Amazon S3 Storage Classes (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 23 May, 2026

Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is an industry-leading object storage service offering scalable, secure, and low-latency data storage. S3 stores data as objects within logical containers called buckets, supporting individual files up to five terabytes.

• To optimize costs, AWS provides several distinct storage classes tailored for different access frequencies, retention periods, and pricing models.
• Supports virtually unlimited data storage capacity with individual object sizes up to 5 TB.
• Designed to provide 99.999999999% (11 nines) durability by replicating data across multiple Availability Zones.
• Features default server-side encryption (SSE-S3), custom KMS keys, and strict block public access controls.

S3 Storage Classes

S3 uses automated checksum checks to maintain data integrity across all seven storage classes:

1. S3 Standard

• **Use Cases: Ideal for cloud applications, dynamic websites, content delivery networks (CDNs), gaming assets, and big data lakes.
• **Availability: Designed for 99.99% availability with a 99.9% SLA.
• **Durability: 11 nines of durability across at least three physical Availability Zones (AZs).

2. S3 Intelligent-Tiering

• **How It Works: Automatically shifts objects between Frequent, Infrequent, and Archive access tiers based on monitoring data activity.
• **Automation Rules: Moves inactive objects to colder tiers after 30, 90, or 180 days without any manual overhead.
• **No Retrieval Fees: Users are not charged for retrieving data or moving objects between internal tiers.
• **Availability: Designed for 99.9% availability with a 99.0% SLA.

3. S3 Standard-Infrequent Access (S3 Standard-IA)

• **Use Cases: Well-suited for long-term database backups, older logs, and disaster recovery data.
• **Cost Model: Lower storage rate than S3 Standard, but introduces a per-GB retrieval fee.
• **SLA & Durability: Designed for 99.9% availability with 11 nines of durability across 3+ AZs.

4. S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval

• **Performance: Provides the exact same millisecond-level latency and high throughput as S3 Standard.
• **Limitations: Charges a minimum storage duration of 90 days and a minimum object size of 128 KB.
• **Availability: Designed for 99.9% availability with a 99.0% SLA.

5. S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access (S3 One Zone-IA)

• **Cost Savings: Reduces storage fees by 20% compared to S3 Standard-IA by utilizing only a single Availability Zone.
• **Risk Profile: Data is vulnerable to physical loss if the specific facility hosting that single AZ is destroyed.
• **SLA & Durability: Designed for 99.5% availability (98.0% SLA) with 11 nines of durability in that single zone.

6. S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval

• **Retrieval Speeds: Supports Expedited (1–5 minutes), Standard (3–5 hours), and free Bulk (5–12 hours) retrieval options.
• **Use Cases: Built for offsite backups and general archiving where immediate access is unnecessary.
• **Availability: Designed for 99.99% availability with a 99.9% SLA.

7. S3 Glacier Deep Archive

• **Performance: Retrieval times are slower, with options for Standard (12 hours) and Bulk (48 hours) restores.
• **Use Cases: Ideal for regulatory data (e.g., healthcare, financial records) that is stored for years and rarely accessed.
• **Availability: Designed for 99.99% availability with a 99.9% SLA.

Storage Class Comparison

The table below compares key metrics, billing baselines, and standard US East (N. Virginia) pricing across all S3 storage classes: