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Top Affordable Cloud Storage Alternatives to AWS S3 in 2026

akhilkhandelwal's profile image
Akhil Khandelwal
Last Updated: Nov 26, 2025
13 Minute Read
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Finding cloud storage alternatives has become crucial for businesses if they’re looking to optimize their cloud infrastructure costs without sacrificing performance or reliability.

The top AWS S3 alternatives are: AceCloud, E2E Networks, DigitalOcean, Shakti Cloud, Yotta, Utho Cloud, OVHCloud, Wasabi, Cloudflare and Backblaze. 

This is because the price of Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is determined by three changing elements: storage (GB-month), API requests and data transfer (egress). Usually, teams only optimize storage while request and egress charges remain unnoticed, which results in unexpected bills. 

Thus, the combination of request charges and network egress is the primary reason why many organizations are seeking S3 compatibility providers.

According to Flexera, 84% of organizations cite managing cloud spend as their top challenge, prompting many to reevaluate their storage strategies.

In the case of compute/CDN, Cloudflare, Fastly, multi-cloud k8s, use a TCO calculator that includes request classes and egress paths, not just storage tiers. You can find substantial savings without sacrificing reliability.

Why Do You Need AWS S3 Alternatives?

AWS S3 is an excellent cloud storage solution. However, there are a few organizations that can benefit more from using a different platform. We’re not replacing S3, we’re reducing the bill for S3-like workloads. 

A better and cheaper S3-compatible storage infrastructure can help you reduce costs, increase your cloud ROI, enhance performance or make cloud operations easier.

Here, we’ve mentioned a few reasons why you should explore AWS S3 alternatives:

Cost predictability

AWS pricing can be complex with storage tiers, data transfer fees and API request charges. Many companies want simpler and more transparent models to forecast cloud storage costs.

Geographic requirements

Data residency and compliance rules differ by region. Some providers run data centers in locations that align better with your regulatory needs or user base.

Integration flexibility

If you use multiple clouds or specific development tools, your stack might work better with another storage provider. Some options integrate more cleanly with your current setup.

Management overhead

S3’s large feature set can add complexity when you need straightforward storage. A simpler service can cut the time you spend on configuration and daily management.

Performance

Some workloads may run better on other solutions, especially for content delivery, backup storage or high-frequency access.

Support

You may prefer a provider with accessible support that does not require costly top-tier enterprise plans.

How Much Does Amazon S3 Actually Cost Most Teams in 2026?

Let’s start with one simple example, so you see where the money goes. 

Assume 10 TB stored and 5 TB egress in a month. Storage is about 10,240 GB times $0.023, which is $235.52. Egress is about 5,120 GB times $0.09, which is $460.80. Request pricing often looks minor, but compounds with scale. 

For illustration, 50 million GET and 5 million PUT in that month add about $20 and $25 at S3’s published per thousand rates, taking the total to about $741.32. 

Consequently, egress and requests often dominate TCO for media or API heavy apps. Use this baseline to compare AWS S3 alternatives and broader cloud storage alternatives without guesswork.

Note: Pricing subject to AWS updates.

Top 10 S3-compatible Cloud Storage Providers

AceCloud

AceCloud Object Storage offers S3-compatible storage aimed at developers and enterprises that want simple, scalable and pay-as-you-go capacity. It is designed to plug into standard S3 tools and SDKs, and provides a web console to create buckets, users and access keys. Buckets expose S3 configuration details in-app so teams can connect endpoints and credentials without guesswork. 

The organization offers zero vendor lock-in, 24/7 human support, up to 99.99%* SLA and enterprise grade security.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API and console: Create buckets in the web UI, view S3 configuration details and connect using standard S3 clients.
  • User and key management: Add storage users, issue access keys, rotate secrets and download credentials at creation time. 
  • Versioning and object lock: Enable bucket versioning. Turn on Object Lock with bucket-level retention for WORM protection. When Object Lock is enabled, you cannot suspend versioning. 
  • Access control: Adjust bucket access on the Access Control tab. Manage groups and set list, read or write permissions per bucket.
  • Built for backup and archival:You can pair hot object storage withAceCloud Glacier archival to cut costs for infrequently accessed data while keeping S3 compatibility for restores. 
  • Durability and replication posture:AceCloud promotes triple data replication for durability and steady access.

Pricing information:

  • Storage Standard: $0.0125/GB per month 
  • Storage Infrequent Access: $7 per TB per month (about $0.007 per GB)
  • Download costs:  Not publicly listed on the press pages, see the S3 pricing page for current egress rates
  • API request pricing: Not explicitly published, check the S3 pricing page for PUT, GET and LIST charges if applicable
  • Regions: Mumbai and Noida in India, regional pricing may appear in INR
Cut Your S3 Bill, Keep Your Stack
See how much you save when egress and request fees drop without code changes.

E2E Networks

E2E Object Store (EOS) is an S3-compatible object storage service focused on simplicity and transparent pricing. It offers a web console and S3-compatible REST/CLI access, plus built-in security options like bucket-level encryption and object lock for compliance.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API with CLI and web console
  • Lifecycle rules to automate retention and cleanup of objects
  • Object versioning that works with lifecycle policies
  • Object Lock (WORM) with Governance and Legal Hold modes for compliance
  • Cross-region replication between EOS regions (requires versioning)
  • Managed server-side encryption for buckets (Delhi region)

Pricing information:

  • Storage: $0.03/GB per month (≈$30.72/TB)
  • Download costs: ₹3.0/GB to external or public networks. 
  • API or transaction fees: No separate per-request Class B or C charges listed on published pricing or docs
  • Free tier or minimums: No free storage tier or minimum storage duration advertised for EOS
  • Uploads: Ingress not charged. Only egress to the public network has a data transfer fee

DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is an S3-compatible object storage service for developers and startups to store and deliver large amounts of data. It includes a built-in CDN and simple pricing to support global content delivery. The services integrate with DigitalOcean products including Droplets, Managed Databases and App Platform while staying compatible with S3 tools and applications.

Key features:

  • Built-in CDN for faster delivery across regions
  • Integration with DigitalOcean services and API
  • Full S3 API compatibility for easy migration and familiar tools
  • Automatic data redundancy and multi-region availability
  • Access control and encryption options

Pricing information:

  • Pay as you go starting at $5/month includes 250 GiB storage and 1 TiB outbound transfer
  • Extra storage: $0.02 per GiB per month
  • Extra transfer: $0.01 per GiB per month
  • Free inbound data transfer
  • No API request charges with plan limits

Shakti Cloud

Shakti Cloud Object Storage provides S3-compatible object storage with transparent rupee pricing that helps teams who don’t want USD conversion on every bill. It offers Standard and Performance tiers, public HTTP/S access over an S3-compatible REST API and optional add-ons like CDN and direct cloud interconnect.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API accessible over public internet (REST/S3)
  • Two tiers (Standard and Performance) with simple per-GB pricing and small pack sizes
  • Optional CDN and private connectivity (Global CloudKonnect)
  • Separate snapshot and backup options if needed

Pricing information:

  • Storage (Standard tier): ₹2.50/GB per month (min pack 100 GB)
  • Storage (Performance tier): ₹3.50/GB per month (min pack 100 GB)
  • Alternative catalog entry: “Shakti Cloud Object Storage” ₹3.52/GB per month with a 500 GB base pack (for some AI bundles)
  • Download (egress) costs: ₹0.80/GB
  • Transactions: PUT ₹3.23 per 10,000, GET ₹0.26 per 10,000
  • Uploads: Not separately charged on the Shakti page, egress billed per GB

Yotta

Yotta Object Storage offers S3-compatible storage hosted in Tier IV Indian data centers with simple pay-as-you-go pricing. It provides Standard and Performance tiers, public-internet access via REST/S3 APIs and transparent charges for storage, egress and API requests. Enterprise cloud storage is delivered with high availability and resiliency on a multi-controller architecture.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API accessible over HTTP via REST (Standard and Performance tiers)
  • Self-service pay-as-you-use cloud storage hosted in Tier IV facilities with high availability and resiliency
  • Object storage exposed over the public internet for easy integration with apps and services

Pricing information (monthly, INR):

  • Storage – Standard tier: ₹1.16/GB per month (≈ ₹1,186/TB)
  • Storage – Performance tier: ₹2.14/GB per month (≈ ₹2,194/TB)
  • Download costs: ₹1.50/GB
  • Class B transactions (PUT per 10,000): ₹3.23
  • Class C transactions (GET per 10,000): ₹0.26

Utho Cloud

Utho Cloud Object Storage offers S3-compatible storage with a focus on scalability and clear pricing. It supports standard tools and workflows and provides a web console and a command-line interface for management. Utho provides multi-region availability, lifecycle management and strong security controls.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API plus native CLI (uthoctl) and a web console
  • Supports common tooling and protocols (S3, Swift and NFS) for easy integration
  • Lifecycle rules for automated archival or deletion and cost control
  • Versioning support for safer data retention
  • Triple data replication for durability and availability
  • Encryption, access controls, MFA and audit trails
  • Multi-region availability for resilience and disaster recovery

Pricing information:

  • Outbound bandwidth: 1 TB included; additional egress ₹1/GB (India)
  • Storage pricing: Pay-as-you-go

OVHCloud

OVHcloud Object Storage offers S3-compatible storage with transparent pay-as-you-go pricing. API calls and inbound traffic are free while only public egress is billed. The service provides multiple storage classes including Standard, High Performance and Infrequent Access. Management is available through S3 APIs, SDK or CLI and the OVHcloud Control Panel.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API with CLI SDK and web control panel access
  • Free API requests and free ingress only public egress billed
  • Lifecycle rules for automated deletion and class transitions
  • Built-in object versioning and Object Lock (WORM)
  • Asynchronous replication across buckets and regions

Pricing information:

  • Standard Object Storage (S3): ~$8.31/TB per month
  • High Performance Object Storage (S3): ~$20.77/TB per month
  • Infrequent Access (S3): ~$4.46/TB per month retrieval $0.0044/GB minimum storage duration 30 days
  • Download public egress: $0.011/GB internal traffic included
  • API transactions: Free
  • Uploads: Free and unlimited

Wasabi

Wasabi provides a single-tier cloud storage service with a clear pricing model. Unlike many providers, it removes tier complexity and data egress fees to deliver predictable costs. The platform maintains S3 compatibility and focuses on performance and cost efficiency for all data types.

Key features:

  • One storage tier with hot-storage performance for all data
  • S3-compatible API for easy integration with existing tools
  • No fees for data egress or API requests
  • Immutable storage options for data protection
  • Multi-region options with active/active replication

Pricing information:

  • Pay as you go starting at $7/TB per month
  • No charges for egress or API requests
  • 90-day minimum object storage duration
  • Reserved capacity pricing available for volume discounts
  • Multi-region replication available at additional cost per GB

 
Cloudflare R2

Cloudflare R2 delivers S3-compatible object storage with zero egress fees and a generous free tier. Built on Cloudflare’s global network it integrates with Cloudflare Workers and supports lifecycle rules and multiple storage classes including Infrequent Access for cost optimization.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API with dashboard CLI and SDK support
  • No egress charges for data served directly from R2
  • Lifecycle rules for automated data management
  • Storage classes Standard and Infrequent Access to balance storage and retrieval costs
  • Native integration with Cloudflare Workers for edge compute and storage workflows
  • Migration tools Super Slurper and Sippy plus an R2 Data Catalog based on Apache Iceberg public beta

Pricing information:

  • Storage Standard: $0.015/GB per month
  • Storage Infrequent Access: $0.01/GB per month with 30-day minimum and $0.01/GB retrieval processing
  • Class A operations: $4.50 per 1,000,000
  • Class B operations: $0.36 per 1,000,000
  • Egress to the Internet: Free from R2
  • Free tier: 10 GB storage, 1M Class A ops, 10M Class B ops, free egress (Standard only)

Backblaze B2

Backblaze B2 provides low-cost object storage with enterprise features. It offers S3-compatible storage with a focus on simplicity and transparent pricing. It integrates with Cloudflare’s global network and provides free data egress to Cloudflare edge locations.

Key features:

  • S3-compatible API with native CLI and web interface
  • Free egress through the Cloudflare Zero Egress program
  • Lifecycle rules for data management and cost control
  • Built-in file versioning and snapshots
  • Cross-region replication for higher availability

Pricing information:

  • Storage: $6 per TB per month
  • Download: $0.01 per GB (free through Cloudflare)
  • Class B transactions (downloads): $0.004 per 10,000
  • Class C transactions (uploads): $0.004 per 1,000
  • No minimum storage duration
  • Unlimited uploads free

How to Choose the Right Affordable Cloud Storage Alternatives?

To begin with, you can use this checklist to balance cost, performance and compliance when selecting practical cloud storage alternatives for your workloads.

Cost Structure

Match your data profile to each provider’s pricing. Then, compare per-GB storage rates, egress fees and request charges. Additionally, check for minimum retention or early-deletion penalties to understand the total cost.

Performance and Durability

Measure latency and throughput against your workloads. Moreover, look for stated durability targets, multi-AZ or cross-region options and clear RTO/RPO guidance for backup and recovery.

Compatibility and Migration

You should use S3-compatible APIs and proven tools to limit refactoring. Likewise, confirm migration paths, bulk seeding for large datasets and support for lifecycle policies, versioning and replication.

Security and Compliance

Require encryption at rest and in transit plus solid key management and role-based access controls. Furthermore, verify audit logging and certifications that fit your regulatory needs.

Support and Ecosystem

Check for 24/7 human support, defined response times and access to solution architects. Also, review partner integrations, SDKs and documentation that speed up onboarding.

Geographic Considerations

You can pick regions close to your users to reduce latency and egress. Consequently, meet data residency and sovereignty rules and choose replication options that fit legal and operational needs.

Ready to Cut Storage Costs and Complexity with AceCloud?

If rising S3 egress and request fees are hitting your budget, move to AceCloud for predictable S3 compatible object storage. 

AceCloud Object Storage offers full S3 compatibility, straightforward pricing and 24/7 live support. As you evaluate AWS S3 alternatives for 2026, AceCloud helps you avoid unexpected egress and request charges while maintaining compatibility with your existing toolchain.

With support for familiar APIs, lifecycle policies and versioning, migration is fast and seamless. Enhance data resilience through replication and benefit from a 99.99%* SLA. Manage buckets, users and access keys through an intuitive management console.

AceCloud is a top contender for 2026 cloud storage shortlists, delivering reliable cost-effective S3-compatible storage without compromise.

Start a free consult and get a tailored cost model in days. Talk to AceCloud sales or spin up your first bucket now.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Yes. You pay simple pricing for storage, egress and requests, so cloud storage alternatives are easy to compare and savings are clear.

Yes. Your existing S3 SDKs and CLIs work out of the box with AceCloud endpoints, keys and buckets.

Use S3 sync or copy, run parallel transfers and move cold data first. Most teams finish with minimal refactoring.

You get low latency India regions, triple replication for durability and a 99.99%* SLA for steady access.

You see rates upfront so heavy GET and PUT traffic is predictable. This keeps cheap S3-compatible storage truly low cost.

You enable encryption at rest and in transit, set role based access, turn on versioning and use Object Lock for WORM when needed.

akhilkhandelwal's profile image
Akhil Khandelwal
author
Akhil, Senior Manager of AWS Migration at AceCloud, has over 13 years of experience in the IT industry. His technical expertise is backed by an impressive array of certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional, Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer, AWS SysOps Administrator, and ITIL v3. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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