Cloud storage comes in three fundamental types - object, block, and file - each optimised for different use cases. Choosing the right type, configuring it securely, and optimising for cost are the three pillars of effective cloud storage management.
On this page
Object vs Block vs File Storage
| Type | Description | Best For | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Object | Flat namespace, HTTP access, massively scalable | Static assets, backups, data lakes, logs, media | S3 | Azure Blob Storage | Cloud Storage (GCS) |
| Block | Low-latency disk for VMs, like an attached drive | VM OS disks, databases, transactional workloads | EBS | Azure Managed Disks | Persistent Disk |
| File | Shared filesystem (NFS/SMB) | Shared app content, CMS media, lift & shift file servers | EFS / FSx | Azure Files | Filestore |
Object
- Description
- Flat namespace, HTTP access, massively scalable
- Best For
- Static assets, backups, data lakes, logs, media
- AWS
- S3
- Azure
- Azure Blob Storage
- GCP
- Cloud Storage (GCS)
Block
- Description
- Low-latency disk for VMs, like an attached drive
- Best For
- VM OS disks, databases, transactional workloads
- AWS
- EBS
- Azure
- Azure Managed Disks
- GCP
- Persistent Disk
File
- Description
- Shared filesystem (NFS/SMB)
- Best For
- Shared app content, CMS media, lift & shift file servers
- AWS
- EFS / FSx
- Azure
- Azure Files
- GCP
- Filestore
AWS S3 Security & Configuration Checklist
0/8 complete
S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Retrieval Time | Cost/GB/month (approx) | Min Storage Duration | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | Immediate (ms) | $0.023 | None | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | Immediate (ms) | $0.023 + monitoring fee | None | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Standard-IA | Immediate (ms) | $0.0125 | 30 days | Infrequently accessed, rapid retrieval needed |
| S3 One Zone-IA | Immediate (ms) | $0.01 | 30 days | Non-critical, reproducible infrequent data |
| S3 Glacier Instant | Immediate (ms) | $0.004 | 90 days | Archive with occasional instant access |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | Minutes to hours | $0.0036 | 90 days | Compliance archives, backups |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 12–48 hours | $0.00099 | 180 days | Long-term regulatory archives (cheapest S3 tier) |
S3 Standard
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.023
- Min Storage Duration
- None
- Best For
- Frequently accessed data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.023 + monitoring fee
- Min Storage Duration
- None
- Best For
- Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Standard-IA
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.0125
- Min Storage Duration
- 30 days
- Best For
- Infrequently accessed, rapid retrieval needed
S3 One Zone-IA
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.01
- Min Storage Duration
- 30 days
- Best For
- Non-critical, reproducible infrequent data
S3 Glacier Instant
- Retrieval Time
- Immediate (ms)
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.004
- Min Storage Duration
- 90 days
- Best For
- Archive with occasional instant access
S3 Glacier Flexible
- Retrieval Time
- Minutes to hours
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.0036
- Min Storage Duration
- 90 days
- Best For
- Compliance archives, backups
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
- Retrieval Time
- 12–48 hours
- Cost/GB/month (approx)
- $0.00099
- Min Storage Duration
- 180 days
- Best For
- Long-term regulatory archives (cheapest S3 tier)
What’s next?