Where it fits
B2 is a candidate when capacity is a large part of your storage requirement: application assets with moderate reads, archives that remain online, and backup repositories. Decide how often you need to retrieve the full dataset. A backup that is almost never read and a public download directory have very different transfer-to-storage ratios.
Before looking at the rate, choose whether delivery is direct or through another service. Partner arrangements can change storage-origin egress charges, but the downstream provider can still charge for delivering bytes. The calculator deliberately uses direct internet delivery, so its boundary is clear.
What the model includes
The checked pricing page lists $6.95 per decimal TB per 30-day month, free standard transactions, and direct egress included up to three times average stored volume. Beyond that ratio the model charges the published per-GB rate. It includes the first 10 GB storage allowance when the allowance toggle is enabled. An older support page confirms that allowance; its old paid rate is superseded by the current pricing page.
Overdrive, specialized transaction products and external CDN costs are excluded. The model is a steady-state month, not an hourly reconstruction of your account. A sharp change in stored bytes can make a real month’s average different from the size shown in a dashboard today.
Regions and integration
B2 documents US, European and Canadian data regions. Account region selection matters; do not assume every existing account can place each new bucket anywhere. Choose the region before migrating a large repository, then verify the endpoint used by your client.
S3 compatibility does not imply that every AWS policy or operation exists. Test the exact client and version you intend to deploy. Keep native-API and S3 credentials distinct in your application configuration, and use only the permissions it needs.
A practical evaluation
Restore a disposable representative directory, including large and small files. Compare its manifest and checksums with the source. Record both time and bytes transferred yourself; this profile contains no throughput measurements. Run the same exercise for an older version if your backup scheme depends on version history.
The B2 versus Wasabi guide examines retention and full restores. For a read-heavy public route, work through the download guide and count the downstream delivery bill too.