Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Amazon S3 vs Azure NetApp Files comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 1, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.0
Amazon S3 provides financial benefits through cost-effective, scalable data storage, reducing staffing and overhead costs with its pricing model.
Sentiment score
7.4
Azure NetApp Files boosts performance, eases deployment, reduces downtime, and optimizes costs, despite higher initial expenses than on-premises.
Moving infrequently accessed data to cheaper classes like Glacier is beneficial for long-term storage at a lower cost.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Amazon S3's customer service is generally positively reviewed for being responsive and knowledgeable, despite occasional response delays.
Sentiment score
7.4
Azure NetApp Files receives mixed feedback on support, praised for integration and ease, but some users seek more specialized assistance.
I rate the technical support from Amazon for S3 a ten out of ten.
The technical support for Amazon S3 is rated ten out of ten.
An engineer is assigned based on the severity of the issue.
They have top-notch people.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Amazon S3 offers scalable, cost-effective storage with virtually unlimited capacity per bucket, though bucket limits might restrict some users.
Sentiment score
7.6
Azure NetApp Files is scalable, flexible, and cost-effective for large setups, but pricing concerns exist for smaller setups.
The level of scalability allows storage to automatically scale on demand, without the need for manual intervention.
Data placed in an S3 bucket is replicated across availability zones in a region, ensuring scalability and availability.
Amazon S3 is easily scalable and performs better compared to other cloud storage solutions.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Amazon S3 offers reliable performance, minimal downtime, and high stability, though security vigilance is advised for data exposure.
Sentiment score
8.4
Azure NetApp Files is rated highly for stability due to its reliability and consistency under increased workloads and migrations.
There is zero latency or downtime.
Transitioning between S3 storage classes, like moving data from the standard class to Glacier or Glacier Deep Archive, has been challenging.
Amazon S3 is highly stable.
 

Room For Improvement

Amazon S3 users seek improved interface, security, file management, integration, faster access, and simplified pricing for better usability.
Azure NetApp Files needs improved features, cost efficiency, easier deployment, regional integration, and strengthened security to meet user demands.
The practice of protecting data could be more streamlined or mandatory.
I would like to see an increase in the data upload limit, similar to DynamoDB, where there is no data limit.
An improvement could be associating the naming with personal accounts, allowing more familiar or desired names without conflicting with global conventions.
I would like for them to have more compression so that it can avoid using more storage.
 

Setup Cost

Amazon S3 offers competitive and flexible pricing but can become costly with high data retrieval and additional services.
Azure NetApp Files pricing is premium yet justified by features like management, scalability, and flexible licensing options.
S3 offers multiple classes, allowing you to move data to cheaper classes for cost savings.
I've used the free tier and haven't been charged yet.
It is somewhat justified due to the benefits, but there is room for reconsideration.
It is expensive, especially with NetApp Ultra Storage.
 

Valuable Features

Amazon S3 provides scalable, secure, and cost-effective storage with high performance, data management features, and AWS integration.
Azure NetApp Files enhances performance, scalability, and management with integrated features for backup, recovery, and seamless Azure integration.
Its stability and scalability are also impressive, as it allows for increased storage space according to demand.
Security measures like encryption, access controls, and the block public access feature are also important.
I appreciate its capability to create static websites and integrate with services like CloudFront, EC2, and DynamoDB.
The most valuable feature is that the sixty-terabyte database snapshot can be done in less than two to three minutes.
 

Categories and Ranking

Amazon S3
Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services
2nd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
81
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Azure NetApp Files
Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Migration (2nd), Cloud Storage (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Public Cloud Storage Services category, the mindshare of Amazon S3 is 11.5%, down from 14.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Azure NetApp Files is 7.2%, up from 7.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Public Cloud Storage Services
 

Featured Reviews

Vagner Martins - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced data security with seamless integration and static website capabilities
S3 is a great service offering numerous possibilities. It allows for storing objects and files of various types. I appreciate its capability to create static websites and integrate with services like CloudFront, EC2, and DynamoDB. Despite being focused on security, I leverage features such as cryptography and integration with CloudTrail.
AjayKumar13 - PeerSpot reviewer
Fast, reliable, and helps meet our SLAs
The most valuable feature is that the sixty-terabyte database snapshot can be done in less than two to three minutes. It is faster. It is quicker. It is reliable. You don't need to take the snapshot. Snapshots are compressed. It doesn't take storage from the back end. It takes three minutes to do sixty terabytes of the database. You don't have to go to the tape and store it outside, which takes hours and hours. It also uses a lot less of the storage. It's very easy to restore or copy the snapshots to other locations for disaster recovery. There are a lot of benefits. In terms of the snapshot's rapid restore capability, we were testing the load of performance testing, and we needed to rebuild the DR site. If I need to rebuild the DR for a standby database, it takes sixty terabytes to copy onto the another site, which will take at least a day. Now, the snapshot is easy. We just copy the snapshots, and then we do the cross-region application. The snapshots came along with that, and that's where we were able to build the DR site within a few hours rather than days. All together, instead of a four-day process, instead of a day.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Public Cloud Storage Services solutions are best for your needs.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
75%
Computer Software Company
5%
Financial Services Firm
4%
Manufacturing Company
2%
Educational Organization
29%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Amazon S3?
We can easily connect to the AWS resources.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon S3?
S3 is a pay-as-you-go service. I pay based on the data volume I am using.
What needs improvement with Amazon S3?
There is a limitation with the data upload size, such as the five terabytes restriction. I would like to see an increase in the data upload limit, similar to DynamoDB, where there is no data limit.
How does Azure NetApp Files compare to NetApp ONTAP?
Azure NetApp Files is a Microsoft Azure file storage service built on NetApp technology. The platform combines the file capabilities of Azure and NetApp to move critical file-based applications to ...
What do you like most about Azure NetApp Files?
The availability is good, meaning downtime or network issues rarely occur. The system also offers flexibility, allowing for increases in data volume, IOPS, and other capabilities without requiring ...
 

Also Known As

S3, Simple Storage Service
NetApp ANF, ANF
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Netflix, Airbnb, Thomson Reuters, Zillow, Alert Logic
SAP, Restaurant Magic
Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon S3 vs. Azure NetApp Files and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.