BorgBase vs Backblaze B2
BorgBase is a European alternative to Backblaze B2 — same cloud & hosting use case, built under EU data-protection law.
By the EU Alternatives team Last updated
Host Borg and Restic backup repositories with append-only protection, monitoring, and alerts — starting at 10 GB free, with EU or US datacenter choice.
- Jurisdiction
- EU / EEA
- GDPR by default
- Yes
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- No
- Open source
- No
- Free tier
- Yes
Backblaze B2 by Backblaze.
- Jurisdiction
- US
- GDPR by default
- Requires DPA + TIA
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- Yes
About BorgBase
BorgBase is a Maltese-registered backup hosting service built specifically for Borg and Restic — the two most widely used deduplicated, encrypted backup tools for Linux and macOS. Backups are encrypted client-side before any data leaves your machine, and append-only mode prevents any process — including ransomware — from modifying or deleting existing archives.
Each repository gets continuous monitoring: if a backup hasn't run within the configured window, BorgBase triggers alerts via email, Pushover, or webhook. A clean REST API automates repository provisioning for infrastructure-as-code workflows. Native support for Borgmatic, Vorta, and Pika Backup integrates the broader ecosystem without glue code.
Key benefits:
- Borg and Restic repository hosting — the leading open-source deduplicated backup tools
- Client-side encryption — the server never has access to backup data
- Append-only mode to protect archives from ransomware or accidental deletion
- Backup monitoring with configurable alerts via email, Pushover, or webhooks
- Deduplication and compression to reduce storage footprint and transfer time
- REST API for automating repository creation and SSH key management
- 10 GB permanently free — no credit card required
- Choice of EU or US datacenter for latency and data residency requirements
BorgBase is operated by Peakford Ltd, headquartered in Naxxar, Malta — an EU member state. The service is fully GDPR-compliant, and customers using EU datacenter options keep all backup data within European jurisdiction. Technical support comes directly from active maintainers of the Borg ecosystem.
Ideal for system administrators, self-hosters, and developers who need reliable encrypted offsite backups with transparent pricing and no proprietary lock-in.
Why choose BorgBase over Backblaze B2?
The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. Backblaze B2 is headquartered in US, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes — the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.
BorgBase removes that overhead. As a Malta-based provider, it operates natively under GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors — health, public administration, finance — that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single non-EU jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.