Cost optimisation on wasabi


I’m about to start using duplicati with wasabi. I was wondering if there is an optimal configuration to reduce the costs, particularly “Timed Deleted Storage” fees. The files need to exist for 90 days in order to avoid fees.

The plan is to use this setup as a daily backup, for about 300GB


Hi Din,

I am using Wasabi with the “Smart backup retention” preset in Duplicati and pay a little over 8$/month for ~1.6TB.

People with Wasabi can correct me, but it sounds like it’s not exactly a fee, but 90 day minimum charge whether or not the file is deleted sooner. It does sound like early deletion might bill days remainder when delete happens because it’s known then, instead of spreading it out over months, but total amount is the same, so any deletion in 90 days is same total. The question is whether there’s a waste in early deletes.

I suppose one might say one wastes potential restores. If this were a simplistic backup system where a backup version was a full set of files, no point in deleting a set earlier, because amount due is the same.

Duplicati doesn’t work like that. It uploads changes to previous version, but over time, any of it obsoletes.
Compacting files at the backend runs when obsolete data (space waste) accumulates, and it has some controls. This is not time-based, but Backup retention on Options screen 5 can be, if you choose that.

Those (plus backup frequency which you’ve already decided on) are the controls you have to tune things.

Probably your goal should be to minimize total spend, but it’s complicated, and might be counter-intuitive, however possibly the no-reason-to-delete-versions-early holds true for Duplicati, just as it would normally.

You also don’t want to get hyper-active compacting, because that will cause a lot of download and upload that you aren’t charged for, but as files get compacted, the old ones get deleted, maybe invoking charges.

If you never compact, then the total space use will grow forever, which will also wind up getting expensive.
Possibly setting no-auto-compact and manually using Compact now button may cost less than automatic.

Because you are likely below the minimum of 1 TB Timed Active Storage, that variety is basically free, so you might seek benefit by using more of it, unlike someone who is past 1 TB so billed for additional use…

I suppose in the below-1-TB case it does look like more of an extra cost beyond the $5.99 active 1 TB fee.

1 Like

thank you both for your help.

Sorry, I’m still a little confused.

I too was recently hit with an extra fee from Wasabi for files that were deleted before 90-days. Based on @ts678’s reply, I’m not sure exactly what to do (if anything).

It would be nice if Duplicati had the ability to follow the Smart Auto Retention, but “Keep files for a Minimum Number of Days” Or a Smart Retention plus a minimum retention period.

Thanks for any assistance.


Welcome to the forum @s4zando

Let’s get some specifics about your backup size and rate of change from your backup log files in the Complete log version. What are usual values for “BytesUploaded” and “KnownFileSize” (can vary)?
What Backup retention are you using, and how often are backups run?

This would say whether you’re in the “doesn’t matter” range that I’m theorizing exists when past 1 TB. There’s also a low-use range where the Wasabi 1 TB minimum timed active storage charge will hurt.
There are other storage vendors without a minimum. Backblaze has none, but charges for download.

How does Wasabi’s monthly minimum storage charge work? shows why I think 1 TB is a special size.
How does Wasabi’s minimum storage duration policy work? shows why past 1 TB you pay either way.
Anybody who actually uses Wasabi (or is willing to ask them), feel free to correct, if I misunderstand…


Smart backup retention is identical to Custom backup retention of 1W:1D,4W:1W,12M:1M which progressively thins out backups as versions age, by deleting versions that are too close to each other, however earlier deletions, e.g. down to one per 7 days between the end of first week and end of fourth, probably don’t benefit you because you are stuck with a 90 day minimum retention. You could try using
90D:U,12M:1M to say unlimited versions for 90 days, but lots of versions can also slow down Duplicati.