Types and Comparison

Amazon S3 Storage Classes: Features, Limits, and Use Cases

Storage Class	Purpose	Definition	Differences	Limits	Use Cases	When to Use
S3 Standard	General-purpose storage for frequently accessed data	Durable, low-latency object storage	Highest availability (99.99%), low latency	Max object size: 5TBUnlimited total storage	Websites, applications, backups, data lakes	When data needs low latency and frequent access
S3 Intelligent-Tiering	Cost-optimized storage for unpredictable access	Automatically moves objects between tiers	Optimizes costs by shifting data between frequent/infrequent tiers	Min storage duration: 30 days Max object size: 5TB	Data with unknown or changing access patterns	When unsure how frequently data will be accessed
S3 Standard-IA (Infrequent Access)	Lower-cost storage for less frequently accessed data	Same durability as Standard but lower availability	Cheaper than Standard, retrieval fees apply	Min storage duration: 30 days Max object size: 5TB	Disaster recovery, backups, long-term storage	When data is accessed occasionally but must be available immediately
S3 One Zone-IA	Infrequent access storage in a single AWS zone	Lower durability as it is stored in one AZ	Costs less than Standard-IA but lacks multi-AZ redundancy	Min storage duration: 30 days Max object size: 5TB	Secondary backups, easily recreatable data	When cost savings matter more than high availability
S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval	Archival storage with immediate access	Similar to Standard-IA but for archive data	Costs less than IA but optimized for rarely accessed objects	Min storage duration: 90 days Max object size: 5TB	Compliance archives, medical imaging	When data must be retained but accessed occasionally
S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval	Low-cost archival storage with retrieval flexibility	Long-term, infrequently accessed storage	Cheaper than Glacier Instant, retrieval takes minutes to hours	Min storage duration: 90 days Max object size: 40TB	Compliance, historical records, regulatory storage	When access is rare but retrieval speed isn’t urgent
S3 Glacier Deep Archive	Lowest-cost archival storage	Cold storage for data retained for years	Cheapest option, retrieval takes hours	Min storage duration: 180 days Max object size: 40TB	Legal archives, raw research data, financial records	When data is accessed once in a few years
S3 Reduced Redundancy Storage (RRS)	Legacy storage option for non-critical data	Designed for non-critical data replication	Lower durability (99.99%) than other classes	Max object size: 5TB	Temporary data, non-essential backups	Rarely used now; S3 Standard is preferred

Key Limits for S3

• Bucket limit per AWS account: 100 (can request an increase)

• Object size limit: 5TB (except Glacier, which allows 40TB)

• PUT/POST requests per second: 3,500 per prefix

• GET requests per second: 5,500 per prefix

• Total storage: Unlimited

This now includes limits, retention periods, and when to use each storage class. 🚀 Let me know if you need further refinements!