Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline comparison

The compared Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google solutions aren't in the same category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #11 in CS , with an average rating of 7.8, and holds a 3.2% mindshare in the category. Google is ranked #8 in PCSS , with an average rating of 8.3, and holds a 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Google users who would recommend it.

Amazon EFS (Elastic File Sy...

Read 18 Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) reviews

8,178 Views
1,717 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Read 11 Google Cloud Storage Nearline reviews

3,204 Views
3,108 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Amazon EFS (Elastic File Sy...

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) and Google Cloud Storage Nearline based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Dropbox, CTERA, Google and others in Cloud Storage.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloud Storage Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cloud Storage

August 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Amazon EFS (Elastic File Sy...

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Storage (11th), File and Object Storage (14th)

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Public Cloud Storage Services (8th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Cloud Services solutions, they serve different purposes. Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is designed for Cloud Storage and holds a mindshare of 3.2%, down 6.3% compared to last year.
Google Cloud Storage Nearline, on the other hand, focuses on Public Cloud Storage Services, holds 6.9% mindshare, down 9.5% since last year.

Cloud Storage Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)	3.2%
Dropbox Business - Enterprise	7.1%
NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP	5.0%
Other	84.7%

Cloud Storage

Public Cloud Storage Services Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Google Cloud Storage Nearline	6.9%
Amazon S3	15.8%
Amazon S3 Glacier	10.3%
Other	67.0%

Public Cloud Storage Services

Featured Reviews

reviewer2784675

Sr. Technical Account Manager at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees

Serverless file storage has simplified multi-tenant Linux workloads and supports effortless growth

When I started working with Amazon EFS (Elastic File System), I faced a few issues. One issue was around the number of IOPS limitation. Initially, the number of IOPS that could be performed on the Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) file system was quite low. Later on, it has been increased, and now I believe it is at a level where only very specific workloads might not perform optimally, but otherwise everything should work smoothly. By the time I was there, Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) was supporting NFS version 4.1, not 4.2. Currently, it is supported up to NFS 4.1. A notable limitation of Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is that it does not support Windows. If your workload is running on a Linux operating system and you do not want to manage it or even understand NFS at all, you should still be able to use it fairly quickly. There are scenarios where Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) might not work effectively. For example, database-type workloads do not run properly on Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) because at the end of the day, it is a network file system and requests must travel from one place to another and then return. This process takes time, so if you are running a database-type workload, Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) might not be the right approach, and you would need to look elsewhere.

Read full review

reviewer2662839

Works

Seamless integration with cloud services improves workflows but documentation needs enhancement

One area that needs improvement is the documentation, which I find to be disorganized and not user-friendly. The lack of comprehensive walkthrough guides for specific use cases makes it difficult to follow. To enhance the experience, more detailed examples, guides, and tutorials from start to finish would be beneficial. Additionally, the cost compared to other providers like Amazon could be regarded as a downside.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Amazon EFS offers the flexibility of scaling as needed without requiring pre-provisioned storage."

"The solution is quite stable."

"There are huge money savings, as we can save more than half of our costs."

"The solution's technical support is good."

"Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is secure as it is used under VPC."

"We can run code and deploy it whenever we want."

"The productivity of the customer has improved by around 30% by using Amazon EFS instead of a unique EC2 NFS instance."

"The product's initial setup phase is easy, as per the configurations."

More Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) pros

"The stability is excellent; I can't think of a better service that's provided in South America, and the infrastructure overall is very stable and reliable."

"The best part of Nearline storage is the ability to take backups at optimal costs and its availability across multiple regions."

"The data structure and the types of data that are supported are very good."

"Nearline is highly stable."

"There are no issues with the integration of Google Cloud Storage Nearline with other Google services."

"The API integration with the storage packet is the solution's most valuable feature."

"The most valuable feature of Nearline is the access. It's helpful to move data that is generated once a month, such as salary information, to Nearline."

"It provides the necessary support and flexibility to manage data storage effectively, especially during times of variable data flow."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline pros

Cons

"Initially, the cost of storage seems to be small, but customer cost for the storage is really very high and this doesn't work for India."

"EFS could be improved by including a one-click setup."

"Their response was not prompt, and it took them a while to figure out solutions. While the time to respond was good, the time to resolve was not optimal, as it took more than a week."

"Elastic File Systems can be expensive due to the nature of data transfer costs, using services like SSTP, and potentially being costly in a rate-shift context."

"Its deployment process could be faster while installing the Python package directly into the environment."

"A notable limitation of Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is that it does not support Windows."

"Specifically, when it comes to the file system for the learning system, we encountered performance issues with both Azure and AWS."

"I don't have notes on improvements."

More Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) cons

"Nearline security could be better. The solution could integrate better with SEIM tools."

"The UI could be a little bit more effective."

"Documentation is an area for improvement in Google Cloud Storage Nearline."

"The suggestion for improvement primarily revolves around cost efficiency."

"From a storage standpoint, it would be beneficial if the retrieval cost could be optimized, as it is comparatively higher than storage costs in Nearline."

"The pricing could be improved. It's completely non-competitive at this time."

"The pricing is quite high."

"One area that needs improvement is the documentation, which I find to be disorganized and not user-friendly."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's price is mid-ranged."

"The main challenge with EFS is its cost, which is slightly higher compared to EBS or S3. For one GB or ten GB of data, S3 is much cheaper. EFS could cost around $30 to $50 per month for similar usage."

"The product charges are based on the amount of data stored."

"I would rate the pricing 7 out of 10."

"The product's price depends on the services and the size and capacity at which it is used in a business environment."

"It has flexible pricing. You are charged based on your storage."

"Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) offers a pay-as-you-go model, so whenever you use its services, you need to pay."

"Right now, for the number of servers and the storage that I have, I would say I'm charged between $125 and $150 per month."

"Google Cloud Storage Nearline is very inexpensive. It costs us less than $50 a month to store our files. We use approximately 10 terabytes. Overall, I would rate the product a five out of five for affordability."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	8

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

Which file storage system is better - Amazon EFS (elastic file storage) or Azure File Storage?

Amazon EFS is easy to set up: you can use the AWS management console, API, or command-line. Amazon EFS can grow to petabytes and deliver consistent low latencies and high levels of throughput. This...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)?

We don't need to purchase it; we are just using it and paying Amazon as per the utilization. We make direct payments to Amazon based on our usage.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)?

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

My experience with the licensing and cost of Google Cloud Storage Nearline has been positive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

Documentation is an area for improvement in Google Cloud Storage Nearline. Documentation might cause some issues during deployment in future updates of Google Cloud Storage Nearline. Other than tha...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

I have integrated Google Cloud Storage Nearline with BigQuery for analytics.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Azure File Storage vs Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

Compared 64% of the time

Google Cloud Storage vs Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

Compared 3% of the time

Red Hat Ceph Storage vs Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

Compared 3% of the time

Dell PowerScale vs Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

Compared 3% of the time

Azure NetApp Files vs Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

Compared 2% of the time

More Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) Competitors

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 62% of the time

Amazon S3 vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 14% of the time

Microsoft Azure File Storage vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Azure Block Storage vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 4% of the time

Oracle Cloud Archive Storage vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 2% of the time

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)

August 2026

Download Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) product report

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

August 2026

Download Google Cloud Storage Nearline product report

Overview

Amazon EFS provides elastic file storage in the cloud, offering unlimited storage and seamless integration with AWS services for dynamic workloads.

Amazon EFS serves as a scalable, shareable file storage across Linux servers, seamlessly integrating with AWS for data-intensive applications. Its auto-scaling capability handles shifting data demands in real time, ensuring cost-effective storage management. Offering high availability and support for NFS version 4, Amazon EFS optimizes performance and data integrity for cloud and serverless environments. While its strengths lie in scalability and Linux support, further enhancements in cost transparency, Windows compatibility, and deployment simplicity can broaden its applicability.

What are the key features of Amazon EFS?

Flexible Scaling: Automatically adjusts storage capacity to meet dynamic workload demands.
Usage-based Pricing: Only charges for storage used, optimizing cost efficiency.
Integration with AWS: Seamlessly connects with services like EC2 for enhanced application support.
Auto-scaling: Efficiently allocates resources for fluctuating data needs.
Shared Access: Facilitates collaborative data use across various applications.

What benefits should users expect from Amazon EFS reviews?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlined configuration and easy scaling of resources.
Cost Management: Reduced storage expenses through usage-based pricing.
Reliable Performance: Consistent data availability and stable system operations.
Improved Data Management: Simplified processes for handling extensive datasets.
Integration Capabilities: Smooth interoperability with AWS services enhances functionality.

Amazon EFS is widely implemented in industries needing robust cloud-based storage solutions, facilitating scalable storage for applications like web serving, content management, and data analytics. Its compatibility with EC2 and Linux optimizes resource management, supporting complex access needs and enhancing operational efficiency in technology-focused sectors.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Google Cloud Storage Nearline offers cost-effective storage for infrequently accessed data, providing seamless integration with Google Cloud services and flexible retrieval options.

Google Cloud Storage Nearline is designed for businesses that need reliable and secure storage for data that is not frequently accessed but still requires long-term retention. It integrates seamlessly with Google's suite of cloud services, providing adaptable storage solutions that handle data flow efficiently. Nearline ensures high availability and stable performance, backed by strong encryption for security. It supports diverse storage class options catering to different data retention needs and capabilities for data management across multiple regions. Its value is enhanced by robust monitoring and integration with Google Cloud's ecosystem.

What are the most important features?

Seamless API Integration: Integrates easily with existing workflows.
Excellent Security: Offers strong encryption to protect data.
Ease of Use: Provides an intuitive interface for managing storage.
Stable Performance: Ensures reliable access to stored data.
High Availability: Guarantees access to data whenever needed.
Data Longevity Options: Offers different classes for data retention.
Multi-Region Management: Manages data across regions seamlessly.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Cost Efficiency: Offers a budget-friendly solution for data storage.
Flexibility: Adapts to fluctuating data storage and retrieval needs.
Integration: Works well with Google Cloud services for enhanced functionality.
Efficient Accessibility: Facilitates easy data access when required.
Enhanced Monitoring: Provides robust tools for tracking data usage.

Industries like tech and finance utilize Google Cloud Storage Nearline for storing large volumes of infrequently accessed data, leveraging its seamless integration with databases, infrastructure, and virtual machines. It is ideal for backup storage, application, and website data, and unstructured data handling. Companies use Nearline in cloud functions and for cost-effective performance optimization integrated with BigQuery analytics.

Google

Sample Customers

Arcesium, Atlassian, Seeking Alpha, Zend

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