cloudflare R2 and Backblaze B2 in this category.
If you only read one section, read this — these are the checks that force redesigns or budget surprises.
- Real trade-off: Cloudflare ecosystem adjacency and delivery economics vs cost-driven storage mechanics optimized for backups and large datasets
- Egress economics vs ecosystem depth: Model egress, requests, and transfer paths for your workload (media delivery, backups, cross-region replication)
- S3 compatibility vs pricing mechanics reality: Verify API surface and operational features you rely on (multipart uploads, lifecycle rules, replication, encryption controls)
Implementation gotchas
These are the practical downsides teams tend to discover during setup, rollout, or scaling.
Where Cloudflare R2 surprises teams
- Not a full hyperscaler ecosystem; enterprise governance breadth may be limited
- S3-compatible does not guarantee parity in behavior, features, or pricing mechanics
- Request-heavy access patterns can still create meaningful costs
Where Backblaze B2 surprises teams
- Not a hyperscaler ecosystem; governance and integrations can be narrower
- Request-heavy or restore-heavy access patterns can change economics materially
- Region footprint and latency/performance expectations must be validated
Where each product pulls ahead
These are the distinctive advantages that matter most in this comparison.
Cloudflare R2 advantages
- ✓ Strong Cloudflare ecosystem adjacency for delivery-heavy patterns
- ✓ Often compelling when egress dominates cost for public content
- ✓ S3-style workflows for many tools with a simpler operational model
Backblaze B2 advantages
- ✓ Clear fit for backup/archive and large storage footprints
- ✓ Cost-driven mechanics when access pattern is understood
- ✓ Simpler storage story than hyperscaler governance-heavy setups
Pros and cons
Cloudflare R2
Pros
- + You’re Cloudflare-centric and want tighter ecosystem adjacency
- + Your workload is delivery-heavy and egress dominates cost
- + You want S3-style workflows without hyperscaler complexity
- + You can validate request costs under real read/write behavior
- + You don’t need hyperscaler-grade enterprise governance for this workload
Cons
- − Not a full hyperscaler ecosystem; enterprise governance breadth may be limited
- − S3-compatible does not guarantee parity in behavior, features, or pricing mechanics
- − Request-heavy access patterns can still create meaningful costs
- − Operational fit depends on your network topology and Cloudflare usage patterns
Backblaze B2
Pros
- + Your primary use case is backups, archives, or a large media library
- + You’re optimizing for cost-driven storage economics over ecosystem adjacency
- + Your restore frequency is predictable and you can model requests/egress
- + You want a simpler operational surface area than hyperscaler governance
- + You can validate regional footprint and performance for your users
Cons
- − Not a hyperscaler ecosystem; governance and integrations can be narrower
- − Request-heavy or restore-heavy access patterns can change economics materially
- − Region footprint and latency/performance expectations must be validated
- − Advanced features and integrations may not match hyperscaler parity
Keep exploring this category
If you’re close to a decision, the fastest next step is to read 1–2 more head-to-head briefs, then confirm pricing limits in the product detail pages.
FAQ
How do you choose between Cloudflare R2 and Backblaze B2?
Both are cost-driven alternatives, but they fit different contexts. R2 is compelling when egress and delivery patterns dominate and you’re Cloudflare-centric. B2 is compelling when you want cost-driven object storage for backups, archives, or media libraries and can model requests and restore frequency. The right choice depends on access pattern and network paths.
When should you pick Cloudflare R2?
Pick Cloudflare R2 when: You’re Cloudflare-centric and want tighter ecosystem adjacency; Your workload is delivery-heavy and egress dominates cost; You want S3-style workflows without hyperscaler complexity; You can validate request costs under real read/write behavior.
When should you pick Backblaze B2?
Pick Backblaze B2 when: Your primary use case is backups, archives, or a large media library; You’re optimizing for cost-driven storage economics over ecosystem adjacency; Your restore frequency is predictable and you can model requests/egress; You want a simpler operational surface area than hyperscaler governance.
What’s the real trade-off between Cloudflare R2 and Backblaze B2?
Cloudflare ecosystem adjacency and delivery economics vs cost-driven storage mechanics optimized for backups and large datasets
What’s the most common mistake buyers make in this comparison?
Treating both as interchangeable because they’re “cheap storage” instead of modeling request volume, egress, and access pattern differences
What’s the fastest elimination rule?
Pick Cloudflare R2 if: You’re delivery-heavy or Cloudflare-centric and egress/network paths dominate your cost model
What breaks first with Cloudflare R2?
Unexpected request costs if your workload becomes highly read/write intensive. Feature/behavior gaps if you rely on advanced S3 semantics or integrations. Operational complexity if you try to replicate hyperscaler governance patterns.
What are the hidden constraints of Cloudflare R2?
Your access pattern (requests + egress) determines economics more than storage size. S3-compatibility gaps can surface with advanced lifecycle/replication requirements. Edge-adjacent benefits depend on how your app and users route through Cloudflare.
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Sources & verification
We prefer to link primary references (official pricing, documentation, and public product pages). If links are missing, treat this as a seeded brief until verification is completed.