Backup apps for MacHead to head
Backblaze vs Arq
Backblaze ranks #1 and Arq ranks #3 in our guide to the best backup apps for Mac. Backblaze is our pick for most people.
BackblazePick Backblaze if you have no copy of your photos and documents outside your home and want one kept for you.From $9#3 in the guide
ArqPick Arq if you already pay for cloud storage and want encrypted, versioned backups sent there.$59.99 onceWhat decides it
- Arq costs less over 3 years: $59.99, against $297 for Backblaze.
- Both run on Mac. Only Backblaze runs on iPhone and iPad.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Backblaze | Arq |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9 a month, $99 a year or $189 for 2 years, with no storage cap | $59.99 once per computer, with 1 year of updates. Premium is $69.99 a year with 1 TB |
| How you pay | Subscription | Pay once |
| 3 years of use | $297 Yearly plan | $59.99 Cheaper |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Mac |
| Where to buy | Developer, App Store | Developer |
| Features | Free trial | Free trial |
| Last updated | 23 Oct 2026 | Not tracked |
Who should get which
Get Backblaze if
You have years of photos and documents on your Mac and no copy of them outside your house.
Get Arq if
You already pay for cloud storage and want an encrypted, versioned off-site copy of your Mac next to Time Machine.
Skip Backblaze if
You already run Time Machine to a drive and keep the files that matter in iCloud Drive.
Skip Arq if
You only want a copy on an external drive, and Time Machine already makes one for free.
Our verdicts
Backblaze
For $99 a year, every file on your Mac and any external drive you plug in goes to Backblaze's servers with no storage cap. You can pull back a single file from the web or the iPhone app, or have the whole backup mailed to you on a USB drive. Each plan covers 1 computer, and Arq is the better pick if you want encrypted backups sent to storage you already pay for.
Arq
Your files get encrypted on your own Mac before Arq copies them anywhere, whether that's cloud storage you already pay for, a NAS, an SFTP server or an external drive, and only you hold the password. It keeps point-in-time versions, so a deleted file or a ransomware attack is recoverable. At $59.99 per computer plus storage you manage yourself, it asks more of you than Backblaze, which is $99 a year with no cap.
What each one helps you do
Backblaze
- Back up every file without picking folders
- Restore a lost file from your phone
- Get your whole backup mailed on a drive
- Track down a lost or stolen Mac
Arq
- Back up to cloud storage you control
- Restore an older version of any file
- Recover files after a ransomware attack
- Keep backups encrypted with your own password
Where to get them
Backblaze
$9 a month, $99 a year or $189 for 2 years, with no storage cap
Arq
$59.99 once per computer, with 1 year of updates. Premium is $69.99 a year with 1 TB
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From the developer30-day free trial$59.99Get it
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best backup apps for Mac.
Carbon Copy ClonerPick this if you want scheduled, verified drive backups and 1 license that covers every Mac at home.$49.99 once
SuperDuper!Pick this if you want a free, full spare copy of your Mac on a drive in a drawer.Free to start
Read the full guideAll Backblaze alternativesAll Arq alternatives
More comparisons
- Backblaze vs Carbon Copy ClonerPick this if you want scheduled, verified drive backups and 1 license that covers every Mac at home.
- Backblaze vs SuperDuper!Pick this if you want a free, full spare copy of your Mac on a drive in a drawer.
- Carbon Copy Cloner vs ArqPick it if you already pay for cloud storage and want encrypted, versioned backups sent there.