Amazon S3 Glacier Reviews

Name: Amazon S3 Glacier
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4.3 (40 reviews)

Vendor: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

4.3 out of 5

40 reviews
90% willing to recommend

318 followers

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What is Amazon S3 Glacier?

Amazon Glacier is a secure, durable, and extremely low-cost cloud storage service for data archiving and long-term backup. Customers can reliably store large or small amounts of data for as little as $0.007 per gigabyte per month, a significant savings compared to on-premises solutions. To keep costs low, Amazon Glacier is optimized for infrequently accessed data where a retrieval time of several hours is suitable.

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Amazon S3 Glacier is the #2 ranked solution in top Public Cloud Storage Services. PeerSpot users give Amazon S3 Glacier an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. Amazon S3 Glacier is most commonly compared to Microsoft Azure File Storage: Amazon S3 Glacier vs Microsoft Azure File Storage. Amazon S3 Glacier is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 42% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 34% of all views.

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Featured Amazon S3 Glacier reviews

ArunDhwaj

Technical Owner at Harman International

Amazon S3 Glacier offers robust security features and practically infinite storage, where we can store all kinds of media swiftly. It supports various data types, including semi-structured and raw formats. These features facilitate log management and data dumping since the service is versatile enough to handle large volumes of data and provide necessary security.

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Deepak Nagar

Manager, Strategic Alliances at Softcell Technologies Limited

The solution's initial setup is straightforward and not complex. In the initial legacy, we used to put our servers in our data centers, look for storage, and give a path to that storage. In Amazon S3 Glacier, you can directly put your credentials for the portal login and upload your data.

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Alan Bloor

Geographic Information System Developer at Public Sector

Their pricing structure is always a big topic. It's so difficult to understand. I had a personal account once, and I was so scared to type in my credit card because I wasn't sure how much I would be charged. At home, I might turn on the VM to test something, and I might be on there for three minutes wondering how much it could cost. The solution might tell you there are so many hours of free usage and a free VM, but it's still scary because you don't know how much it will cost, even if you go over one second. The price structure needs massive simplifying and made crystal clear so people know what they're paying.

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Amazon S3 Glacier mindshare

As of March 2025, the mindshare of Amazon S3 Glacier in the Public Cloud Storage Services category stands at 17.4%, up from 15.2% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Public Cloud Storage Services

PeerAnalyst reports based on Amazon S3 Glacier reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Public Cloud Storage Services	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon S3 Glacier vs Amazon S3	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon S3 Glacier vs Google Cloud Storage	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	Amazon S3 Glacier vs Microsoft Azure File Storage	Mar 4, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Microsoft Azure File Storage	4.1	11.6%	97%	47 interviews Add to research
Google Cloud Storage	4.4	9.9%	97%	78 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Amazon S3 Glacier offers valuable features like cost-effectiveness for data archiving, automatic archiving, seamless integration with Amazon S3, and robust security. Users highlight its ability to handle large volumes of infrequently accessed data with low storage costs. It supports easy data management, reliable storage replication, and excellent stability. The flexible auto-scaling and straightforward interface make it user-friendly, while its comprehensive data retrieval options and compatibility with various data types ensure versatile use.

"In terms of features, no other cloud solutions or private installations come close to its capabilities."
"The most valuable feature of Glacier is its storage capability and cost benefit."
"The most valuable feature of Glacier is its storage capability and cost benefit."

Room for Improvement

Amazon S3 Glacier's data retrieval times and response times could be faster. Users desire improved cloud security, technical support, and integration with existing systems. Pricing and billing complexities create issues, particularly for large-scale users. Enhanced storage capabilities, better data discovery, and user-friendly features are in demand. GDPR compliance handling and regional accessibility should be addressed. Lower retrieval costs and simplified usage reporting would benefit users significantly. Improved configuration management and transfer rates are also required.

"However, improvement is needed in pricing and support systems."
"The cost of retrieval in Glacier is quite high."
"The cost of retrieval in Glacier is quite high."

ROI

Organizations experience a substantial return on investment from Amazon S3 Glacier. The impact is particularly noticeable in cost savings due to reduced infrastructure needs, security compliance, and technical staff expenses. Users appreciate its capacity for handling large datasets easily and report significant operational cost reductions, enabling investment in other areas. Some suggest enhanced support and cost management could optimize the service further.

Pricing

Enterprise users find Amazon S3 Glacier pricing generally cost-effective and cheaper than competitors, notably benefiting archival needs. However, the complex pricing model often confuses, with some incurring high expenses due to hidden costs. No licensing fees exist, and billing is consumption-based, prompting concerns about costs for large data volumes. While some laud its affordability, others find it expensive compared to on-premises options, suggesting pricing clarity improvements and potential discounts for specific industries like education.

"The pricing is average and reasonable. It varies depending on the region."
"I've operated with Amazon S3 Glacier in two modes. Firstly, there's the trial mode, where I experimented with the platform, learned its functionalities, and applied it to my work. Secondly, there's the corporate account mode, where my team handles the operations, and I receive billing reports."
"The price point at which the product is available is pretty good."

Popular Use Cases

Users utilize Amazon S3 Glacier primarily for cold storage and archiving. It's employed for long-term backups, migrations, regulatory compliance, data archiving, and managing large datasets. Some use it for short-term and long-term retention solutions, including orchestrating data from on-premises to the cloud. Many store multimedia, images, performance data, and deploy websites through it. Organizations find it cost-effective for secure data archiving, integrating with applications, and adhering to data retention policies.

Service and Support

Amazon S3 Glacier customer service levels vary. Some users praise the support team for being knowledgeable and responsive, particularly with enterprise-level support. Others mention the team is not always responsive, with delays when escalating issues. Many avoid contacting support due to effective documentation and support costs. However, there are complaints about connecting with unhelpful representatives initially. Overall, users find the support satisfactory but suggest improvements in response time and expertise.

Deployment

Amazon S3 Glacier's initial setup is generally straightforward and quick. Experienced users find the process easy, involving just a few steps. Creating an AWS account and storage buckets, then configuring permissions, is typical. Some complexity arises with security and integration, requiring vendor support that extends deployment time. While some users experience challenges, especially with security, most find it user-friendly due to its cloud-based nature, minimizing traditional installation needs.

Scalability

Amazon S3 Glacier is highly scalable, receiving top ratings for its capacity to handle increasing data demands. Users report ease of integration and management, with confidence in its limitless potential. It auto-scales with data addition, efficiently managing spikes in usage. Many organizations have multiple users and applications relying on its capabilities. Consistent high ratings emphasize its reliability and adaptability for diverse data needs, highlighting its crucial role in organizational infrastructure.

Stability

Amazon S3 Glacier receives high marks for stability, frequently rated between eight to ten. Users report consistent access without outages, highlighting its reliable cold storage design. Rare regional disruptions exist but are minimal. With a few noting occasional headaches, most find stability excellent, appreciating the Service Level Agreement and enforced auto-scaling. Ideal for archival, its reliability is evident, maintaining high usage satisfaction. Several emphasize a ten out of ten rating, underscoring its dependable performance.

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

Download our Amazon S3 Glacier Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.