S3compare.io

Compare S3 storage pricing across major providers. Our detailed S3 comparison includes pricing, features, and performance ratings to help you choose the best cloud storage solution.

S3 Pricing Calculator

S3 Pricing And Feature Comparison

Provider Product $/TB/Mo Best for Price Rating Fair Use In/TB Out/TB1 Multiplier $/1K Write $/1K Read Regions Term SLA Steps
1 Varies by region. We are assuming a default region in US-West (or the providers default region).

Additional Information

What is S3 Storage?

S3 (Simple Storage Service) is a type of object storage originally developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It's designed to store and retrieve any amount of data from anywhere on the web. S3 storage is widely used for:

  • Backup and disaster recovery
  • Data archiving
  • Web hosting for static websites
  • Mobile and gaming applications
  • Big data analytics
  • Content distribution
  • Software delivery

Many cloud providers now offer S3-compatible storage services, allowing for greater flexibility and choice in the market.

What are the benefits of S3 Storage?

S3 storage offers several key benefits:

  • Optional encryption: Data can be encrypted at rest, providing an additional layer of security for sensitive information.
  • Scalability: S3 can store virtually unlimited amounts of data, scaling seamlessly as your needs grow.
  • HTTPS (encrypted transport): Data transfer to and from S3 storage can be encrypted using HTTPS, ensuring secure transmission over the internet.
  • Many S3 services are designed for extremely high durability, with some providers aiming for up to 99.999999999% (11 9's). This minimizes the risk of data loss, though exact figures may vary by provider.
  • Availability: Most S3 services offer high availability, typically 99.9%, some even higher.
  • Versatility: Can be used for a wide range of applications and integrates well with many services and tools.
  • Data management: Offers features like lifecycle policies, versioning, and access controls for better data management.

These benefits make S3 storage an attractive option for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, looking for reliable, scalable, and secure cloud storage solutions.

About This S3 Comparison

Our S3 pricing comparison uses a 5-star rating system based on average of factor ratings, weighted towards storage and outbound transfer costs and a fixed 1.5 star penalty for existing "fair-use" policies.

  • 5-star scale (5 is best, 1 is worst)
  • Factors considered:
    • Monthly storage cost ($/TB/Mo)
    • Outbound transfer cost (Out/TB)
    • Write operation cost ($/1K Write)
    • Read operation cost ($/1K Read)
  • Each factor rated from 1 to 5 stars based on cost
  • Overall rating:
    • Average of factor ratings
    • Weighted towards storage and outbound transfer costs
  • Fair Use penalty:
    • Subtract 1.5 stars for providers with strict fair use policies
  • Final rating rounded to nearest full star

Some providers offer fixed free egress independent of storage size from as low as 75GB to 1TB / month. We ignored those in our calculations and only consider multipliers.

The data is provided "as is" and was verified as of 2024-07. For the most up-to-date S3 pricing, please check the official websites of the providers listed. You can reach out or create a pull-request at our GitHub repo s3compare.io_data to supply updated data or additional providers anytime.

Understanding Storage Types

In our comparison, we've categorized storage offerings into general use cases to help you choose the most appropriate option:

  • Backup/Archive/Media Serving: These storage types typically offer:
    • Lower request rates
    • Larger object sizes
    • High throughput rates
    • Variable latency, depending on the specific service
  • General Purpose: These storage types are optimized for:
    • High request/operations performance
    • Frequent read/write operations
    • Low latency access times, many regions to choose from
    • High throughput rates
    • Versatility across a wide range of use cases
    • Optimized for demanding use-cases requiring consistent, high-performance access, which may be more expensive

Fair Use Policies

Some S3 storage providers implement "Fair Use" policies, which can significantly impact the actual cost and usability of their services. These policies often:

  • Set limits on data transfer, throughput or API requests that may not be immediately apparent from advertised pricing
  • Can change unexpectedly, potentially affecting your service costs and performance
  • May result in additional charges or reduced performance if exceeded
  • Are sometimes used as marketing tactics to advertise lower initial prices

In our comparison table, providers with fair use policies are marked in red. We also apply a penalty in our rating system for providers with strict fair use policies. When choosing a provider, carefully consider the implications of these policies on your specific use case and expected usage patterns.

How to Choose the Right S3 Provider

Selecting the ideal S3 provider involves considering factors such as pricing, performance, features, security, and region availability. Compare providers, understand their strengths, and align them with your specific storage requirements.