Introduction: The Deceptive Simplicity of Cloud Backup Pricing

Cloud backup pricing looks straightforward on the surface. AWS S3 Standard is $0.023/GB per month. Azure Blob Hot is $0.024/GB. Google Cloud Storage Standard is $0.020/GB. Pick the cheapest one and move on.

Except you won't. The moment you restore data, retrieve backups, or maintain geo-redundancy, the math explodes. Data egress alone can cost 2-3x the storage cost on a full recovery scenario. API request charges compound with incremental backups. Archive tiers vanish when recovery time matters.

This benchmark covers enterprise backup platform pricing, including AWS Backup managed service, Azure Backup, Google Cloud Backup and DR, and direct object storage with S3, Azure Blob, GCS, plus alternatives like Wasabi, Backblaze B2, and Cloudflare R2. We've modeled total cost of ownership for three enterprise scenarios: hot backup (frequent restore), cold backup (archival), and hybrid multi-cloud backup architecture.

"The average enterprise backup restore pulls down 10-15% of total backup data annually. Most don't factor this into cloud backup cost models. Egress fees can flip the math on which cloud is cheapest."

AWS Backup and S3 Pricing Benchmarks

AWS dominates enterprise backup primarily because of its ecosystem depth and consolidation discounts. But pricing varies wildly depending on storage tier and access pattern.

AWS Backup Managed Service

AWS Backup (the native backup service) abstracts storage tier decisions but charges based on data volume:

AWS Backup is primarily useful for cross-region replication and RPO/RTO compliance at scale. For pure cost optimization, direct S3 management is cheaper.

AWS S3 Storage Tier Benchmarks

List pricing for S3 storage tiers (per GB-month, 1st 50TB):

AWS Egress Costs (The Hidden Cost)

Data retrieval from S3 incurs significant egress fees that most cost models overlook:

A full restore of 100TB from S3 Standard costs $9,000 in egress alone at standard pricing (100TB × $0.09/GB). This is why egress is often the dominant cost driver for active backup strategies.

Azure Backup and Blob Storage Pricing Benchmarks

Azure Backup Managed Service

Azure Backup charges based on data protected and also recovery points:

Azure Blob Storage Tier Benchmarks

List pricing for Azure Blob storage (per GB-month, LRS):

GRS (Geo-Redundant Storage) adds 1.6x multiplier to above pricing. A 100TB hot backup in GRS costs $39/TB-month, making it one of the most expensive cloud backup options.

Azure Egress and Rehydration Costs

Azure charges for data egress and "rehydration" (moving data from cold/archive tiers to hot access):

Benchmark Cloud Backup Costs Across Providers

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Google Cloud Backup and Storage Pricing Benchmarks

Google Cloud Backup and DR Service

Google Cloud Backup and DR is newer than AWS/Azure equivalents but offers competitive pricing:

Google's model is cleaner than AWS in separating management from storage, but total cost is competitive rather than cheaper.

Google Cloud Storage Tier Benchmarks

List pricing for GCS (per GB-month, multi-region):

Google's Archive tier is slightly cheaper than AWS/Azure equivalents but with strict minimum retention.

Google Cloud Egress Costs

GCS egress is comparable to AWS:

Alternative Object Storage for Backup: Wasabi, Backblaze, Cloudflare

Hyperscaler lock-in and egress fees created a market for alternative object storage specifically targeting backup use cases.

Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage

Wasabi competes directly on object storage cost and explicitly targets backup workloads:

Wasabi's value proposition is strongest for organizations that restore frequently or maintain hot/warm backups. For pure archival, AWS Deep Archive is cheaper.

Backblaze B2

Backblaze B2 targets SMB and mid-market backup:

Cloudflare R2

Cloudflare R2 removes egress costs (like Wasabi) but charges for storage and API:

R2 is competitive for restore-heavy scenarios but more expensive than Wasabi for cold backup storage.

Cloud Backup Monthly Cost Comparison Table

The table below shows normalized monthly costs per TB for six providers across three scenarios: hot backup (frequent restore), warm backup (monthly restore), and cold archival (annual restore):

Provider Storage Tier $/TB-Month (Storage) API Costs Egress (per Restore) Hot Scenario ($/TB-Month) Cold Scenario ($/TB-Month)
AWS S3 Standard $23.55 Included $90 (full restore) $32 $24
AWS S3 Glacier Instant $4.10 Included $90 (full restore) $29 $4
AWS S3 Glacier Deep Archive $1.01 Included $90 (full restore) N/A (slow) $1
Azure Blob Hot (LRS) $24.60 $0.01/10k ops $87 (full restore) $31 $25
Azure Blob Hot (GRS) $39.36 $0.01/10k ops $87 $46 $40
Azure Blob Archive $1.01 $0.02/rehydrate GB $87 N/A (slow) $1
GCP Cloud Storage Standard $20.48 Included $120 (full restore) $32 $20
GCP Cloud Storage Archive $1.23 Included $120 (full restore) N/A (slow) $1
Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage $6.98 Included Free $7 $7
Backblaze B2 Standard $6.15 $0.004/10k $100 (full restore) $30 $6
Cloudflare R2 Standard $15.36 $4.50/M requests Free $18 $15

The Hidden Cost Trap: Data Egress and Retrieval Fees

Cloud backup cost models almost universally underestimate egress. Here's why:

Egress Surprises in Disaster Recovery

A major data center failure forcing full recovery of 500TB backups costs:

For organizations planning DR scenarios, egress charges should be modeled in the cost of backup compliance. AWS, Azure, and GCP all offer volume discounts on egress for negotiated commitments (50-100TB+/month), but backup-to-on-prem restores don't typically trigger these.

API Request Costs on Incremental Backups

Incremental backup strategies that check object metadata on every backup run incur API costs:

Cloud Backup Reserved Capacity and EDP Impact

Enterprise Discount Program (EDP) pricing from AWS, Azure, and GCP can reduce effective cloud backup costs significantly if you're already a large customer:

Organizations with large Azure AD footprints or active Office 365 deployments should model Azure Backup cost reduction via MACC. AWS backup savings are typically lower unless you're consolidating across multiple AWS regions.

Model Your Real Cloud Backup Cost

Use our benchmarks to build 5-year TCO for your backup volume, restore patterns, and cloud provider mix.

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Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Backup Architecture Cost Optimization

Many enterprises employ tiered backup strategies: hot backup in cloud (fast recovery), cold in object storage (cheap), with on-prem backup for critical systems.

Tiered Strategy Example: 500TB Total Backup

This approach balances recovery time (hot tier accessible in minutes) with cost efficiency (cold tier at $7/TB-month). Egress is only modeled for hot restore (20% annually) and warm tier monthly access.

Multi-Cloud Redundancy (Cross-Region)

Some enterprises require backup across cloud providers (vendor lock-in insurance) or geographic regions:

When Cloud Backup Is More Expensive Than On-Prem

Despite cloud's reputation for flexibility, on-premise storage can be cheaper for some organizations:

Break-Even Analysis: Cloud vs On-Prem

For a 200TB continuously growing backup:

On-prem backup makes financial sense when:

FAQ: Cloud Backup Pricing

How much does AWS Backup cost per TB per month? +

AWS Backup costs vary significantly by storage tier: S3 Standard for hot backup data runs ~$23.50/TB-month; moving to S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval drops this to ~$4.10/TB-month with 1-5 minute retrieval; Glacier Deep Archive is ~$1.01/TB-month with 12-48 hour retrieval. Add $0.09/GB egress ($90/TB) for full restores, making realistic cost $32-40/TB-month for hot backups with quarterly restores.

Is Azure Backup cheaper than AWS for enterprise workloads? +

Azure Backup generally benchmarks 5-15% lower than AWS for VM backup workloads when using LRS (locally redundant) storage; GRS (geo-redundant) adds 60% and makes Azure significantly more expensive. The comparison shifts substantially based on your existing Azure MACC commitment level. If you're already paying MACC for Microsoft 365 or Azure workloads, effective Azure Backup cost can be 20-30% lower than AWS. Without MACC, AWS is typically cheaper for pure backup storage.

What are the hidden costs in cloud backup pricing? +

The three major hidden cost categories are: (1) Data egress/retrieval fees that can exceed storage costs on large restores — budget $0.09-0.12/GB for major recovery scenarios. (2) API request charges accumulating with frequent incremental backups, typically $1-5/TB-month on hyperscalers. (3) Metadata storage and archive rehydration overhead that adds 5-20% to apparent data volume. Always model annual total cost including a realistic 10-15% restore scenario to surface egress impact.

Key Takeaways

Cloud backup pricing has become genuinely competitive at storage layer, but egress and API costs create the real financial distinction. AWS and Azure converge on ~$23-25/TB-month for hot storage; GCP and Wasabi are 10-15% cheaper; alternatives (Backblaze, Cloudflare) offer trade-offs between storage cost and egress fees.

The decision tree is simple: if you restore frequently and need fast recovery, Wasabi's included egress makes it the cheapest total cost of ownership. If you're already an Azure/Microsoft customer with MACC, Azure Backup becomes competitive. For pure archival (annual restores), AWS Deep Archive or GCP Archive at $1-1.5/TB-month is unbeatable.

Model your actual restore patterns. Most organizations dramatically underestimate egress costs and end up overpaying for premium storage tiers they never access.

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