We use Amazon S3 Glacier for several purposes. We have buckets for our pipelines, software repository, timesheets, and performance data. As per state regulations, we must retain this data for eight years. So to comply with these regulations, we have set up a lifecycle policy in S3 that moves the data to Glacier after five years. This means the data will be stored in Glacier for the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth years. We can retrieve the data from Glacier if we need to access it during this time. Beyond five years, the data will remain in Glacier for three years.
Senior Solutions Architect and Cloud Security Consultant at Cgi Deutschland KG
A cost-effective solution to reduce storage and cost footprint
Pros and Cons
- "The main advantage of Glacier is its low cost. It is incredibly cheaper than other storage options, especially for objects you don't access frequently. Glacier would add value if you have a staging area for objects you only need to access occasionally. Since we have data in terabytes between S3 buckets, we can significantly reduce our storage and cost footprint by using Glacier."
- "Technical support needs improvement. Previously, even though we had premium and enterprise support, the response time would be quicker if we ran into issues, but now it is slowed down. The analytical dashboard feature, like the CloudOps dashboard, should be included in the next release of the Amazon S3 Glacier."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The main advantage of Glacier is its low cost. It is incredibly cheaper than other storage options, especially for objects you don't access frequently. Glacier would add value if you have a staging area for objects you only need to access occasionally. Since we have data in terabytes between S3 buckets, we can significantly reduce our storage and cost footprint by using Glacier.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Glacier is that it automatically processes archives. Glacier's performance is also very good. We initially thought retrieving objects from Glacier would be difficult but easy and quick.
What needs improvement?
Technical support needs improvement. Previously, even though we had premium and enterprise support, the response time would be quicker if we ran into issues, but now it is slowed down.
The analytical dashboard feature, like the CloudOps dashboard, should be included in the next release of the Amazon S3 Glacier.
Buyer's Guide
Amazon S3 Glacier
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Amazon S3 Glacier. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon S3 Glacier since 2016. We are using the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution’ stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution’ scalability an eight out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
There is no need for deployment at all since it is a service.
What was our ROI?
We have seen ROI with the product's use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is cheap.
What other advice do I have?
If you plan to store your documents for over three years, I recommend using Amazon Glacier S3 to the fullest extent possible. This is because the longer you store your data in the tool, the more you pay. By moving most of your objects to Glacier, you can save money. Additionally, you can use Reserved Capacity to save even more money. Retrieving data from Amazon S3 Glacier is relatively easy. It is easier than retrieving data from the tool. So, I think people should use the product as much as possible.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Cloud Platform Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A storage solution that can be used for data retrieval, security, compliance, and storage archiving
Pros and Cons
- "Data retrieval, security, compliance, and storage archiving are the most valuable features of Amazon S3 Glacier."
- "The solution's cost optimization could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use Amazon S3 Glacier to provide secure and durable data archiving at a low cost compared to the standard storage options. I'm currently working with Azure Cloud, and I have done most of the migration from Amazon S3 Glacier to Azure Blob Storage.
Amazon S3 Glacier is used to store data, files, and required certificates.
What is most valuable?
Data retrieval, security, compliance, and storage archiving are the most valuable features of Amazon S3 Glacier.
What needs improvement?
The solution's cost optimization could be improved. The solution uses the monitoring storage cost, implementing cost-saving strategies for transitioning data to the Glacier storage classes and defining the appropriate retrieval options.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon S3 Glacier for more than three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Amazon S3 Glacier an eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Amazon S3 Glacier an eight out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the solution's technical support seven and a half out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used Azure Blob Storage.
How was the initial setup?
Amazon S3 Glacier's initial setup wasn't that hard, but it was challenging.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment with Amazon S3 Glacier. With Amazon S3 Glacier, the more you pay, the more you'll get. The resources that we pay for depend completely upon the client.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Amazon S3 Glacier has good pricing.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
My organization uses the Azure cloud platform which is cheaper compared to Amazon S3 Glacier.
What other advice do I have?
Amazon S3 Glacier was deployed on-cloud in our organization.
Overall, I rate Amazon S3 Glacier a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Amazon S3 Glacier
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Amazon S3 Glacier. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Founder & CTO at QuriousBit
A highly stable and cheap storage solution that can be used by users to store infrequently used data
Pros and Cons
- "Amazon S3 Glacier is a very cheap storage, where we store infrequently used data."
- "Although Amazon S3 Glacier is cheap, its data retrieval cost is very high compared to other solutions."
What is most valuable?
Our source metadata used for analytics and data lake was kept on Amazon S3 Glacier. Amazon S3 Glacier is a very cheap storage, where we store infrequently used data. If we have a large amount of data that many people are not accessing, we keep it in Amazon S3 Glacier to save the cost.
What needs improvement?
Users have to pay much less for storing data in Amazon S3 Glacier. However, it is costly to access the data from the solution. If somebody requires a large amount of data kept in Amazon S3 Glacier, that will cost a lot.
Amazon S3 Glacier becomes very costly when used on a big scale. Although Amazon S3 Glacier is cheap, its data retrieval cost is very high compared to other solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon S3 Glacier for four and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Amazon S3 Glacier ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Amazon S3 Glacier is a highly scalable solution. More than 100 users were using the solution, and we plan to increase the usage.
I rate Amazon S3 Glacier ten out of ten for scalability.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is very easy. I rate Amazon S3 Glacier ten out of ten for the ease of its initial setup.
What about the implementation team?
Someone with a little knowledge of the solution can deploy it in a day. One person is enough to deploy the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Amazon S3 Glacier is very cheap, but the cost becomes a concern when you have a very large amount of data. We used to spend around $ 200 a day on the solution.
What other advice do I have?
Amazon S3 Glacier is a cloud-based solution. Amazon S3 Glacier is the best alternative for users who have to access a large amount of data.
Overall, I rate Amazon S3 Glacier a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Scrum Master at Inalpie Enterprise
An easy-to-use solution for data storage with an easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "Amazon S3 Glacier is easy to use. The platform is straightforward, and the interfaces are user-friendly and responsive. Even with a limited budget, you can train someone without an AWS certification to use it. With on-the-job training, you can ensure they understand what needs to be done to use the service."
- "The cost can be lower."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for storage. We store photos, attachments, and different objects.
How has it helped my organization?
You need a strategic approach. You also need to consider the technical abilities of the person utilizing the platform to fully understand it.
Some things are learned as you use the platform. You need to consider what you want to store, how long you will store it, and its usefulness. You need to have a proper storage plan. While understanding the platform is crucial, you must also understand the business side because you must pay for the licenses and storage you use. It's about balancing the technical and business aspects of the tool.
What is most valuable?
Amazon S3 Glacier is easy to use. The platform is straightforward, and the interfaces are user-friendly and responsive. Even with a limited budget, you can train someone without an AWS certification to use it. With on-the-job training, you can ensure they understand what needs to be done to use the service.
What needs improvement?
The cost can be lower. Sometimes, users may access the platform, advertise it, and then receive a bill they cannot afford. It would be helpful if there were a policy where a budget owner could understand the costs associated with storing data and approve expenditures based on the project budget. Due to the retrieval options, SMMEs may be ignorant of the costs and cannot afford the platform.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability as ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's pretty scalable. Yeah, it has potential if you have a demand, and they can meet it. They are perfect on their end, but you must also protect your infrastructure and data. There are some shortfalls or pitfalls that you need to ensure that you cover.
I rate the solution's scalability as ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward because you use their dashboard and user interface. As long as you subscribe, it's easy to set up.
You need to comply with the requirements and ensure that you understand what it is that you need to do.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive. They price you as you use it.
What other advice do I have?
It works perfectly if you start to chat. You learn these things as you use it because it involves technical ability, pricing, and ensuring that you comply with government requirements.
Despite the speed limitations, the Amazon S3 Glacier performs well. As long as you have a network and store your data within your region, the data centers within EMA are quite responsive regarding data retrieval.
Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Director of Cloud Solution Group at DTech Cloud Corporation
Reliable platform with secure data encryption features
Pros and Cons
- "The deployment process was straightforward."
- "The product could be improved in terms of the customer support team's response times."
What is our primary use case?
We use the platform for building data packages and storage, which involves efficient data handling and backup solutions.
What is most valuable?
The platform provides reliable and scalable storage, secure data encryption, and easy data retrieval options.
What needs improvement?
The product could be improved in terms of the customer support team's response times.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon S3 Glacier for more than four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is highly scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We rarely need technical support due to the comprehensive documentation available. However, the response time needs improvement.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment process was straightforward and typically takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the configuration requirements.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is average and reasonable. It varies depending on the region.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Amazon S3 Glacier an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Director of Product Management at SID GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LLC
Useful for application data storage and retrieval and for data backup
Pros and Cons
- "I like creating buckets where data can be segregated at a high level and then routing the appropriate data to each designated bucket. In terms of value, I would say that the tool gets the job done in a simpler manner."
- "I believe the usage reporting could be simplified, particularly for billing purposes. Overall, I find Amazon S3 Glacier's reporting system somewhat confusing compared to other hyperscalers in the market."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution for storage. We use it for application data storage and retrieval and for data backup. It has various use cases for storing applications, platforms, or other data types.
What is most valuable?
I like creating buckets where data can be segregated at a high level and then routing the appropriate data to each designated bucket. In terms of value, I would say that the tool gets the job done in a simpler manner.
What needs improvement?
I believe the usage reporting could be simplified, particularly for billing purposes. Overall, I find Amazon S3 Glacier's reporting system somewhat confusing compared to other hyperscalers in the market.
In terms of improvements, I believe AWS could enhance the service by providing regional accelerators to reduce network latency and offering options for caching buckets for easier configuration. Additionally, providing options to specify usage duration for particular sessions or partitions would be beneficial. While it is intuitive to some extent, there is room for improvement to make it even more user-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Monitoring apps and systems should be part of deployment. You should be able to set up auto-scaling and alerts during deployment. For example, you could get a warning if CPU usage hits 70 percent and a critical alert at 80 percent.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't come across many instances of large data volume. However, when we encounter it, it seems to be more about ensuring that our applications can handle the workload. Fortunately, we haven't experienced any significant lag issues.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't contacted the support team yet. We don't have any specific support package from Amazon for the services we're using. Instead, we rely on Amazon's public support.
How was the initial setup?
Amazon S3 Glacier's deployment is straightforward. The deployment process typically involves several steps. Firstly, you must acquire the image, select the appropriate zone, and deploy it within it. Following that, you would define the necessary parameters. In my experience, I've mostly worked with virtual machines rather than containers.
Typically, a team of just one person is sufficient for deployment and maintenance, maybe with a mentor.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I've operated with Amazon S3 Glacier in two modes. Firstly, there's the trial mode, where I experimented with the platform, learned its functionalities, and applied it to my work. Secondly, there's the corporate account mode, where my team handles the operations, and I receive billing reports.
What other advice do I have?
I haven't extensively used the retrieval options. Generally, we haven't encountered any significant issues with the service, although occasional network latency might occur due to various factors such as server positioning. However, the retrieval process has been fairly reliable.
Rating the tool on a scale from one to ten is quite challenging. It's akin to comparing different brands of ovens, such as Murphy Richards, Samsung, or LG. All of them are excellent in performing their basic function. However, the differences lie in their operation, user interface, and user-friendliness. Similarly, AWS stands out as a leader in virtual services, but comparing it directly to others is not straightforward.
I rate it a nine out of ten. The tool's integration into existing workflows is simple. Whether or not to recommend it depends on the requirements of the individual or organization. It's essential to assess what kind of data they intend to use it for and what their data needs are. Appropriate recommendations can be made based on these factors and other qualifying queries.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Engineering manager at IDFC Bank
A secure and stable storage solution that provides good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is secure."
- "The learning curve is very high."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for file storage. We store customer data in CSV and Excel files. We also use AWS for deployment purposes.
What is most valuable?
We don't have to manage anything. AWS manages everything. The solution is secure. We use the solution because the banking system needs to be secure.
What needs improvement?
The learning curve is very high.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool’s stability is good. I rate the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool’s scalability is very good. We have around 200 users. We have 23 people on our technical team. We are planning to decrease the usage.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is good. We had some issues, and we raised the ticket. The support team provided a solution within 24 hours.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complex, but it is not easy. The product is cloud-based.
What about the implementation team?
Third-party consultants deployed the solution for us. We used Terraform to deploy the tool.
What was our ROI?
I work for a bank. They are not into technology. We use a third-party tool so that our job becomes easy. We do not want to manage everything technically.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The vendor must provide a cheaper solution. The tool is too expensive. It must be made more cost-effective.
What other advice do I have?
We are also using API Gateway and NAT Gateway. We are using the infrastructure and security features of AWS. If an organization has the budget, they can use the product. If they have a big requirement, huge loads, and a need for high availability, they must choose cheaper products. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Forensic Technology Manager at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
An economical and easy-to-use solution that has a good upload and download speed
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use."
- "The user experience must be improved."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used for cloud storage.
What is most valuable?
The product is fairly economical. The upload and download speed is good. It is consistent. The solution is easy to use. We can use S3 Browser to upload and download data efficiently.
What needs improvement?
The user experience must be improved. The product must have a feature similar to Azure Storage Explorer. The product must not rely on third-party providers.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is more focused on a one-to-one connection. It's not server-focused. It is for front-end users to make it easy for people to store and access S3. Around 20 people in our organization use the product. We use the tool on a daily basis.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Azure Blob Storage.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. We just have to install a small application on our desktop. We do not need the help of a technical team.
What was our ROI?
It's easy to share data between people. It's geared towards large datasets. SharePoint is for smaller files. However, Amazon S3 Glacier is for uploading and downloading a lot of data.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is very cheap.
What other advice do I have?
We get two versions of the solutions. The amount of data we can upload on the free version is limited. The Pro version has more bandwidth. I recommend using the Pro version for more flexibility and speed. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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