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 8.2, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 41.0% mindshare in DMA, compared to Microsoft’s 30.0% mindshare. Additionally, 90% 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 10 AWS Snowball reviews

4,351 Views
3,892 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure Data Box

Read 9 Microsoft Azure Data Box reviews

3,770 Views
2,745 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AWS Snowball

Microsoft Azure Data Box

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

Microsoft Azure Data Box and AWS Snowball compete in the data transfer category. AWS Snowball has the upper hand due to its broader feature set, which offers significant advantages for comprehensive data management tasks.

Features: Microsoft Azure Data Box ensures high data transfer speeds with built-in encryption, simple cloud integration, and efficient network usage. AWS Snowball offers high capacity and scalability, edge computing capabilities, versatile API support, and robust security measures, providing end-to-end encryption with tamper-evident seals.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Azure Data Box could improve by enhancing support for larger, more complex data projects, expanding cloud capabilities, and reducing latency challenges. AWS Snowball might benefit from simplifying the initial setup, lowering its cost for small-scale transfers, and expanding outside specific enterprise requirements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure Data Box features a straightforward deployment model and reliable customer service, ensuring quick issue resolution. AWS Snowball provides detailed deployment documentation and wide-reaching service networks, supporting more extensive data projects despite its more complex setup.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure Data Box offers competitive pricing with clear ROI for smaller data transfers, making it attractive to budget-conscious buyers. AWS Snowball, although requiring a potentially higher initial investment, delivers long-term savings and scalability options, yielding a compelling ROI for larger-scale enterprise data needs.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box

March 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

AWS Snowball

Ranking in Data Migration Appliances

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Migration (11th)

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 March 2025, in the Data Migration Appliances category, the mindshare of AWS Snowball is 41.0%, down from 43.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure Data Box is 30.0%, up from 30.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Migration Appliances

Featured Reviews

Kevin-Davis

Global CTO AWS Business Group at Eviden

Seamless data transfer and efficient migration with customizable storage sizes

I like that I can take data and send it straight to S3 when it loads in. The interface for getting my data onto the Snowball is so streamlined. I don't know if you've ever seen it before. It's really cool. I connect them to the backplane of our existing network. I'm able to address it quickly and move the data quickly inside my customers' data centers. There's a little screen on it, which changes the UPS codes and all that stuff. The label and everything AWS electronic, so I don't have to deal with shipping issues. It makes it super simple and easy to use from end to end.

Read full review

Saul Perales

Systems Administrator at Xignux SA de CV

Enable efficient infrastructure management with high availability and quick adaptability

Our primary use case is for application implementations and migrations, mostly in an enterprise environment. It specifically involves cloud solutions and middleware services like data and virtual machines The scalability and availability of Microsoft Azure Data Box allow us to provide necessary…

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

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

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

"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."

"AWS offers managed services which save time and reduce administrative overhead."

"I like that I can take data and send it straight to S3 when it loads in."

"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 solution is elastic."

More AWS Snowball pros

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

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

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

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

"We use the solution for integration purposes."

"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."

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

"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."

More Microsoft Azure Data Box pros

Cons

"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."

"24/7 support is more expensive on AWS compared to Azure."

"Snowball is not interesting and is a pain to deal with."

"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."

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

"It's not cheap."

"The costs of services the customer needs also matter, such as storage requirements and whether storage is rational."

More AWS Snowball cons

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

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

"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."

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

"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."

"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, 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."

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

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

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

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?

Depending of what is your priority; UseAWS Snowball if you are heavily invested in AWS or need edge computing features Choose Azure Data Box for smooth integration with Azure and potentially lower ...

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?

Pricing is a concern for every company, however, those making these decisions are aware of the necessary investment. I do not have detailed knowledge of the costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Data Box?

Currently, I do not see any areas for improvement since most of the requirements or features we use have been met effectively.

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Transfer Appliance vs AWS Snowball

Compared 46% of the time

IBM Cloud Mass Data Migration vs AWS Snowball

Compared 5% 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 20% of the time

IBM Cloud Mass Data Migration vs Microsoft Azure Data Box

Compared 6% of the time

Palantir Foundry vs Microsoft Azure Data Box

Compared 4% of the time

AWS Snowball Edge vs Microsoft Azure Data Box

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Data Box Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AWS Snowball

March 2025

Download AWS Snowball product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Data Box

March 2025

Download Microsoft Azure Data Box product report

Also Known As

Amazon AWS Snowball, Amazon Snowball, Snowball

Azure Data Box, MS Azure Data Box

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.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

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.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Wazee Digital, Craftsy, Live Nation, Essess

Oceaneering

Buyer's Guide

AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box

March 2025

Free Report: AWS Snowball vs. Microsoft Azure Data Box

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