Backup destinations

Backblaze B2

B2 is the price-per-GB pick for cold archive. It speaks S3 alongside its own native API. Use the S3-compatible endpoint for Tusk.

Backblaze B2 is the cheapest mainstream option for backup workloads. Storage runs about a fifth of AWS S3's per-gigabyte rate at the time of writing, with simpler pricing and no minimum-storage-duration penalty for the standard class. For raw footage that you might never download again, that math adds up fast.

B2 has its own native API, but it also exposes an S3-compatible endpoint. Tusk uses the S3 endpoint. The setup looks identical to AWS S3 in the Tusk form. Only the endpoint URL and the key format differ.

Create a bucket

Open the B2 console and sign in. If you don't have an account, B2 includes 10 GB of free storage so you can test the setup before paying.

Create a bucket

Click Create a Bucket. Name it something unique (B2 enforces global uniqueness, so prefix with something personal: tusk-yourname). Set the bucket to Private. Default encryption is fine. Click Create.

Note the bucket name and endpoint

On the bucket detail page, find the Endpoint field. It'll look like s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com. The 004part is your account's region cluster and may differ. Copy it exactly as shown.

Use the S3 endpoint, not the native B2 endpoint

B2 has two API endpoints: the native B2 API (api.backblazeb2.com) and the S3-compatible endpoint (s3.<cluster>.backblazeb2.com). Tusk uses the S3-compatible one. Always copy the endpoint shown on the bucket page, not from elsewhere.

Create an application key

B2's equivalent of an IAM user is an application key. Create one scoped to the bucket you just created so the key only has access to Tusk backups, not your entire account.

Open Application Keys

From the B2 console sidebar, click Application Keys.

Add a new key

Click Add a New Application Key. Name it tusk-backup. Restrict access to your Tusk bucket (pick it from the dropdown). Set Type of Access to Read and Write. Leave the file name prefix and duration empty.

Save the keyID and applicationKey

B2 shows the key once. Copy both the keyID and the applicationKey into your password manager immediately. The keyID is your S3 Access key ID; the applicationKey is your S3 Secret access key.

Connect Tusk

Add an S3 destination in Tusk

From the destination picker, choose S3-compatible. Fill in:

Endpoint URL: the S3 endpoint from your B2 bucket detail page (e.g. s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com)
Bucket: your B2 bucket name
Folder: a subfolder for this project
Access key ID: the B2 keyID
Secret access key: the B2 applicationKey

Test and save

Click Test connection. Tusk does a real PUT and GET against the bucket. If it passes, click Add destination. macOS may prompt for Keychain access.

AWS S3 →

The original. Same form, different endpoint and key style.

Cloudflare R2 →

Zero egress fees if you'll download backups often.

Choosing your destinations →

When B2 is the right call.

Cloudflare R2 →