AWS S3
The default answer for object storage. Not the cheapest option anymore, but every library, tutorial, and IAM pattern assumes it.
What is AWS S3?
S3 is AWS's object storage service and the de facto standard the rest of the industry builds compatibility around. Nearly every storage library, IAM permission pattern, and tutorial assumes S3 or an S3-compatible API, which is most of its staying power at this point, not necessarily being the cheapest or simplest option.
Key features
- Effectively unlimited object storage with strong durability guarantees
- Fine-grained access control via IAM policies and bucket policies
- Storage classes (Standard, Infrequent Access, Glacier, etc.) for trading cost against retrieval speed
- Deep integration with the rest of AWS: CloudFront, Lambda triggers, Athena queries directly on stored data
- The S3 API itself is the compatibility target most alternative storage providers design around
Who it's for
A safe default if you're already on AWS or need deep integration with other AWS services. If storage cost, especially egress, is a real budget concern and you're not tied to the broader AWS ecosystem, Cloudflare R2 or Backblaze B2 are worth pricing out first.
Pricing
Usage-based across storage, requests, and data transfer out, with transfer being the line item that adds up fastest at scale. Check AWS's site for current rates.