Begin with recovery
Write down what must be restored, where it must be restored, and how long the application can be unavailable. A cheap repository that cannot meet the recovery requirement is not a useful savings. Capacity, transfer, credentials, encryption keys and the backup client all participate in the result.
Use a disposable dataset for the first evaluation. Back it up, restore it to a different location, and compare a manifest with checksums. Then try an older recovery point. Record what you actually measured. CloudOverview has not run these provider restore tests; our estimates are cost models, not recovery benchmarks.
Distinguish new bytes from retained bytes
A backup job may upload a small change but keep many historical versions. Conversely, rewriting a compressed archive can upload most of its bytes even if the underlying files changed little. Inspect how your client chunks, deduplicates, compacts and expires data. The calculator’s storage input is average retained capacity, including chargeable versions.
The backup preset retains 5,000 decimal GB, reads 250 GB in routine restores, makes 50,000 writes and 10,000 reads, and holds each object for at least 90 days. It assumes unused allowances. It is an illustrative steady month, not a full disaster recovery.
| Service / pricing region | Storage | Delivery | Writes / reads | Minimum top-up | Total / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon S3US East · N. Virginia | USD 107.10 | 11.95 | 0.25 / 0.00 | 0.00 | USD 119.31 |
| Cloudflare R2Automatic placement / EU jurisdiction | USD 74.85 | 0.00 | 0.00 / 0.00 | 0.00 | USD 74.85 |
| Backblaze B2US / EU / Canada | USD 34.68 | 0.00 | 0.00 / 0.00 | 0.00 | USD 34.68 |
| WasabiAll commercial regions | USD 36.33 | 0.00 | 0.00 / 0.00 | 0.00 | USD 36.33 |
| Bunny StorageOne storage region · EU/NA delivery | USD 50.00 | 2.50 | 0.00 / 0.00 | 0.00 | USD 52.50 |
| ScalewayParis · fr-par | EUR 80.30 | 1.75 | 0.00 / 0.00 | 0.00 | EUR 82.05 |
Price the bad month
Now change outbound traffic to the entire stored dataset. Repeat with two full restores. Check whether a storage-linked transfer allowance or acceptable-use policy still fits. If another cloud receives the data, include that environment’s compute and storage too. A recovery to your office may also be constrained by your own network, regardless of provider throughput.
Retention can be a cost commitment as well as a recovery choice. Wasabi’s model withholds a total for objects deleted before 90 days because the remaining charge depends on object ages. This is different from a rule that prevents deletion. Do not confuse minimum billable storage duration with an immutability control.
Separate backup access from production access
Review which identity can upload, which can restore, and which can remove recovery points. Store recovery instructions somewhere accessible when the production environment is unavailable. Make sure you can recover the encryption keys without depending on the system being restored.
Object-lock support is deliberately unknown in the launch comparison dataset. If immutability is a requirement, verify the exact product, mode and client interaction from current documentation and test a disposable configuration. A lock icon or the phrase “S3 compatible” is not sufficient evidence.
Make the decision reviewable
Keep the measured restore steps, a representative cost scenario and an object-retention inventory together. Repeat the evaluation when the client changes its repository format or cleanup behavior. B2 versus Wasabi compares the two cost models; the European storage guide helps frame location requirements. Use the calculator to save the scenario URL alongside your own test record.