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AWS Snowball vs Palantir Foundry comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 11, 2024

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
10
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Migration (12th)
Palantir Foundry
Ranking in Data Migration Appliances
4th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Data Integration (19th), IT Operations Analytics (9th), Supply Chain Analytics (1st), Cloud Data Integration (14th), Data Management Platforms (DMP) (2nd), Data and Analytics Service Providers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Data Migration Appliances category, the mindshare of AWS Snowball is 40.8%, down from 43.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palantir Foundry is 1.5%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Migration Appliances
 

Featured Reviews

Kevin-Davis - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Rama Subba Reddy Thavva - PeerSpot reviewer
A low-code/no-code platform with a user-friendly UI
We couldn't implement or use some of the latest functionalities, like Spark. Palantir Foundry is scalable, but it is costly compared to other cloud providers. The solution is more suitable for small and medium businesses. It might be difficult for large enterprises. I rate the solution’s scalability a seven out of ten.

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 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."
"I like that I can take data and send it straight to S3 when it loads in."
"It's a nice way of shipping a lot of data without using a network."
"The solution is elastic."
"The solution is elastic."
"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 offers very good end-to-end capabilities."
"It is easy to map out a workflow and run trigger-based scripts without having to deploy to another server."
"I like the data onboarding to Palantir Foundry and ETL creation."
"I rate Palantir Foundry a ten out of ten."
"Great features available in one tool."
"The AI engine that comes with Palantir Foundry is quite interesting."
"It's scalable."
"The security is also excellent. It's highly granular, so the admins have a high degree of control, and there are many levels of security. That worked well. You won't have an EDC unless you put everything onto the platform because it is its own isolated thing."
 

Cons

"It's not cheap."
"If AWS Snowball is intercepted, there is a potential risk of unauthorized access to the data."
"The stability of the solution isn't ideal and should be improved."
"It's not an easy product to start using for a beginner, but If you're a professional, it's easy to understand."
"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."
"Difficult to receive data from external sources."
"Some error messages can be very cryptic."
"It requires a lot of manual work and is very time-consuming to get to a functional point."
"It would be helpful to build applications based on Azure functions or web apps in Palantir Foundry."
"They do not have a data center in Europe, and we have lots of personally identifiable information in our dataset that needs to be hosted by a third-party data center like Amazon or Microsoft Azure."
"The solution could use more online documentation for new users."
"The solution's visualization and analysis could be improved."
"The data lineage was challenging. It's hard to track data from the sources as it moves through stages. Informatica EDC can easily capture and report it because it talks to the metadata. This is generated across those various staging points."
 

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."
"It's expensive."
"The solution’s pricing is high."
"Palantir Foundry is an expensive solution."
"Palantir Foundry has different pricing models that can be negotiated."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
7%
 

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?
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 ...
What do you like most about Palantir Foundry?
Palantir Foundry is a robust platform that has really strong plugin connectors and provides features for real-time integration.
What needs improvement with Palantir Foundry?
Palantir Foundry is missing marketing, which could help it grow. Additionally, the startup pricing is high, causing concern despite being cost-effective in terms of total cost of ownership. Palanti...
What is your primary use case for Palantir Foundry?
I am getting into the ontology space using Palantir Foundry. The primary use case is for developing a common business model that includes data, people, and processes, essentially describing how bus...
 

Also Known As

Amazon AWS Snowball, Amazon Snowball, Snowball
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Wazee Digital, Craftsy, Live Nation, Essess
Merck KGaA, Airbus, Ferrari,United States Intelligence Community, United States Department of Defense
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Snowball vs. Palantir Foundry and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,989 professionals have used our research since 2012.