Backup storage pricing
Nightly VPS backups · about 25 GB stored · each copy kept 7 days · USD ex GST · checked 2 Nov 2026
| Option | Our cost / month | ≈ AUD | Min. billing per file | Restore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare R2 Standard | $0.22 | $0.34 | None | Instant |
| Cloudflare R2 Infrequent Access | $1.29 | $1.99 | 30 days | Instant |
| Backblaze B2 | $0.10 | $0.15 | None | Instant (servers in US, NL, Canada) |
| AWS S3 Standard (Sydney) | $0.73 | $1.12 | None | Instant |
| AWS S3 Standard-IA (Sydney) | $1.71 | $2.63 | 30 days | Instant |
| AWS Glacier Instant Retrieval | $2.15 | $3.31 | 90 days | Instant |
| AWS Glacier Flexible Retrieval | $2.23 | $3.43 | 90 days | Minutes to 12 hours |
| AWS Glacier Deep Archive | $2.64 | $4.07 | 180 days | 12 to 48 hours |
- About 10× the cost for nightly backups. Each file is billed for at least 90 days (Deep Archive 180). We delete after 7.
- Slow to get back. Flexible and Deep Archive take hours to 2 days. If the server dies, we need the backup now.
- More setup. An AWS account, plus a rule to move files into Glacier, because Dokploy can't save there directly. Restores need a manual request first.
- The long-term saving is tiny. A year of monthly copies costs $0.13 on Glacier against $0.48 on R2, so 35 cents a month. See long-term
How the monthly cost was worked out
- About 3.5 GB uploaded per night, each copy kept 7 days.
- About 21,000 upload requests a month (large files go up in 5 MB pieces).
- About 5 GB downloaded a month for restores. Free on R2, and inside AWS's 100 GB monthly free allowance.
- AUD at about A$1.54 per US$1.
$0.13 per month for a year of monthly backups on Glacier Deep Archive
Cheapest per GB7× cheaper than R212× cheaper than S3 StandardNot worth the extra setup for us
| Option | Per GB / month | 1 year of monthly copies 42 GB | 7 years of monthly copies 294 GB | Restore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare R2 Standard | $0.015 | $0.48 | $4.26 | Instant |
| Backblaze B2 | $0.007 | $0.22 | $1.97 | Instant |
| AWS S3 Standard (Sydney) | $0.025 | $1.05 | $7.35 | Instant |
| AWS Glacier Instant Retrieval | $0.005 | $0.22 | $1.48 | Instant |
| AWS Glacier Flexible Retrieval | $0.0045 | $0.21 | $1.35 | Minutes to 12 hours |
| AWS Glacier Deep Archive | $0.002 | $0.13 | $0.63 | 12 to 48 hours |
How this was worked out
- One 3.5 GB backup a month, kept 1 year (12 copies) or 7 years (84 copies). Costs shown once the archive is full.
- Files stay longer than Glacier's 90 or 180-day minimum, so there's no extra minimum charge.
- Includes upload fees. Getting one 3.5 GB copy back from Deep Archive costs about $0.08 and takes 12 to 48 hours.
- US dollars, ex GST. R2 includes its 10 GB free allowance.
$0.22 per month (≈ A$0.34)
RecommendedNo minimum billingFree downloadsFirst 10 GB freeInstant restore
Sources: R2 pricing · R2 bucket locks
$0.10 per month (≈ A$0.15), if set up right
CheapestStrongest lockNo minimum billingExtra cleanup rule neededNo Australian or Asian servers
What "more setup" means
1. Deleting only hides a file. The old copy stays until a cleanup rule removes it. Without the rule, every nightly backup piles up and the bill grows each month.
2. The lock has to be planned when the bucket is created.
3. Servers only in the US, Netherlands and Canada, picked once per account and can't be changed.
Where B2 is better
Its "compliance" lock can't be removed by anyone, not even us or someone who takes over the Backblaze account.
Sources: B2 pricing · file versions · lifecycle rules · object lock · regions
$1.29 per month (≈ A$1.99)
30-day minimumFree downloadsInstant restore
$0.73 per month (≈ A$1.12)
No minimum billingInstant restoreData stays in Australia
Source: aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing
$1.71 per month (≈ A$2.63)
30-day minimumInstant restoreData stays in Australia
Source: aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing
$2.15 per month (≈ A$3.31)
90-day minimumExtra setupInstant restoreData stays in Australia
Source: aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing
$2.23 per month (≈ A$3.43)
90-day minimumRestore takes minutes to 12 hoursExtra setupData stays in Australia
Source: aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing
$2.64 per month (≈ A$4.07)
180-day minimumRestore takes 12 to 48 hoursExtra setupData stays in Australia
Source: aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing