Top 10 AWS S3-Compatible Cloud Storage Services: Features, Pricing, and Best Value Options

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In the ever-evolving landscape of cloud computing, data storage stands as a critical component for businesses of all sizes. The rise of cloud storage solutions has revolutionized how data is stored, accessed, and managed, offering flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. Among these solutions, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Simple Storage Service (S3) has emerged as an industry standard, known for its robustness, reliability, and extensive feature set. Its widespread adoption has led to the emergence of a variety of AWS S3-compatible cloud storage services, offering similar functionalities with different pricing models, performance metrics, and additional features.

These AWS S3-compatible services provide an interface and API compatibility with AWS S3, making them attractive options for those looking for alternatives to Amazon’s offering. Whether it’s for reasons of cost, geographical availability, specific feature requirements, or vendor diversification, these services have gained significant traction in the market. In this article, we delve into the top 10 AWS S3-compatible cloud storage services, offering a detailed analysis of their features, use cases, pricing structures, and unique advantages. This comprehensive overview aims to guide IT professionals, cloud architects, and business decision-makers in selecting the most suitable cloud storage solution that aligns with their specific needs and objectives.

Top 10 AWS S3 Compatible Cloud Storage Other Than Amazon

1. Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage

Overview

Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage is a cloud object storage service that offers a single, simple-to-understand pricing model. It’s known for its high performance and low cost, with a focus on providing an affordable and efficient cloud storage solution.

Features

  • High Performance: Delivers faster data retrieval and storage capabilities.
  • Data Immunity: Offers immutable storage, protecting against accidental deletions and ransomware.
  • No Egress Fees: Unlike many cloud providers, Wasabi does not charge for data egress.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies management and accessibility of data.

Use Cases

  • Data Backup and Archival: Ideal for businesses needing affordable storage for large amounts of data.
  • Media and Entertainment: Used for storing large media files due to its high-speed performance.
  • Surveillance: Suitable for storing large volumes of surveillance video due to cost-effectiveness.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

Wasabi provides unlimited data egress, but it has a fair use policy that expects usage not to exceed a certain percentage of your storage volume. For example, if you have 5TB of data stored, you can use 5TB of bandwidth.

Pricing

Wasabi offers a flat-rate pricing structure, charging $6.99 TB/month, with no additional fees for data egress or API requests. You may get a further discount if you need a good amount of storage for longer-term

2. Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage (Check the Update in the End, Free Bandwidth is tricky)

Overview

Backblaze B2 is a high-performance cloud storage service that stands out for its simplicity and competitive pricing. It’s designed to be accessible for both individual users and businesses.

Features

  • Straightforward Pricing: One of the most transparent pricing models in the market.
  • Large Ecosystem of Integrated Apps: Wide range of integrations with popular third-party applications and services.
  • No Egress Fees with Cloudflare: Partnership with Cloudflare offers free egress.
  • Easy to Use: Known for its user-friendly interface.

Use Cases

  • Backup Solutions: Ideal for individuals and businesses looking for cost-effective backup solutions.
  • Content Delivery and Hosting: Used by content creators and web hosts due to its integration with Cloudflare.
  • Media Storage: Suitable for storing large media files, given its affordable pricing.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

Backblaze B2 offers 3x of your stored content bandwidth for free. Beyond that, there are charges, unless the traffic is going through Cloudflare/Fastly/Bunny CDN due to their partnership.

  • $6 TB/Month
  • Free Bandwidth (3x of Storage, 1TB Data = 3TB Free), then $0.01/GB
  • Unlimited Free Bandwidth when used with Cloudflare/Bunny CDN/Fastly
  • 1Transactions of Class A: No cost.
  • Transactions of Class B: Charged at $0.004 for every 10,000, with a daily allowance of 2,500 free transactions.
  • Transactions of Class C: Charged at $0.004 for every 1,000, with a daily allowance of 2,500 free

Pricing

Pricing is based on the amount of storage used and the amount of data downloaded (egress). They offer a low per-GB cost for storage and a separate cost for data egress.

3. DigitalOcean Spaces

Overview

DigitalOcean Spaces is a cloud storage solution designed for simplicity and ease of use, primarily catering to developers, startups, and small to medium-sized businesses. It provides an environment that seamlessly integrates with other DigitalOcean services.

Features

  • S3 Compatibility: Offers an interface similar to S3, making migration and management easier for those familiar with AWS.
  • Built-in CDN: Comes with a content delivery network (CDN) for faster content distribution.
  • Scalable Storage: Users can easily scale their storage requirements.
  • Security Features: Includes secure data transfer and storage capabilities.

Use Cases

  • Web Asset Hosting: Ideal for hosting web assets like images, stylesheets, and scripts due to its CDN integration.
  • Backup Storage: Suitable for businesses looking for scalable backup solutions.
  • Application Data Storage: Commonly used by developers for storing application-related data.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

Spaces comes with a set amount of free outbound data transfer, after which charges apply. The transfer limit varies depending on the plan and region.

Pricing

DigitalOcean Spaces charges a flat rate per month for a specific storage and transfer limit, with additional costs for extra storage or bandwidth usage.

  • $5 Per month for 250GB of Storage and 1TB of Bandwidth
  • Addition Storage $0.02/GB
  • Beyond 1TB Data Transfer $0.01/GB

4. MinIO

Overview

MinIO is an open-source object storage server that is highly scalable and compatible with the Amazon S3 cloud storage service. It is designed for high-performance workloads and is popular in the enterprise sector.

Features

  • High Performance: Optimized for speed, making it suitable for demanding applications.
  • Scalability: Can handle petabytes of data and millions of read/write operations per second.
  • Security: Strong security features including encryption, identity and access management.
  • Developer-Friendly: Offers a wide range of SDKs and APIs for easy integration.

Use Cases

  • Big Data Analytics: Used for storing large datasets in analytics and data processing workflows.
  • Machine Learning and AI: Serves as a storage solution for AI and ML models and datasets.
  • Private Cloud Storage: Ideal for enterprises looking to build private, S3-compatible cloud storage.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

Being self-hosted, bandwidth limitations are dependent on the user’s infrastructure and network capabilities.

Pricing

As an open-source solution, MinIO itself does not have a direct cost, but running it in an environment (like on-premises or cloud) incurs costs related to the infrastructure used. You can contact them to get a quote or set up on your own with the help of their documentation.

5. Scality RING

Overview

Scality RING is an enterprise-level, software-defined storage solution designed for large-scale data storage and management. It is known for its durability, high availability, and scalability.

Features

  • Highly Scalable: Efficiently handles petabytes of data and billions of objects.
  • Multi-Cloud Capabilities: Offers seamless integration with multiple public clouds.
  • Data Durability: Ensures high data durability and protection against hardware failures.
  • Performance: Optimized for high-throughput and low-latency operations.

Use Cases

  • Large-Scale Data Storage: Ideal for enterprises with vast amounts of data, such as in media, healthcare, and finance sectors.
  • Data Backup and Disaster Recovery: Used for robust and scalable backup solutions.
  • Hybrid Cloud Deployments: Suitable for organizations implementing hybrid cloud strategies.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

  • The bandwidth and performance are largely dependent on the deployment environment and hardware.

Pricing

  • Scality RING is typically priced based on the software license, which can vary depending on the deployment size and configuration. You need to contact them for details on pricing.

6. Cloudian HyperStore

Overview

Cloudian HyperStore is an enterprise-grade storage solution that provides scalability, flexibility, and S3 compatibility. It’s designed for efficient data management and storage.

Features

  • Unlimited Scalability: Can scale from just a few terabytes to hundreds of petabytes.
  • Data Durability: Offers robust data protection and high durability.
  • Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Support: Enables data storage and management across various cloud environments.
  • Customizable Metadata: Supports rich custom metadata, enhancing data searchability and management.

Use Cases

  • Data Archiving and Long-Term Storage: Suitable for industries needing long-term storage of large datasets.
  • Big Data Analytics: Used by organizations to store and manage big data.
  • Multi-Cloud Data Management: Ideal for businesses implementing multi-cloud strategies.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

  • Bandwidth and access speeds depend on the underlying infrastructure and network.

Pricing

  • Pricing for Cloudian HyperStore is generally based on the capacity used and can vary depending on the specific deployment and configuration requirements. You need to contact them for pricing details.

7. Ceph Storage

Overview

Ceph is an open-source storage platform that provides scalable object, block, and file storage. It’s known for its high scalability and reliability, making it a popular choice for large-scale storage environments.

Features

  • High Scalability and Flexibility: Ideal for environments where scalability and flexibility are critical.
  • Self-Healing and Self-Managing: Ceph can automatically manage and heal itself, reducing the need for manual intervention.
  • Robust Data Protection: Provides redundancy and resiliency to protect data.
  • Open Source: Allows for customization and integration with a variety of applications.

Use Cases

  • Cloud and Virtualization Storage: Commonly used for storing data in cloud and virtualized environments.
  • Large-Scale Data Archival: Suitable for enterprises needing scalable and resilient storage for large data archives.
  • Big Data Applications: Used in big data applications due to its high scalability.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

As a self-hosted solution, bandwidth and performance are dependent on the user’s own infrastructure and network setup.

Pricing

Being open-source, Ceph itself is free. However, operational costs such as hardware, maintenance, and potentially support services should be considered. You can set up your own or get one from those who usage Ceph Storage infrastructure.

8. Dell EMC ECS (Elastic Cloud Storage)

Overview

Dell EMC ECS is a cloud-scale object storage platform designed for both traditional and next-generation workloads. It provides a scalable and flexible solution with enterprise-grade capabilities.

Features

  • Enterprise-Level Scalability: Supports large-scale storage requirements with ease.
  • Multi-Purpose Storage: Suitable for a variety of workloads, including object, file, and HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System) storage.
  • Data Security and Compliance: Offers robust security features and compliance capabilities.
  • Efficient Storage Management: Provides advanced management features for handling large volumes of data.

Use Cases

  • Content Repositories and Archives: Ideal for storing large content repositories and archives.
  • IoT and Big Data Storage: Suitable for IoT and big data workloads due to its scalability and flexibility.
  • Cloud-Native Applications: Supports storage for cloud-native applications.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

  • Bandwidth and throughput capabilities depend on the specific hardware and network infrastructure used in the deployment.

Pricing

  • Dell EMC ECS pricing is typically based on the storage capacity required, along with any additional features or services.

9. NetApp StorageGRID

Overview

NetApp StorageGRID is an object storage solution designed for handling large-scale unstructured data with high durability and availability. It is tailored for enterprises requiring extensive data storage and management capabilities.

Features

  • Scalable and Flexible: Supports massive scalability, ideal for large data sets.
  • Policy-Based Data Management: Enables users to create policies for data lifecycle management.
  • Geo-Distributed Architecture: Offers a geo-distributed architecture for improved data availability and protection.
  • Multi-Tenancy Support: Suitable for environments requiring multi-tenancy capabilities.

Use Cases

  • Media and Entertainment: For managing large media and video files.
  • Healthcare Data Management: Storing and managing large-scale medical images and records.
  • Backup and Archival: Reliable solution for backup and long-term data archival.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

Performance and bandwidth depend on the deployment’s configuration, including hardware and network infrastructure.

Pricing

NetApp StorageGRID pricing typically depends on the storage capacity and the specific configuration tailored to organizational needs.

10. Riak S2

Overview

Riak S2 (formerly known as Riak CS) is an object storage system designed for high availability, ease of use, and scalability. It provides S3-compatible storage and is suitable for a variety of use cases, especially in distributed systems.

Features

  • Highly Available and Fault Tolerant: Designed to ensure data is always available, even in the event of hardware failures.
  • Scalable Architecture: Can handle large amounts of data and user requests.
  • S3 API Compatibility: Fully compatible with the S3 API, making it easier for users familiar with AWS S3.
  • Simplified Data Management: Offers a straightforward approach to storing and managing data.

Use Cases

  • Content Delivery and Storage: Ideal for content delivery networks and storage of large media files.
  • Backup and Recovery: Used for backup solutions due to its reliability and scalability.
  • Big Data Applications: Suitable for big data applications requiring high availability and scalability.

Bandwidth Limitations/Terms

Riak S2’s performance and bandwidth are largely dictated by the underlying infrastructure it is deployed on.

Pricing

As an open-source solution, Riak S2 itself does not have a direct cost. Operational expenses would include the infrastructure and any support services used.

Backblaze B2 as the Cheapest Option with Cloudflare (Rather Try Contabo’s Object Storage)

Update:

I tested Backblaze B2, but they seem to be charging for Download while using Cloudflare. So, their system is bugged or they are lying. I mailed them asking about the issue but was informed that I had been charged for Download, but I was sure it never happened. Out of the free 3TB, I can’t believe to downloaded anything more than 200 GB. The traffic always went through Cloudflare just to serve static content which was supposed to be free. So, I won’t recommend if you are looking for free traffic. Rather, try

Contabo’s AWS S3-Based Object Storage With Unlimited Bandwidth

Contabo has a fixed pricing of $2.99 per 250GB + Your country-based Based Tax (if any). It doesn’t have any Bandwidth Charges or Transaction Based Charges Like Cloudflare. So you are charged just for Storage and you can download and upload without thinking about Bandwidth and Transactions.

Overview

Backblaze B2 stands out as the most cost-effective option among these services, especially when used in conjunction with a free Cloudflare account. This combination offers significant savings on data egress costs.

Key Points

  • Free Egress with Cloudflare: Backblaze B2’s partnership with Cloudflare allows for free egress to Cloudflare’s network, which can lead to substantial cost reductions, particularly for use cases with high outbound traffic.
  • Competitive Storage Pricing: Backblaze B2’s storage costs are among the lowest in the market, making it an attractive option for cost-conscious users.
  • Simple Pricing Structure: With a straightforward pricing model, users can easily understand and predict their costs.

This combination of low storage costs and free egress when used with Cloudflare makes Backblaze B2 an ideal choice for a wide range of users, from individual developers and small businesses to large enterprises looking to optimize their cloud storage expenses.