AWS Snowball vs Microsoft Azure Data Box comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft are both solutions in the Data Migration Appliances category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 42.3% mindshare in DMA, compared to Microsoft’s 29.7% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

AWS Snowball

Read 7 AWS Snowball reviews

4,949 Views
4,483 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure Data Box

Read 9 Microsoft Azure Data Box reviews

4,424 Views
3,129 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AWS Snowball

Microsoft Azure Data Box

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Microsoft Azure Data Box and AWS Snowball compete in the data transfer, storage, and migration category. AWS Snowball seems to have the upper hand due to its diverse feature set, combining price and functionality effectively.

Features: Microsoft Azure Data Box is noted for seamless integration, strong security features, and being cost-effective. AWS Snowball stands out with scalability, performance across larger infrastructures, and superior tracking and encryption capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Azure Data Box could enhance regional support, boost transfer speeds, and increase connectivity options. AWS Snowball could improve by simplifying configurations, reducing transfer times, and enhancing service accessibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft is recognized for dedicated support staff, though some find initial setup challenging. AWS Snowball offers a straightforward deployment process, but customer service responses can be delayed.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure Data Box is viewed as cost-effective with favorable setup costs and ROI in Microsoft-centric environments. AWS Snowball requires a higher initial investment but delivers greater ROI for large-scale data migrations.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

AWS Snowball

Ranking in Data Migration Appliances

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Migration (17th)

Microsoft Azure Data Box

Ranking in Data Migration Appliances

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Data Migration Appliances category, the mindshare of AWS Snowball is 42.3%, down from 43.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure Data Box is 29.7%, down from 30.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Migration Appliances

Featured Reviews

Elvis Mengnjo

Cloud Security Engineer at Dell Technologies

Useful for data transfer, migration, and disaster recovery

The features I like best are the tool's high capacity, scalability, end-to-end encryption for data security, ease of use, durability, and cost-effectiveness. It's particularly cost-effective for transferring large amounts of data compared to high-speed internet transfers. It has been helpful with end-to-end encryption, tamper-evident seals and sensors, and access control through AWS Identity and Access Management. This lets me control who can access and manage the device. It also helps with logging and monitoring and provides physical security.

Read full review

Sravan KumarKolloju

Technology Manager at AIA

Efficiently handles heavy incoming traffic and maintains stable operations without crashing the application

When it comes to old applications, they may not be the most suitable environment for Microsoft's current focus on Azure and the latest technologies. It would be helpful if Microsoft could provide some guidelines or recommendations for transitioning from old to new. Currently, there is no established practice in the market for migrating from outdated technologies, and each company follows its own approach. At our company, we have devised our own migration process, involving a mix of traditional integration, following HI methodology, and transitioning from text services to virtual services. While Azure is suitable for modern stacks, there is still room for improvement when it comes to handling legacy systems. In my opinion, Microsoft should offer guidance on how to migrate from old technologies to new ones since the old technologies were also developed by Microsoft. Although they may have reached their end-of-life and end-of-support stages, it would benefit developers to have support for these old technologies. At the very least, Microsoft should provide a clear path for migrating from old technologies to new ones. Since the old technologies were originally developed by Microsoft, they should offer support, especially considering that these technologies are still used by companies like Linea, with whom I am currently working.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's a nice way of shipping a lot of data without using a network."

"The most valuable features of AWS Snowball for me are its security measures and its flexibility."

"You are able to scale the solution vertically. It's very scalable."

"The way the data is moved is very clever. Also, the interface is very simple and user-friendly."

"The features I like best are the tool's high capacity, scalability, end-to-end encryption for data security, ease of use, durability, and cost-effectiveness. It's particularly cost-effective for transferring large amounts of data compared to high-speed internet transfers."

"The flexibility of AWS Snowball is valuable. Its security allows for the ability to move and secure data without concern if the device is lost and the option to trace it back to AWS data centers."

"The availability and quick scalability of Microsoft Azure Data Box are highly valuable."

"One valuable aspect is the support we receive from Microsoft Azure vendors."

"Microsoft Azure Data Box has much more usability than other tools like it. It is very intuitive."

"We use the solution for integration purposes."

"It is a good fit with ease of integration there."

"The solution has allowed the organization to safely transfer and store into the cloud easily and quickly large amounts of data that can then be readily accessed."

"The Azure Data Box saves us a great deal of time when migrating data to Azure."

"It provides secure transfer of large amounts of data."

More Microsoft Azure Data Box pros

Cons

"There's always room for improvement as you use the service more and gain expertise. Some challenges I've faced include the time factor (data transfer can be time-consuming), data validation after the transfer, risks associated with physical handling and shipping of the device, and ensuring data security during transit."

"The stability of the solution isn't ideal and should be improved."

"I think AWS Snowball could improve by expanding its availability to more countries."

"It's not an easy product to start using for a beginner, but If you're a professional, it's easy to understand."

"If AWS Snowball is intercepted, there is a potential risk of unauthorized access to the data."

"It would be helpful if Snowball provided more kinds of connectivity. That will make it easier to add and move data."

"On an enterprise level, a per-user license for more than 1,000 users is very costly."

"The solution is straightforward with simple application migration, but plug-and-play AI is not involved simultaneously."

"I am not confident in this device's ability to perform a network backup in our data center."

"The device must be transported off-site before the data is uploaded into the Microsoft Azure Cloud."

"It's a single node solution. If it can be spread out across more of the enterprise and have more segregation in its virtual environment, that would be good."

"When it comes to old applications, they may not be the most suitable environment for Microsoft's current focus on Azure and the latest technologies. It would be helpful if Microsoft could provide some guidelines or recommendations for transitioning from old to new."

"Deployment can be a major challenge. It's important to understand the organization's policies, the data store where the data will be going, the necessary permissions, and the specific type of Data Box being used. We also need to consider the encryption keys that need to be utilized."

"Currently, I do not see any areas for improvement."

More Microsoft Azure Data Box cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's not a cheap solution, but the price is right for the product."

"The tool's pricing depends on the type of Snowball device you choose, the amount of data you need to transfer, and the service fees involved. There’s a standard price for larger data transfers and a flat job fee, which includes the first ten days of on-site usage. Typically, there are no additional data transfer fees."

"On a scale of one to five, with one being not good and five being competitive, I would rate this solution as a four."

"The pricing is based on the size of the appliance needed to store the data."

"This is a pay-as-you-go solution, where you pay for the amount of storage space that you are using."

"The product’s pricing is normal for enterprises but higher for SMBs."

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824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

11%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Microsoft Azure Data Box or AWS Snowball?

Microsoft Azure Databox is a 45-pound, super rugged, tamper-resistant, human-managed hardware appliance that can transfer up to 100TB of data capacity to copy, store, then send to the Azure cloud. ...

See all answers

What do you like most about AWS Snowball?

The most valuable features of AWS Snowball for me are its security measures and its flexibility.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Snowball?

AWS Snowball's pricing is affordable, offering two payment models: on-demand and committed upfront pricing. This affordability makes it accessible for organizations of different sizes, supporting t...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Data Box?

We use the solution for integration purposes.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure Data Box?

The product’s pricing is normal for enterprises but higher for SMBs. Enterprise customers prefer a longer contract, like 25 years, whereas SMBs prefer monthly billing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Data Box?

On an enterprise level, a per-user license for more than 1,000 users is very costly.

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Transfer Appliance vs AWS Snowball

Compared 42% of the time

IBM Cloud Mass Data Migration vs AWS Snowball

Compared 4% of the time

Palantir Foundry vs AWS Snowball

Compared 1% of the time

More AWS Snowball Competitors

Google Transfer Appliance vs Microsoft Azure Data Box

Compared 19% of the time

Palantir Foundry vs Microsoft Azure Data Box

Compared 3% of the time

IBM Cloud Mass Data Migration vs Microsoft Azure Data Box

Compared 2% of the time

AWS Snowball Edge vs Microsoft Azure Data Box

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Data Box Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cloud Migration

December 2024

Download AWS Snowball product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Data Box

December 2024

Download Microsoft Azure Data Box product report

Also Known As

Amazon AWS Snowball, Amazon Snowball, Snowball

Azure Data Box, MS Azure Data Box

Learn More

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Microsoft

Overview

Snowball is a petabyte-scale data transport solution that uses devices designed to be secure to transfer large amounts of data into and out of the AWS Cloud. Using Snowball addresses common challenges with large-scale data transfers including high network costs, long transfer times, and security concerns. Customers today use Snowball to migrate analytics data, genomics data, video libraries, image repositories, backups, and to archive part of data center shutdowns, tape replacement or application migration projects. Transferring data with Snowball is simple, fast, more secure, and can be as little as one-fifth the cost of transferring data via high-speed Internet.

The Azure Data Box service lets you transfer terabytes of data into Azure in a quick, inexpensive, and reliable manner. Microsoft accelerates the secure data transfer by shipping you disks and handling the end-to-end logistics.

Transfer large amounts of data to Azure in 4 easy steps – order, receive, copy data to disks, and return disks to Azure. After the disks are received, data is ingested into Azure and disks are securely wiped.

Sample Customers

Wazee Digital, Craftsy, Live Nation, Essess

Oceaneering

Buyer's Guide

AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box

December 2024

Free Report: AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box

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