Cloud Backup Comparison: AWS Glacier vs. Azure Archive Storage vs. Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Backing up your data to the cloud is the safest and most efficient way to ensure it remains secure. There are many cloud backup solutions available, and choosing one can be challenging. Three popular cloud backup solutions are AWS Glacier, Azure Archive Storage, and Google Cloud Storage Nearline. This article will compare the three solutions and help you choose which one is best for your needs.

Pricing

Pricing is a critical factor in selecting a cloud backup solution. AWS Glacier and Azure Archive Storage both offer tiered pricing, depending on the storage amount and retrieval time. On the other hand, Google Cloud Storage Nearline has a flat rate of $0.010 per gigabyte per month.

AWS Glacier charges between $0.004 and $0.01 per GB per month, depending on the retrieval time. Azure Archive Storage charges between $0.0028 and $0.002 per GB per month, depending on the storage amount and retrieval time. In comparison, Google Cloud Storage Nearline charges a flat fee of $0.010 per GB per month. For data retrieval, AWS Glacier charges between $0.01 and $0.02 per GB, Azure Archive Storage charges between $0.01 and $0.02 per GB, while Google Cloud Storage Nearline charges $0.01 per GB.

In terms of pricing, Google Cloud Storage Nearline is the most cost-effective solution. However, AWS Glacier and Azure Archive Storage offer more pricing tiers, catering to more specific needs.

Retrieval time

Retrieval time is the amount of time it takes to retrieve data from the cloud backup. AWS Glacier typically takes three to five hours, while Azure Archive Storage takes between 12 and 48 hours. Google Cloud Storage Nearline's retrieval time ranges from seconds to minutes.

In terms of retrieval time, Google Cloud Storage Nearline is the clear winner. However, if retrieval time is not a significant concern, a user might choose AWS Glacier or Azure Archive Storage based on the pricing tiers.

Durability

Durability is another important factor in selecting a cloud backup solution. It refers to how well the solution can protect data against data loss or corruption. AWS Glacier has a durability rating of 99.999999999%, Azure Archive Storage has a durability rating of 99.9999999999%, and Google Cloud Storage Nearline has a durability rating of 99.999999999%.

All three solutions offer exceptional durability, but Azure Archive Storage has a slight edge over the others.

References

1. AWS Glacier pricing: https://aws.amazon.com/glacier/pricing/
2. Azure Archive Storage pricing: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/pricing/details/storage/archive/
3. Google Cloud Storage Nearline pricing: https://cloud.google.com/storage/pricing
4. AWS Glacier durability: https://aws.amazon.com/glacier/faqs/?nc=sn&loc=6
5. Azure Archive Storage durability: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/storage/archive/
6. Google Cloud Storage Nearline durability: https://cloud.google.com/storage/docs/nearline-storage#durability_and_availability