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AWS Snowball vs Microsoft Azure Data Box comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

AWS Snowball
Ranking in Data Migration Appliances
1st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Migration (17th)
Microsoft Azure Data Box
Ranking in Data Migration Appliances
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.5
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Data Migration Appliances category, the mindshare of AWS Snowball is 42.8%, up from 43.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure Data Box is 29.7%, down from 30.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Migration Appliances
 

Featured Reviews

Elvis Mengnjo - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Sravan KumarKolloju - PeerSpot reviewer
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 Currently, there is no established practice in the market for migrating from outdated technologies, and each company follows its own approach.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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 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."
"You are able to scale the solution vertically. It's very scalable."
"The most valuable features of AWS Snowball for me are its security measures and its flexibility."
"The way the data is moved is very clever. Also, the interface is very simple and user-friendly."
"It's a nice way of shipping a lot of data without using a network."
"We use the solution for integration purposes."
"The Azure Data Box saves us a great deal of time when migrating data to Azure."
"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."
"We're looking at this solution because it's part of an overall tool suite, so the integration piece is what's striking our interest in it."
"Microsoft Azure Data Box has much more usability than other tools like it. It is very intuitive."
"It provides secure transfer of large amounts of data."
"One valuable aspect is the support we receive from Microsoft Azure vendors."
 

Cons

"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."
"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."
"It would be helpful if Snowball provided more kinds of connectivity. That will make it easier to add and move data."
"I think AWS Snowball could improve by expanding its availability to more countries."
"For me it doesn't work well. ... If you are a non-Microsoft shop, to use Microsoft Azure Data Box, you would need to integrate it with your other vendors, and whether or not that will be possible will depend on the platform or platforms that host them."
"I am not confident in this device's ability to perform a network backup in our data center."
"On an enterprise level, a per-user license for more than 1,000 users is very costly."
"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."
"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."
"The device must be transported off-site before the data is uploaded into the Microsoft Azure Cloud."
"The solution is straightforward with simple application migration, but plug-and-play AI is not involved simultaneously."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"It's not a cheap solution, but the price is right for the product."
"The product’s pricing is normal for enterprises but higher for SMBs."
"This is a pay-as-you-go solution, where you pay for the amount of storage space that you are using."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

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. ...
What do you like most about AWS Snowball?
The most valuable features of AWS Snowball for me are its security measures and its flexibility.
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...
What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Data Box?
We use the solution for integration purposes.
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.
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.
 

Also Known As

Amazon AWS Snowball, Amazon Snowball, Snowball
Azure Data Box, MS Azure Data Box
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Wazee Digital, Craftsy, Live Nation, Essess
Oceaneering
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.