Looking for a Backblaze B2 Alternative for Video Storage?
Backblaze B2 is cheap raw object storage with great per-GB pricing. But it's infrastructure, not a product. There's no playback, no metadata preservation, no team management, and no retention policies. You build everything yourself. It's API-first, not user-first.
What Backblaze B2 does well
- Very low per-GB storage pricing
- S3-compatible API
- No minimum storage requirements
- Free egress up to 3x stored data
Where it falls short for video
- No video playback or preview
- No team management or user roles
- No retention policies or lifecycle management
- No export to professional formats
- Requires engineering to build any workflow
- No dashboard for browsing or searching media
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Backblaze B2 | BillionMediaVault |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $6/TB/mo + egress fees | $5/mo per vault (300 hrs FHD each) |
| 5,000 hrs FHD video | ~$150/mo (~25 TB storage + egress) | $85/mo (17 vaults) |
| Retention policies | Not available | Per-file/folder retention with auto-expiration |
| Export formats | Raw file download only | Studio: ProRes (MOV) or DNxHR (MXF) |
| Team management | API keys only | 10 users with roles per account |
| Search and browse | API only | Dashboard with search and folders |
When Backblaze B2 is the better choice
B2 wins when you have engineering resources and want to build custom storage infrastructure. If you need raw S3-compatible object storage for a pipeline you're already building, B2 is excellent and cheap.
When BillionMediaVault is the better choice
When you want a product, not infrastructure. BillionMediaVault gives you a dashboard, team access, retention policies, and ProRes/DNxHR export without writing a single line of code.