Backblaze b2 wordpress integration is the budget option that quietly outlasts every cheaper newcomer. B2 is S3 compatible, costs roughly one cent per gigabyte per month, and partners with Cloudflare for free egress. This is the practical setup.
The price story that keeps working
B2 charges roughly one cent per gigabyte per month for storage. Egress to the public internet is one cent per gigabyte, with a free monthly allowance. The Cloudflare Bandwidth Alliance partnership makes egress to Cloudflare free in full.
For a typical WordPress media library on B2 with Cloudflare in front, the bandwidth bill is zero.
S3 compatibility
B2 exposes an S3 compatible API alongside its own native B2 API. Most WordPress media offload plugins work with the S3 endpoint without special configuration.
If a plugin only supports the native B2 API, that is a sign to look at other plugins.
Setting it up
Create a B2 bucket. Generate an application key with read and write on that bucket. Note the S3 endpoint URL, key ID, and secret. Install Defyn Media Offload, choose S3 compatible mode, and paste in the three values. Set the CDN URL to your Cloudflare distribution hostname.
the Defyn Media Offload plugin treats B2 like any other S3 store. Bulk migration, srcset rewrites, and admin actions all work the same way.
Pairing B2 with Cloudflare
Sign up for Cloudflare. Add your domain. Create a worker or a page rule that forwards image requests to the B2 endpoint. Cloudflare caches the response at the edge. B2 egress to Cloudflare is free under the Bandwidth Alliance.
For most WordPress sites this single setup eliminates bandwidth costs entirely.
Who B2 suits
Sites where every dollar matters. Agencies running many small client sites. Independent publishers who want flat predictable costs. Backup focused workflows where the data is rarely read.
For high frequency reads with no Cloudflare in front, B2 egress fees can add up. Always pair it with a CDN.
Frequently asked questions
Is backblaze b2 wordpress reliable for production?
Yes. B2 has run production workloads for over a decade with strong durability and uptime guarantees.
Do I need the Bandwidth Alliance to make B2 work?
No, but it changes the economics. Without it, B2 egress is one cent per gigabyte over the free tier. With Cloudflare, zero.
Is B2 fast enough for image delivery?
Direct from B2 is acceptable but the CDN matters. With Cloudflare in front, edge cached images are as fast as any other provider.
Can I use B2 for video?
Yes. Cold storage style workflows where the file is occasionally requested are exactly B2 wheelhouse.
Related reading
- Wasabi vs S3 vs R2 comparison
- Cloudflare R2 setup
- Defyn Media Offload on WordPress.org – the plugin behind these techniques.
