Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) Reviews

Name: Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4.1 (15 reviews)

Vendor: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

4.1 out of 5

15 reviews
100% willing to recommend

330 followers

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What is Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)?

Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) provides simple, scalable file storage for use with Amazon EC2 instances in the AWS Cloud. Amazon EFS is easy to use and offers a simple interface that allows you to create and configure file systems quickly and easily. With Amazon EFS, storage capacity is elastic, growing and shrinking automatically as you add and remove files, so your applications have the storage they need, when they need it.

Get the Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Amazon EFS (Elastic File System), NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP, Google Cloud Storage and more!

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is the #4 ranked solution in top Cloud Storage solutions and #8 ranked solution in top File and Object Storage solutions. PeerSpot users give Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is most commonly compared to NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP: Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP. Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 54% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 18% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

March 2025

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Featured Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) reviews

MuhammadAzhar Khan

Senior DevOps Engineer at Alibaba Group

The most valuable feature of Amazon EFS is its auto-scaling capability. It's really easy to configure EFS by just creating it and running a command to directly configure it with my servers. It supports unlimited use, and charges are applied based on the file usage at the end of the month. The solution offers reduced downtime and increased durability through its auto-scaling features.

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Mahender Nirwan

Software developer at TAIGLE LLC

There are two of the most valuable features of the product. First, the ease of mounting the solution with our EC2 instances simplifies the integration process. Second, the automatic scaling based on storage needs has saved us from manually managing storage limits, resulting in approximately a 20-30% reduction in storage costs.

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ChanchalSingh1

Head of Engineering - Data and Machine Learning at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

We are using EFS across the system to share some files, backup, and files that users use for their day-to-day purposes. It is implemented across the system in project moments such as development, testing, QA, and production. EFS allows us to share backups from development, making it all possible…

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Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) mindshare

Product category:

As of March 2025, the mindshare of Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) in the Cloud Storage category stands at 8.4%, down from 10.0% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Storage

PeerAnalyst reports based on Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Cloud Storage	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs Google Cloud Storage	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs Nasuni	Mar 4, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP	4.4	13.4%	95%	62 interviews Add to research
Google Cloud Storage	4.4	9.2%	97%	78 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Amazon EFS offers elastic scaling, flexible pricing, and no size limitations. Users value its seamless integration with AWS services, intuitive interface, and fast access. It provides shared storage with easy mounting to EC2 instances, automatic scaling, low latency, and high stability. Its scalability allows multiple servers to access the same file system, reducing costs by about 20-30%. Security is enhanced through VPC usage, offering extra throughput and easy configuration.

"We haven't seen any downtime or challenges when using the services."
"Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is secure as it is used under VPC."
"Amazon EFS offers the flexibility of scaling as needed without requiring pre-provisioned storage."

Room for Improvement

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) could benefit from improvements in its deployment process, feature parity for Windows, and user-friendly access. Performance, cost transparency, and security measures also need enhancement. Stability issues and delayed support response times are concerns. Users seek better connectivity options comparable to S3, and a one-click setup would streamline integration. Implementing AI-driven features would ease usage for non-technical users.

"I don't have notes on improvements."
"Amazon EFS is more costly compared to other storage options available from AWS."
"The main challenge with EFS is its cost, which is slightly higher compared to EBS or S3."

ROI

Amazon EFS provided substantial cost savings for data storage. Users appreciated the easy scalability and no upfront cost, leading to efficient data management. Performance improvements were noted due to consistent access speed, enhancing application responsiveness. Users highlighted the reduction in administrative overhead and the flexibility of seamlessly integrating with other AWS services, boosting operational efficiency. These features contributed to a positive return on investment.

Pricing

Amazon EFS pricing can be expensive for organizations, particularly when compared to other AWS options like S3 or EBS. The costs are based on storage usage with a pay-as-you-go model, including separate charges for hot and cold storage. While cold storage is cheaper, accessing data is slower. Users often find it mid-ranged, suggesting flexible pricing but challenging for regions with different economic scales. Initial charges are minimal, but high monthly costs are a concern.

"The main challenge with EFS is its cost, which is slightly higher compared to EBS or S3. For one GB or ten GB of data, S3 is much cheaper. EFS could cost around $30 to $50 per month for similar usage."
"The product charges are based on the amount of data stored."
"Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) offers a pay-as-you-go model, so whenever you use its services, you need to pay."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations use Amazon EFS for scalable storage needs, deploying serverless functions, and mounting with EC2 instances. It supports applications requiring automated scaling and cost management. Users appreciate its stability, shared access among servers, and utility in hosting applications with NFS. It enhances data management by allowing file sharing across systems for development, testing, QA, and production. Frequent uses include storing project details, backing up, and managing data-heavy applications on Linux servers.

Service and Support

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) users report varied experiences with customer service and support. Some find support unnecessary due to comprehensive documentation, while others praise the helpful and quick-resolving support team. Many give technical support a rating of eight out of ten. Some appreciate consistent and responsive assistance across AWS services, though costs are noted as high. Support is influenced by the chosen plan, with centralized support being highly beneficial when issues occur.

Deployment

Amazon EFS setup is generally straightforward. Many users find it simple, especially with experience or training. It is quick to deploy under ten minutes, though some without prior knowledge may face challenges. A minority rate it a seven in difficulty, highlighting complexity and longer deployment times. Cloud deployment involves scripts and batch files, and some users mention challenges with regional deployment and performance aspects like throughput and latency.

Scalability

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is highly scalable, fast, and supports hundreds of thousands of users. It automatically scales to meet storage needs, making it ideal for small to medium businesses. Users appreciate its cost-effectiveness and durability, though some mention challenges with dynamic scaling during traffic surges. The majority rate its scalability between 8 to 10 out of 10, noting its seamless operations, auto-scaling feature, and ease of managing connections.

Stability

Users describe Amazon EFS as highly stable, benefiting from AWS management and showing minimal issues. Some minor glitches are reported, yet many emphasize a satisfactory long-term performance without downtime. Ratings vary, with many giving high scores but some offering moderate ratings due to occasional interruptions. Users note that any observed disruptions are typically not intrinsic to Amazon EFS but rather related to associated infrastructure components. The tool consistently meets user expectations for stability.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

18%

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

University

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Comms Service Provider

Insurance Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Media Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Construction Company

Transportation Company

Non Profit

Legal Firm

Performing Arts

Hospitality Company

Consumer Goods Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Outsourcing Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Logistics Company

Engineering Company

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Learn more about Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

When mounted to Amazon EC2 instances, an Amazon EFS file system provides a standard file system interface and file system access semantics, allowing you to seamlessly integrate Amazon EFS with your existing applications and tools. Multiple Amazon EC2 instances can access an Amazon EFS file system at the same time, allowing Amazon EFS to provide a common data source for workloads and applications running on more than one Amazon EC2 instance.

It’s designed for high availability and durability, and provides performance for a broad spectrum of workloads and applications, including Big Data and analytics, media processing workflows, content management, web serving, and home directories.