diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/file_storage/backends/azure.py b/surfsense_backend/app/file_storage/backends/azure.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec59525e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/file_storage/backends/azure.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+"""Azure Blob Storage backend (the first production target)."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections.abc import AsyncIterator
+
+from app.file_storage.backends.base import StorageBackend
+
+
+class AzureBlobBackend(StorageBackend):
+    """Stores objects as blobs in an Azure Blob Storage container."""
+
+    backend_name = "azure"
+
+    def __init__(self, *, connection_string: str, container: str) -> None:
+        self._connection_string = connection_string
+        self._container = container
+
+    def _service(self):
+        from azure.storage.blob.aio import BlobServiceClient
+
+        return BlobServiceClient.from_connection_string(self._connection_string)
+
+    async def put(
+        self, key: str, data: bytes, *, content_type: str | None = None
+    ) -> None:
+        from azure.storage.blob import ContentSettings
+
+        settings = ContentSettings(content_type=content_type) if content_type else None
+        async with self._service() as service:
+            blob = service.get_blob_client(self._container, key)
+            await blob.upload_blob(data, overwrite=True, content_settings=settings)
+
+    async def open_stream(self, key: str) -> AsyncIterator[bytes]:
+        async with self._service() as service:
+            blob = service.get_blob_client(self._container, key)
+            downloader = await blob.download_blob()
+            async for chunk in downloader.chunks():
+                yield chunk
+
+    async def delete(self, key: str) -> None:
+        from azure.core.exceptions import ResourceNotFoundError
+
+        async with self._service() as service:
+            blob = service.get_blob_client(self._container, key)
+            try:
+                await blob.delete_blob()
+            except ResourceNotFoundError:
+                pass
+
+    async def exists(self, key: str) -> bool:
+        async with self._service() as service:
+            blob = service.get_blob_client(self._container, key)
+            return await blob.exists()
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/file_storage/backends/local.py b/surfsense_backend/app/file_storage/backends/local.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c55bd901a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/file_storage/backends/local.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+"""Local filesystem backend for development (no cloud credentials required)."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+from collections.abc import AsyncIterator
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from app.file_storage.backends.base import StorageBackend
+
+_CHUNK_SIZE = 1024 * 1024
+
+
+class LocalFileBackend(StorageBackend):
+    """Stores objects as files under a single root directory."""
+
+    backend_name = "local"
+
+    def __init__(self, root: str) -> None:
+        self._root = Path(root).resolve()
+
+    def _path_for(self, key: str) -> Path:
+        # Resolve and confirm the key stays inside the root to block traversal.
+        target = (self._root / key).resolve()
+        if self._root not in target.parents and target != self._root:
+            raise ValueError("Resolved storage key escapes the storage root")
+        return target
+
+    async def put(
+        self, key: str, data: bytes, *, content_type: str | None = None
+    ) -> None:
+        path = self._path_for(key)
+
+        def _write() -> None:
+            path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            path.write_bytes(data)
+
+        await asyncio.to_thread(_write)
+
+    async def open_stream(self, key: str) -> AsyncIterator[bytes]:
+        path = self._path_for(key)
+        handle = await asyncio.to_thread(path.open, "rb")
+        try:
+            while True:
+                chunk = await asyncio.to_thread(handle.read, _CHUNK_SIZE)
+                if not chunk:
+                    break
+                yield chunk
+        finally:
+            await asyncio.to_thread(handle.close)
+
+    async def delete(self, key: str) -> None:
+        path = self._path_for(key)
+
+        def _unlink() -> None:
+            try:
+                path.unlink()
+            except FileNotFoundError:
+                pass
+
+        await asyncio.to_thread(_unlink)
+
+    async def exists(self, key: str) -> bool:
+        return await asyncio.to_thread(self._path_for(key).exists)