Examined Sep 25, 2026 Paid in backup time, not cash First-ever accounts only A Backblaze invite link gives a new customer a free month of backup where the standard trial is 15 days, but anyone who has ever had a Backblaze account, even an expired trial, cannot be referred.
Without a link, the Terms of Service say: “Backblaze offers a free fifteen (15)-day trial for our new Computer Backup customers.” The comparison is ours, not Backblaze's: the link is worth about two extra weeks of free backup.
What pays what
| A brand-new customer, through a customer's invite link | 1 month free |
|---|---|
| A brand-new Computer Backup customer, no link | 15-day free trial |
| A link from a customer on a trial, a prepaid code or a Business Group | Not eligible |
| A friend with an existing, expired, canceled or former account | Nothing |
…the system is designed to be used to refer Backblaze to brand-new customers only.
Do this, in this order
- Check your own history first. Search your email for an old Backblaze sign-up. An existing, expired, canceled or former account of any type cannot be referred, and the FAQ names expired trials.
- Sign up through an invite link. The one on this page works. Backblaze pays the free month only on accounts opened through a customer's invite link, and it allows public sharing: “You can send that link to friends or post it on Facebook, Twitter, or any web site.”
- Expect to hear from Backblaze. The customer can also email you an invite from their dashboard. Either way, the FAQ says: “If you refer a friend to Backblaze, we will contact your referred friend to determine whether your friend consents to us contacting them.”
- Pick the plan with the refund rule in mind. A monthly plan can be canceled at any time but is never refunded. A 1-year or 2-year plan can be refunded in full up to 30 days after subscribing. The free period is the only test a monthly subscriber gets.
- Decide before the free period ends. The Terms of Service say: “If you do not provide payment after the trial period, we will remove any data you provided and terminate your account.” A backup you stop paying for is not an archive.
- Note the renewal date. Subscriptions renew automatically at the then-current list price, for a term equal to the one expiring. To cancel, you sign in and delete all Computers and Licenses yourself; the refunds policy says support representatives cannot cancel on your behalf. A disputed charge must be raised within 45 days of the charge.
Refunds depend on the plan you pick
Monthly plans. “The free trial is designed to let you experience the service. If you sign up for a monthly subscription, you are welcome to cancel at any time, but we cannot issue any refunds.”
Lapsed payments. If a renewal cannot be billed, the computers on the account stop backing up, and the policy adds: “Continued non-payment will result in your backed up files being deleted.” The Terms of Service say all payments are non-refundable unless the Payments and Refunds page says otherwise, and they include binding arbitration and a class action waiver.
Where Backblaze's pages disagree, and what they leave out
A month-long trial, or a free month after you buy? The Refer a Friend page says: “Your friend gets a free month trial of Backblaze.” The FAQ says: “Once your friend purchases, they will receive one free month of Backblaze”. Those read differently, and no terms document settles it. The Terms of Service, effective April 16, 2026, never mention the program.
The price. Backblaze's pricing page lists Personal backup at $9 a month, $99 a year or $189 for two years.
Whether the trial asks for a card, and how long it lasts. The terms say payment requirements at sign-up are as specified on the sign-up page or the Payments and Refunds page. That policy, which carries the line “Last updated: February 12, 2020”, does not say, and we could not read the sign-up page. The terms also let Backblaze “modify, shorten, extend, or discontinue any trial period at any time in its sole discretion, with or without notice.” No end date is published for the referral program.
Is it worth your time?
Yes, if you qualify, because it asks for nothing beyond using a link. A month shows you more of the service than 15 days does. In money it is small: a month is $9 at the monthly price on Backblaze's pricing page.
The decisions that matter come after. A monthly plan has no refund at all, a longer plan has 30 days, and a renewal is charged at whatever the list price is on that date. If you have had an account before, skip the link and look at the price instead.
