Compare indicative storage and download (egress) costs across major object-storage providers over 12–36 months.
How it works
Monthly storage = TB stored × price per TB (growing by your monthly growth rate)Monthly egress = max(0, GB downloaded − free allowance) × price per GBTotal = Σ (storage + egress) over the period
Defaults are illustrative examples, not benchmarks. Replace them with your own numbers. Prices from our reviews are indicative and dated.
Storage price is only half the bill
Object storage is priced per terabyte per month, but downloading data out of the cloud (egress) is often charged separately — and that is where bills surprise people, especially during a large restore. Some providers have no egress fees or generous allowances, which can matter more than the headline price per terabyte.
Choosing a provider for backups
- Look for object lock / immutability to protect backups from ransomware.
- Check minimum storage duration fees if you delete data frequently.
- Confirm your backup software supports the provider's API (most support S3-compatible storage).
- Keep at least one copy in a different provider or region from your primary data.
Hidden storage costs
- Egress fees for downloading data, which vary widely between providers
- API request charges for frequent access
- Minimum storage durations on archive tiers
- Replication across regions for resilience
For backups, low-cost object storage with free or cheap egress can be dramatically cheaper than general-purpose cloud storage. Check retrieval costs before choosing archive tiers — restoring large amounts of data quickly can be expensive.
Choosing a provider
Consider where your backup tool can write data, the provider's durability and immutability features, and data location requirements. Our best backup software guide compares services that include storage and those that let you bring your own.
Frequently asked questions
Why aren't archive tiers included?
Archive tiers are much cheaper per terabyte but slow and expensive to restore. They suit long-term retention, not operational backups.
What does “S3-compatible” mean?
The provider supports the same API as Amazon S3, so most backup and file tools can use it without special integration.
Is object storage the same as backup?
No. Storage holds data; backup software manages schedules, versions and restores. Many backup tools write to object storage.
Are prices current?
They are indicative and dated; check provider pricing pages before buying.