Tusk is a Mac app that automatically backs up your project folders to multiple locations and tracks where every file lives — even when your drives aren't connected.
If you're backing up Mac project files to the cloud, you've probably looked at S3-compatible object storage. Three names come up constantly: Backblaze B2, Wasabi, and Cloudflare R2. All three are cheaper than AWS S3. All three work with standard backup tools (Arq, Synology Hyper Backup, Tusk).
The headline storage prices look similar. The real cost difference shows up in egress fees, minimum billing, retention rules, and how much data you actually download.
TL;DR: Backblaze B2 is cheapest for small-to-medium storage with flexible billing. Wasabi wins on paper for high-egress workloads but has a 1TB minimum and 90-day retention lock. Cloudflare R2 has the highest storage price but zero egress and a generous free tier. Pair B2 with Cloudflare CDN for free unlimited egress.
Pricing at a Glance (2026)
| Backblaze B2 | Wasabi | Cloudflare R2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage (standard) | $6/TB/month ($0.006/GB) | $7.99/TB/month ($0.0078/GB) | $15/TB/month ($0.015/GB) |
| Egress (download) | Free up to 3x storage/month, then $0.01/GB | Free (fair-use: egress ≤ stored capacity) | Free (all egress) |
| Upload (Class A) | Free | Free | $4.50/million requests |
| Download (Class B) | First 2,500/day free, then $0.004/10K | Free | $0.36/million requests |
| Minimum billing | None (10GB free) | 1TB minimum ($7.99/month) | None (10GB free tier) |
| Minimum retention | None | 90 days | 30 days (infrequent access tier) |
| S3-compatible API | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sources: Backblaze B2 pricing, Wasabi pricing, Cloudflare R2 pricing.
Backblaze B2
Storage: $0.006/GB/month ($6/TB).
Egress: Free up to 3 times your average stored data per month. If you store 1TB, you get 3TB of free downloads monthly. Beyond that: $0.01/GB.
The Bandwidth Alliance trick: Egress is completely free when downloading through Cloudflare, Fastly, or Bunny.net CDN partners. If you serve files through Cloudflare in front of B2, you pay $6/TB storage and $0 egress. This is the setup most cost-conscious users run.
Minimum billing: None. Store 50GB, pay $0.30/month. First 10GB free.
Minimum retention: None. Delete data anytime.
Best for: backup archives where you mostly upload and rarely download. Especially good at small-to-medium volumes where Wasabi's 1TB minimum would waste money.
B2 cost example: 2TB photo archive, 100GB downloads/month
- Storage: 2TB × $6 = $12/month
- Egress: 100GB (well under 3x the 2TB allowance) = $0
- Total: $12/month
Wasabi
Storage: $7.99/TB/month pay-as-you-go (raised from $6.99 on July 1, 2026). Lower with 1-, 3-, or 5-year reserved capacity commitments.
Egress: Free, with a fair-use policy: monthly egress should not exceed stored capacity (1:1 ratio), capped at 100TB.
Request costs: Free. No per-operation charges.
Minimum billing: 1TB. Store 50GB, pay $7.99/month anyway. Effective rate for 50GB: $0.16/GB, roughly 20x the headline price.
Minimum retention: 90 days. Delete or overwrite an object within 90 days and you still pay for the full 90 days.
Best for: workloads above 1TB where you download roughly as much as you store, and you don't churn data frequently. Less ideal for small archives or data you delete within 90 days.
Wasabi cost example: 2TB photo archive, 100GB downloads/month
- Storage: 2TB × $7.99 = $15.98/month
- Egress: 100GB (under 2TB stored) = $0
- Total: $15.98/month
At 2TB, B2 ($12) is cheaper than Wasabi ($15.98). Wasabi only pulls ahead at larger volumes where you download heavily but predictably. B2 pulls ahead below 1TB.
Cloudflare R2
Storage: $0.015/GB/month ($15/TB). Infrequent Access tier: $0.01/GB/month.
Egress: Free to any internet destination. This is R2's main selling point.
Operation costs: Class A (writes): $4.50/million. Class B (reads): $0.36/million. These add up for high-request workloads but are negligible for backup.
Free tier: 10GB storage, 1M Class A ops, 10M Class B ops per month. Permanent, not a trial.
Best for: applications with heavy download traffic (serving files to users), or when you want zero egress complexity. For pure backup (upload-heavy, download-rare), B2 is usually cheaper.
R2 cost example: 2TB photo archive, 100GB downloads/month
- Storage: 2TB × $15 = $30/month
- Egress: $0
- Operations: negligible for backup
- Total: ~$30/month
R2 costs more than double B2 for storage. You pay for the zero-egress guarantee.
Head-to-Head: 10TB Archive, Different Download Patterns
| Scenario | B2 | Wasabi | R2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10TB stored, 50GB/month download | $60/month | $79.90/month | $150/month |
| 10TB stored, 5TB/month download | $60/month (under 30TB free egress) | $79.90/month | $150/month |
| 10TB stored, 15TB/month download | $60 + $0 (under 30TB free) = $60 | $79.90/month | $150/month |
| 10TB stored, 40TB/month download | $60 + $100 overage = $160 | $79.90 (over 1:1 ratio, fair-use risk) | $150/month |
| 500GB stored, 50GB/month download | $3/month | $7.99/month (1TB min) | $7.50/month |
B2 wins at small volumes and moderate downloads. Wasabi wins at large volumes with predictable egress. R2 wins when egress is massive and unpredictable.
Which One for Mac Backup?
For photographers and video editors backing up project files to the cloud:
Backblaze B2 is the default recommendation. No minimum billing, no retention lock, cheap storage, and free egress up to 3x stored volume. Pair with Arq, Synology Hyper Backup, or Tusk as the upload tool.
Wasabi makes sense above 2-3TB if you regularly download large portions of your archive and want zero egress math. Watch the 90-day minimum retention if you delete and re-upload files frequently.
Cloudflare R2 makes sense if you're building something that serves files to users (a portfolio CDN, client delivery portal) and want zero egress. For pure backup, it's overpriced on storage.
None of these replace local backup. Cloud is the offsite layer. The best cloud backup guide covers consumer-friendly options like Backblaze Personal ($99/year unlimited) if you don't want to manage S3 buckets.
How to Connect These to Your Mac
All three support the S3 API. Connect them via:
- Arq Backup: pick B2, Wasabi, or R2 as destination. Client-side encryption.
- Synology/QNAP: Hyper Backup or Cloud Sync with S3-compatible endpoint.
- Tusk: add B2, Wasabi, or R2 as a backup destination for project folders. BLAKE3 verification on upload.
- rclone: command-line sync for advanced users.
Tusk handles the creative workflow side: project folders, SD card ingest, file tracking across local drives and cloud. Arq handles whole-folder cloud archiving with version history. Use both if you want local project management and deep cloud version history.
FAQ
For storage alone, Backblaze B2 is cheapest at $6/TB/month with no minimum billing. Wasabi is $7.99/TB/month but requires a 1TB minimum ($7.99/month even for small amounts). Cloudflare R2 is $15/TB/month, the most expensive for storage. For egress-heavy workloads, Wasabi and R2 offer free downloads while B2 charges $0.01/GB beyond 3x your stored volume. B2 egress is free through Cloudflare CDN via the Bandwidth Alliance. For typical Mac backup (upload-heavy, download-rare), B2 wins on total cost.
Yes, with conditions. Wasabi doesn't charge egress fees, but their fair-use policy requires that monthly download volume doesn't exceed stored capacity (a 1:1 ratio), with a 100TB ceiling. If you store 2TB and download 3TB in a month, you may violate fair use. For backup workflows where you upload regularly and download occasionally for restore, this is rarely an issue. For serving files to many users, R2 or B2-with-Cloudflare-CDN may be safer.
B2 includes free egress up to 3 times your average stored data per month. Store 1TB, download up to 3TB free. Beyond that, egress costs $0.01/GB. Additionally, all egress is free when downloaded through Bandwidth Alliance partners (Cloudflare, Fastly, Bunny.net). Many users set up Cloudflare in front of B2 and pay zero egress regardless of download volume. Upload (Class A) operations are free.
Not directly. Time Machine requires a local or network volume, not S3 object storage. You can use B2 as a cloud destination for Synology Hyper Backup (which can target a Time Machine share on the NAS), Arq Backup, or Tusk. For simple whole-Mac cloud backup without managing buckets, Backblaze Personal ($99/year unlimited) is a separate product from B2 and much easier to set up.
Backblaze B2 for most NAS users. Synology Hyper Backup and QNAP Hybrid Backup Sync both support B2 natively. No minimum billing means you pay only for what you store. Wasabi works well above 1TB if your NAS backup job downloads frequently for restore testing. Configure lifecycle rules to avoid Wasabi's 90-day minimum retention penalty on files you rotate quickly. The [NAS backup workflow guide](/blog/nas-backup-workflow-mac) covers the full setup.