Backup Storage Calculator

Summary

Enter your database size, backup schedule, retention window, and compression ratio to estimate total backup storage needed.

How it works

1. Enter your current database size (in MB, GB, or TB).
2. Set the full backup frequency — daily, weekly, or monthly.
3. Set the incremental backup frequency (hourly, daily, or none).
4. Enter your retention period in days for full and incremental backups.
5. Enter the compression ratio your backup tool achieves (e.g. 2 means 50% size reduction).
6. The calculator shows total uncompressed storage, compressed storage, and a tier breakdown.

Use cases

• Size a backup volume or NAS before provisioning.
• Estimate monthly S3/GCS/Azure Blob costs for backup retention.
• Compare storage impact of daily vs. weekly full backup schedules.
• Evaluate how much incremental backups add versus full backups alone.
• Plan storage capacity when migrating a backup strategy to a new DR site.
• Justify a longer or shorter retention window to stakeholders using concrete numbers.
• Check whether a 2:1 vs. 4:1 compression ratio meaningfully changes storage costs.
• Audit backup storage budget during annual infrastructure reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions