Cloud Storage Pricing

Considering moving files to cloud storage? Cloud file storage has revolutionized the way we store and manage our data. Rather than relying on local storage solutions, cloud storage offers a more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective way to store, share, and access files.

However, as with any technology, there are costs associated with cloud file storage. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the cloud file storage pricing, including monthly storage fees, egress fees, and other charges.

Cloud Storage Pricing

Monthly Storage Fees

One of the most significant costs associated with cloud file storage is the monthly storage fee. This fee is typically charged based on the amount of storage space used by your files, measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB). Most cloud storage providers offer a tiered pricing structure, which means that the more storage space you use, the lower the cost per GB or TB.

For example, Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers Simple Storage Service (S3), which charges a monthly storage fee of $0.023 per GB for the first 50 TB of storage. If you exceed 50 TB, the cost drops to $0.022 per GB, and if you exceed 500 TB, the cost drops to $0.021 per GB.

Microsoft offers Azure Blob and File Share storage, which charges a monthly storage fee of $0.020 per GB of storage for the standard tier and $0.030 for Azure file shares. In comparison, SharePoint Online costs $0.20 per GB after the 1st TB or 10GB per user.

Bar chart showing estimated monthly storage costs storing 10 terabytes of data.

Egress Fees

Egress fees are another significant cost associated with cloud file storage. Egress refers to the transfer of data out of a cloud storage service to another location, such as downloading a file to your computer or streaming a video from the cloud. Egress fees are typically charged based on the amount of data transferred, measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB).

For example, AWS charges an egress fee of $0.09 per GB for data transferred out of its US East region to the internet. If you transfer data out of a different region or to a different AWS service, the cost may vary.

Similarly, GCP charges an egress fee of $0.12 per GB for data transferred out of its US region to the internet. If you transfer data out of a different region or to a different GCP service, the cost may vary.

Other Fees

In addition to monthly storage fees and egress fees, there may be other fees associated with cloud file storage. These fees may include:

  • Request fees: Some cloud storage providers charge a fee for each request made to their service, such as creating a new file, reading a file, or deleting a file.
  • Data retrieval fees: If you need to retrieve data that has been archived or stored in a different type of storage, such as Glacier storage in AWS, there may be additional fees.
  • Transfer acceleration fees: Some cloud storage providers offer a feature called transfer acceleration, which speeds up data transfer by using a content delivery network (CDN). However, this feature may come with additional fees.

It’s important to review the pricing structure and terms of service for your chosen cloud storage provider to fully understand the costs associated with cloud file storage.

Graphic showing miscellaneous fees associated with cloud storage.

Cloud Storage Pricing: Conclusion

Cloud file storage offers many benefits, but it’s important to understand the costs associated with this technology. Monthly storage fees, egress fees, and other fees may add up quickly, especially if you’re storing a large amount of data or transferring data frequently. However, with careful planning and consideration, you can optimize your use of cloud file storage to minimize costs and maximize the benefits of this technology.

While there are numerous benefits to using the cloud for file sharing in small businesses, in larger firms and enterprises the file storage costs and security risks can outweigh the benefits.

We compiled a list of the costs and security risks associated with using cloud-based file-sharing for businesses, aimed at informing IT decision-makers, in our blog article here.