Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is a highly scalable object storage service offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It provides scalable, durable, and secure cloud storage for virtually any type of data or application making it a popular choice for individuals, businesses, and organisations of all sizes seeking a flexible cloud storage solution.
Whilst Amazon S3 cloud storage is without any doubt a great solution for storing data safely in the cloud, there might be times when a better value alternative is required. Such alternatives could include the provision of cloud storage for a lower overall cost, lower data transfer fees, increased data security and redundancy alongside various other provider specific features such as easy integration with products such as VPS servers or CDN networks.
Whatever your reasons for seeking alternatives beyond the official Amazon AWS S3 service are, this guide will hopefully help in both solidifying these reasons to seek an alternative before showcasing 10 of my favourite Amazon S3 alternatives – vamos.
As well as S3 compatible cloud storage, if you arelooking for S3 compatible backup software then be sure to check out our guide to the best AWS S3 compatible backup software.
Why Choose S3 Compatible Storage?
Amazon’s S3 cloud storage service has become very popular across both individual and business users over the years since its launch. A big part of this success coming down to the high levels of security, resiliency and redundancy provided by the service and how easily these features can be accessed without the need to invest in additional physical hardware.
Top 5 Amazon S3 Alternatives:
Below is a quick look at the top 5 Amazon S3 alternatives as are mentioned in this guide, scroll down further for the full and detailed list of Amazon S3 compatible alternatives.
| Provider | Solution | Pricing | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Backblaze B2 | From $0.006 / GB | |
| 2 |
 |
iDrive e2 | From $0.004 / GB | |
| 3 |
 |
Cloudflare R2 | From $0.015 / GB | |
| 4 |
 |
Hot Cloud Storage | From $6.99 / TB | |
| 5 |
 |
Spaces | From $5 / 250GB |
Not only does Amazon S3 offer a great service to business and enterprise users, but with (virtually) unlimited cloud storage available on-tap alongside many advanced data protection features (including file versioning, data immutability and file locking functionality), Amazon S3 has also become a popular service for backing-up data and is now integrated into several leading backup solutions.
NB – For more information on choosing an S3 compatible backup solution, be sure to check out my specialist guide to S3 compatible backup software.
Another great reason for considering Amazon S3 or S3 compatible cloud storage is that such services are often readily available, on demand, without the need to pre-plan or pre-purchase services in anticipation of their use. This availability and flexibility mean that anyone looking for cost effective cloud storage which is only billed based upon what is actually used (alongside the other great benefits already mentioned above) should definitely consider S3 storage (or an S3 compatible service) as a cloud storage solution.
NB – Although both AWS S3 and many other S3 compatible storage providers support a web-based file manager for accessing and managing cloud storage, addition software supporting the S3 protocols will usually be highly beneficial in taking full advantage of the service.
Why Consider S3 Compatible Alternatives?
So far, we have established that Amazon’s S3 cloud storage is a leading object storage service which brings many benefits to the cloud storage space for both individual and business users alike. In no particular order, here are some of the main reasons you might want to consider an alternative to the official Amazon AWS S3 service.
1) Lower data storage, egress and ingress costs
Whilst the official AWS S3 service is very competitive on price (especially so given it is priced on demand and that no additional hardware purchases are required), there are now a number of S3 compatible service providers looking to offer a similar service at a much lower overall cost.
Whilst the cost of the service isn’t everything, if you are happy to use an S3 compatible service which might not have the full range of functionality available from the official Amazon S3 service, then such storage could be obtained at a much lower cost. For example, my current favourite S3 compatible choice, Backblaze B2, offers S3 compatible storage at approximately 76% less cost (and with approximately 80% lower data egress costs) versus the official AWS S3 service.
NB – Be careful when purchasing S3 alternatives based only on cost alone. Whilst some provides might quote a lower “per GB” cost, this is sometimes based upon purchasing a minimum allocation of storage per month of between 250GB to 1TB (meaning it could still be cheaper to use the official S3 service which has no such minimums).
2) Ease of use
Whilst the official Amazon S3 service is undoubtedly very powerful, the sheer number of features and configuration options available could make configuring the official S3 storage service a daunting task, especially so for individual or small business users who don’t have easy access to professional IT support.
With this in mind, many S3 compatible services (often by virtue of such services offering less functionality than AWS do overall) tend to have easier to understand user interfaces and this can, in-turn, often make the process of setting up such storage considerably easier. One relative newcomer to the S3 compatible market space, iDrive e2, which I have previously tested for this site is particularly impressive in this regard, not only for its low overall storage costs, but also for how easy and accessible they make S3 compatible storage to configure and use.
3) Integration with other services
Whilst Amazon S3 is a comprehensive cloud storage service in and of itself, it might often be the case that individual or business users are already making use of another cloud provider yet still require an S3 compatible cloud storage service. In cases such as these, it might be worth considering alternative S3 compatible services from other cloud providers already in-use given the additional integration options this could provide (as well as the time saving realised when only having to deal with a single company for any issues relating to billing and support).
A great example of this integration is via the Spaces S3 compatible storage service from virtual server specialists, DigitalOcean. Not only is the Spaces service a great S3 compatible service in and of itself, but by being integrated into the DigitalOcean ecosystem it naturally becomes a great choice for any individuals or business already making use of DigitalOcean and their connected cloud services.
Amazon S3 Compatible Alternatives - FAQs
S3 compatibility simply refers to the cloud storage in question supporting the official Amazon S3 APIs and protocols. Such object storage should naturally be compatible with any applications or services already making use of Amazon S3 compatible cloud storage via either Amazon AWS themselves or via another S3 compatible provider.
S3 compatible services store data within objects, which are files or groups of files stored within logical containers referred to as “buckets”. Users can access these objects using a unique URL or through the various S3 SDKs, APIs and protocols which have been made available for doing so. Access to these objects can also be controlled using specialist and highly granular security policies making S3 compatible storage a very reliable and secure cloud storage solution.
Whilst it is important to note that prices are always subject to change and new providers can come and go, two of the best value S3 compatible alternatives as of the time of publishing this guide are iDrive e2 at $0.004 per GB, per month with Backblaze B2 close behind at just $0.006 per GB, per month.
Yes, in-fact, if you are willing to forgo some of the niceties found in more traditional cloud backup software then making use of an S3 compatible service can help to prove one of the most cost-effective methods for creating cloud backups. Be sure to check out my guide to S3 compatible backup software for some more information on backup software products currently supporting the S3 protocols.
Yes, cloud storage aside and one of the many additional benefits of the official Amazon S3 cloud storage service is that it can also be configured to store and host static websites from within. Whilst this offering might be suitable for simple, static websites, it should be noted that this setup will most likely not be suitable for many larger web applications including ecommerce solutions and CMS systems such as WordPress amongst other similar database driven solutions.
Yes, some very well-known cloud providers are already offering some very generous allocations of S3 compatible cloud storage for free. Without aiming to list every possible option, some notable provides offering free-to-use S3 compatible storage include Backblaze B2 (10GB free), Cloudflare R2 (10GB free) and iDrive e2 (10GB free) amongst various others.
The Best S3 Compatible Alternatives of 2024
In this section I will be listing 10 top-rated Amazon S3 compatible cloud storage services. These are services which both make use of the Amazon S3 cloud storage protocols as well as offering similar levels of flexibility, security and adaptability to that of the official Amazon S3 object storage service itself.
Remember, any ratings for the services mentioned below reflect my own opinions and are intended only for use as a guide. Also note that that the services with the highest ratings might not necessarily be the best for you own personal or business requirements, so be sure to check out several choices and always try to make use of any free trials, whenever possible, before making any purchases.
1) Backblaze B2
Backblaze B2 is a top-rated S3 compatible cloud storage service from cloud storage specialists, Backblaze. A service which focuses on cost-effectiveness and simplicity, while it differs from the official AWS S3 service in some core features, its S3 compatibility makes it an attractive option for users already familiar with the S3 storage protocols.
By offering a fully S3 compatible cloud storage service alongside a choice of datacentres in both the USA and the EU region, strong security, enhanced data reliability, command line tools plus bucket versioning and data immutability policies amongst many other useful features, B2 becomes a serious competitor to the original Amazon S3 service. Furthermore, with storage pricing starting at just $0.006 per GB per month (and with no data egress fees payable), Backblaze B2 provides a solid S3 compatible alternative for approximately 76% lower cost than the standard Amazon S3 offering.
Backblaze B2 therefore offers a compelling alternative to the official AWS S3 service for users looking for cost-effective, S3-compatible cloud storage. Its lower costs, lack of egress fees, and easy-to-use interface make it a strong choice for data archiving, backups, and other less frequent data access needs. If you do, however, require advanced features or integration with other AWS services then the official AWS S3 service might still remain a better fit.
Backblaze also offer all users a free 10GB allocation of B2 compatible storage to try the service out for themselves, more information on the service and its full pricing structure can be found at the official Backblaze website.
- S3 Compatible storage
- Web-based file browser
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Immutable storage
- 10GB Free account
- From $0.006 per GB
2) iDrive e2
IDrive e2 is a cloud storage service from iDrive that primarily focuses on scalability, security, and performance. Like my top choice just above (Backblaze B2), iDrive e2 also boasts strong S3 compatibility, making it a great alternative for users already familiar with the official Amazon S3 protocols.
iDrive have for a long time offered a solid cloud backup solution which has become well-known for its large allocations of cloud storage combined with a very competitive pricing scheme (as well as being very easy to use as well). When iDrive launched their new e2 could storage service back in 2022 I was, naturally, very eager to have a look at it and see how it fared as an AWS S3 compatible option (click to read my full iDrive e2 review).
With cloud storage costs from just $0.004 per GB, per month (up to 80% lower than the standard Amazon S3 offering), no additional fees for data ingress and egress plus the ability to save even more by taking advantage of pre-paid annual plans, iDrive e2 is already proving itself as one of the cheapest S3 alternatives in the market. Add into the mix some additional features including multi-factor authentication, advanced user permission policies, bucket versioning and locking rules plus the choice of up to 9 datacentres across both the USA and EU and it soon becomes clear that iDrive e2 is a very serious S3 alternative.
iDrive offer all new users a free 10GB allocation of e2 cloud storage, this is a great way to try the service out for yourself before committing to any further purchases. More details on e2 pricing and the full range of functionality on offer can be found at the official iDrive e2 website.
- S3 Compatible
- Web-based file browser
- Encryption available
- Immutable storage
- 10GB Free account
- From $0.004 per GB
3) Cloudflare R2
With a very generous 10GB free tier, zero data ingress and egress fees, strong data durability, scalability and automatic migration from other S3 compatible services, R2 has positioned itself very well as a leading Amazon S3 compatible alternative.
With a very generous 10GB free tier, zero fees for data ingress and egress and pricing of just $0.015 per GB, per month thereafter (plus some small charges per certain API operations), Cloudflare R2 sits as a price competitive alternative to the official Amazon S3 object storage service.
The S3 compatible service itself provides an impressive 99.999999999% durability figure alongside many other great scalability, reliability and performance metrics. The service also provides enhanced integration with other Cloudflare products and services including the Cloudflare CDN, Cloudflare Workers and the Cloudflare automated object storage migration service amongst various other related storage features.
A very generous 10GB free account is offered by Cloudflare to all new customers, more information on this free allocation of S3 compatible object storage plus the ongoing R2 pricing options can be found at the official Cloudflare R2 website.
- S3 Compatible storage
- Zero egress fees
- Historic file versions
- Developer API
- 10GB Free account
- From $0.015 per GB
4) Wasabi
Wasabi provide 100% S3 compatible cloud storage with a specialist focus on storing “hot” data – that is frequently accessed files, applications and media. Unlike many other S3 compatible competitors primarily catering to cold storage or offering a one-size-fits-all approach, Wasabi have tailored their infrastructure and pricing for low latency and active data use whilst also allowing their customers to benefit from enhanced levels of data security in the process.
Whilst Wasabi data storage fees are actually slightly higher than both Backblaze B2 and iDrive e2 at $0.0069 per GB, per month (80% cheaper than AWS S3), Wasabi do not charge any data egress fees, have no API request fees and also provide customers with the ability to save additional money by pre-purchasing allocations of storage in advance. Pricing aside and Wasabi claim to provide S3 compatible storage with “11×9’s” durability, full data centre redundancy and strong cloud security and anti-ransomware protection amongst many other useful cloud storage features which this excellent cloud storage service has on offer.
Wasabi offer all users a 30-day free trial of the service (with 1TB of storage included). More information on this free trial as well as the cloud storage service itself and the various pricing options can be found at the official Wasabi website.
- S3 Compatible storage
- High resiliency (11x9)
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Immutable storage
- 30-Day free trial
- From $5.99 per 1TB
5) DigitalOcean Spaces
DigitalOcean Spaces stands out as an S3 compatible object storage service built by the popular cloud server platform, DigitalOcean. The key focus of Spaces lies in its simplicity, affordability, and seamless integration with existing DigitalOcean services plus any other S3 compatible workflows.
With Spaces pricing starting at just $5 per month for each 250GB allocation of storage (equivalent to $0.02 per GB, per month) and just $0.002 per additional GB stored thereafter (plus transfer fees of $0.01 per GB to also consider), DigitalOcean Spaces remains a highly price competitive S3 alternative.
The real value in the Spaces service, however, comes for the many developer-orientated features and tools integrated into the service by DigitalOcean by default. This includes a built-in CDN service which is delivered in partnership with CDN specialists Cloudflare, a specialist developer API, HTTPS enabled by default, an enhanced web-based file explorer plus the choice of up to 5 geographical datacentres for storing data within across the USA, EU plus several other regions further afield.
DigitalOcean are currently offering all new customers $200 in free account credits (valid over 60 days) in order to test their latest cloud services out for themselves. This includes the Spaces S3 compatible object storage service as well as the excellent VPS computing products amongst various other cloud services. More information on Spaces can be found via the official DigitalOcean website.
- S3 Compatible storage
- Built-in CDN
- Developer API
- $200 Free credits
- From $5 per 250GB
6) Vultr (Object Storage)
Vultr Object Storage is a S3 compatible cloud storage service offered by Vultr, a popular cloud services provider known for its excellent virtual private server (VPS) offerings. It focuses on providing high levels of S3 compatibility, affordability, security and enhanced integration with the wider Vultr cloud ecosystem.
With simple and easy to understand pricing starting at just $6 per TB, per month (including 1TB of outbound bandwidth with each additional 1TB of outbound bandwidth priced at $10), Vultr Object Storage remains a very price competitive alternative to the original Amazon S3 service.
In much the same way as their close competitors DigitalOcean and Akamai do, Vultr also offer additional value given that their S3 compatible service is directly integrated into their larger developer-focused cloud ecosystem. This ecosystem includes additional services such as the VPS computing platform, GPU focused computing, managed databases plus load balancing services across a choice of up to 27 datacentre locations available across both the USA and worldwide.
Vultr Object Storage is priced from just $6 per TB, per month. More information on the S3 service and Vultr’s other cloud services can be found at the official Vultr website.
- S3 Compatible
- Highly resilient storage
- Developer API
- NVMe Caching
- From $5 per 250GB
7) Akamai (formally Linode)
Akamai Object Storage stands out as a developer focused cloud storage solution designed for high performance, security and global reach with a focus on S3 compatibility and integration into existing cloud workflows.
With pricing starting at just $5 per month for a 250GB allocation with 1TB of outbound transfer included (equivalent to $0.02 per GB, per month), free inbound transfers and just $0.005 per additional GB outbound thereafter, the object storage service from Akamai is a very price competitive option. In much the same way as with their close competitors DigitalOcean and Vultr, the real value in the Akamai S3 compatible object storage service comes from it being a very developer-focused S3 alternative with good integration into the wider Akamai platform (and their many other cloud services including VPS computing, Kubernetes and managed databases amongst others).
Akamai S3 compatible object storage is priced from just $5 per month for an initial 250GB allocation. More information on the service can be found via the official Linode website.
- S3 Compatible storage
- Free ingress transfers
- High availability
- Historic file versioning
- Developer API
- From $5 per 250GB
8) DreamHost DreamObjects
DreamObjects is an S3 compatible cloud storage service offered by DreamHost, a popular web hosting services provider. It focuses on providing high levels of S3 compatibility, good affordability and ease of use and is ideal for developers aiming to integrate cloud storage seamlessly with DreamHost’s other cloud computing services.
With simple, competitive and easy to understand pricing starting at just $0.025 per GB, per month (and $0.05 per GB for downloading data), DreamObjects is a very competitive offering when compared to the original Amazon S3 service.
Pricing aside and DreamObjects offers their S3 compatible service with “99.99999” (7×9) durability, free 24/7 help and support, free use of the developer API and the service is, of course, integrated into the DreamHost ecosystem making it ideal for anyone already making use of DreamHost’s other cloud computing and hosting services.
DreamHost are currently offering all new users a 60-day free trial of their DreamObjects service, more information on this S3 compatible service and the free trial itself can be found at the official DreamObjects webpage.
- AWS S3 Compatible
- Highly reliable storage
- Developer API
- Pre-paid savings
- From $0.025 per GB
9) IONOS Cloud (S3 Object Storage)
IONOS Cloud Storage isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it’s a robust ecosystem consisting of distinct services, each addressing specific storage needs while upholding their shared focus on S3 compatibility, security, and flexible configurations.
Widely known as a leading web hosting company for many years, IONOS (by 1&1) has in recent years also become known for offering a first-rate cloud computing service with their S3 compatible object storage service a key feature. Backing this S3 compatible object storage up are a choice of six separate geographical datacentre locations, ISO certified data security plus full compliance with EU GDPR regulations all forming key features of the service.
Pricing-wise and IONOS start their S3 compatible object storage from $0.018 per GB, per 30-day period for accounts with up to 50TB stored in total (with further discounts after 50TB bringing this pricing down to as little as $0.016 as more storage is consumed). Data transfer is free for both incoming and outbound traffic as is API usage which is also free to use.
For more information on pricing and the IONOS S3 compatible object storage service in general, be sure to check out the official IONOS website. IONOS also offer new customers the chance to try their cloud service out, for free, under certain conditions, more details are available at the official IONOS website.
- S3 Compatible
- Fast and easy set-up
- Highly reliable storage
- Immutable storage
- Developer API
- From $0.018 per GB
10) OVHcloud (Object Storage)
OVHcloud Object Storage, from well-known web hosting provider OVH, offers a scalable and cost-effective solution for storing large amounts of data in the cloud. It emphasises high levels of security, reliability and S3 compatibility, making it easy to integrate with existing cloud-based tools and workflows.
This highly scalable Amazon S3 compatible object storage offering from OVHcloud brings with it numerous useful features and functionalities including high levels of resiliency and durability, advanced DNS and temporary URL functionality, convenient ACL and S3 credential management plus the ability to make use of automatic MD5 checksums amongst many others.
When it comes to pricing, the OVH S3 compatible service remains very competitive to that of the Amazon original with the standard tier starting from just $0.008 per GB, per month with outbound (public) bandwidth priced from $0.011 per GB and inbound pubic traffic included at no additional cost.
More information on the OVHcloud service, the free $200 cloud computing credits available for new users and the AWS S3 compatible object storage service mentioned above can all be found via the official OVHcloud website.
- S3 Compatible storage
- Highly resilient storage
- Immutable functionality
- Developer friendly API
- Advanced DNS
- From $5 per 250GB
The Best S3 Compatible Alternatives Summary
Whilst the official Amazon S3 object storage service is without doubt a fantastic service overall, there have appeared numerous S3 compatible object storage providers in the years since it first appeared, many of which offering the same core storage functionality at a much lower overall cost.
If you are seeking S3 compatible object storage whilst being potentially willing to forgo some of the core AWS built-in features, then it could prove very cost effective to look at an alternative S3 compatible service. Pricing aside and S3 compatible alternatives can still offer a lot of value thanks to various vendor specific features including integration with other services such as CDN networks, virtual private servers (VPSs) plus many other developer tools and hosting related services as well.
As always, when searching for S3 alternatives, try and take advantage of some of the many free allocations of S3 storage which are currently available. In addition to this, there are several providers offering free credits and free trial periods which can also help to ensure any S3 compatible service works for your own individual needs before committing any further.
As well as S3 compatible cloud storage, if you arelooking for S3 compatible backup software then be sure to check out our guide to the best AWS S3 compatible backup software.
