AWS Application Migration Service vs AWS Snowball comparison

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AWS Application Migration Service and AWS Snowball are both solutions in the Cloud Migration category. AWS Application Migration Service is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.3, while AWS Snowball is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.8. AWS Application Migration Service holds a 3.9% mindshare in CM, compared to AWS Snowball’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of AWS Application Migration Service users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of AWS Snowball users who would recommend it.

AWS Application Migration S...

Read 8 AWS Application Migration Service reviews

1,629 Views
1,499 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AWS Snowball

Read 10 AWS Snowball reviews

4,690 Views
610 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

AWS Application Migration S...

AWS Snowball

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 1, 2025

AWS Application Migration Service and AWS Snowball operate in the realm of large-scale data migration, catering to different needs yet complementing each other. AWS Snowball stands out for physically transporting vast datasets, making it advantageous in scenarios with network constraints, while AWS Application Migration Service is preferable for ensuring minimal downtime during cloud transitions.

Features: AWS Application Migration Service enhances swift application lift-and-shift migrations with its automated process reduction, enables cloud transitions with minimal downtime, and offers robust support for various workloads like applications and databases. AWS Snowball provides secure physical data transfer with high-capacity data shipping devices, features tamper-resistant designs and end-to-end encryption for data security, and supports environments with limited network connectivity.

Room for Improvement: AWS Application Migration Service could improve its handling of larger scale migrations, enhance support for additional operating systems, and increase efficiency in complicated network environments. AWS Snowball may enhance its tracking capabilities for the physical devices, the speed of data transfer processes, and the ease of integration with other AWS services to boost functionality.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: AWS Snowball offers a simple deployment process through its data transfer appliances, ensuring security with its robust design and strong customer support that guarantees data integrity. AWS Application Migration Service provides an easy-to-use software-based deployment model, facilitating seamless cloud migration supported by comprehensive customer service to address implementation challenges efficiently.

Pricing and ROI: AWS Application Migration Service typically comes with lower initial setup costs due to its software nature, offering a better ROI by reducing operational downtime in migrations. AWS Snowball, while having higher upfront physical costs, ensures ROI through its efficiency in drastically decreasing data transfer times for bulk data, making it a cost-effective solution in bandwidth-limited scenarios.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Application Migration Service vs. AWS Snowball Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Application Migration Service vs. AWS Snowball

September 2026

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Helped 913,654 peers since 2012

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

AWS Application Migration S...

Ranking in Cloud Migration

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

AWS Snowball

Ranking in Cloud Migration

15th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Migration Appliances (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Cloud Migration category, the mindshare of AWS Application Migration Service is 3.9%, down from 5.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of AWS Snowball is 2.1%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Migration Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
AWS Application Migration Service	3.9%
AWS Snowball	2.1%
Other	94.0%

Cloud Migration

Featured Reviews

Terence Dube

AWS Cloud Engineer at Standard Telephones and Cables

Automation has simplified migrations and now needs to address complex legacy compatibility

The features I like the most about AWS Application Migration Service is its ease of use. That's the main thing. It's ease of use, and they have a detailed walkthrough, especially depending on different operating systems. The automation capabilities of AWS actually eliminate the long time and input that I have to put into migration. These days, I just run the agent, and then the agent does the job. All I have to do is actually look at the current migration status on the AWS dashboard. When it's done, I then do a quick switch over to the cloud. The key thing I really love is the simple moving of files from on-prem to the cloud.

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Kevin-Davis

Global CTO AWS Business Group at Eviden

Seamless data transfer and efficient migration with customizable storage sizes

I like that I can take data and send it straight to S3 when it loads in. The interface for getting my data onto the Snowball is so streamlined. I don't know if you've ever seen it before. It's really cool. I connect them to the backplane of our existing network. I'm able to address it quickly and move the data quickly inside my customers' data centers. There's a little screen on it, which changes the UPS codes and all that stuff. The label and everything AWS electronic, so I don't have to deal with shipping issues. It makes it super simple and easy to use from end to end.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The features I like the most about AWS Application Migration Service is its ease of use, and they have a detailed walkthrough, especially depending on different operating systems, while the automation capabilities eliminate the long time and input that I have to put into migration."

"I rate AWS Application Migration Service a nine out of ten overall."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten...Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten...I rate the solution's support a ten out of ten."

"AWS Application Migration Service allows us to perform migrations with minimal downtime, which is crucial for our operations."

"The CloudEndure feature is most valuable because it is user friendly and very simple."

"CloudEndure is a product that I recommend to my customers because it's very easy to implement, configure, and use."

"The installation process and configuration processes are very straightforward, and in terms of maintenance, it's pretty easy as one person can handle it."

"Live Migration's best feature is that it's free."

More AWS Application Migration Service pros

"We are a very large company with around 20 million users that include architects, developers, and admin staff, and it's a very nice service we would highly recommend."

"The most valuable features of AWS Snowball for me are its security measures and its flexibility."

"It's a nice way of shipping a lot of data without using a network."

"AWS helps save time and costs, being a managed cloud provider with evolving services."

"If you have a large amount of data, it's a perfect way to move it to the cloud."

"The flexibility of AWS Snowball is valuable. Its security allows for the ability to move and secure data without concern if the device is lost and the option to trace it back to AWS data centers."

"From our point of view, one of the most important features are the ability to combine, to mesh data together, and the ability to have them compute out of AWS rather than buying our own infrastructure."

"You are able to scale the solution vertically. It's very scalable."

More AWS Snowball pros

Cons

"One drawback to using CloudEndure is that the default is to give one small, lightweight server, which is created in the cloud."

"There are some features in the Migration Factory that could be integrated directly into AWS Application Migration Service."

"Live Migration has some issues with target setups."

"We would like to have a disaster recovery feature included in this solution."

"I think it is important to have more logs, and more details would be great because we have just logged on the client's side, but there weren't many details on the cloud."

"I do not see any improvements required for the CloudEndure."

"The schema conversion is not included in the document management services itself. Complex formations require additional steps."

"However, I give it a six mainly due to the compatibility issues with legacy systems, which is an individual problem I am currently facing."

"It's not cheap."

"It would be helpful if Snowball provided more kinds of connectivity. That will make it easier to add and move data."

"It does have room for improvement. The ability to better ingest some of the big data."

"It's not an easy product to start using for a beginner, but If you're a professional, it's easy to understand."

"AWS support could be more responsive."

"Snowball is not interesting and is a pain to deal with."

"I think AWS Snowball could improve by expanding its availability to more countries."

"The stability of the solution isn't ideal and should be improved."

More AWS Snowball cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Live Migration's price is good."

"For me, the price of the tool is cheap and very good. It is flexible pricing since you pay just for what you use."

"It's not a cheap solution, but the price is right for the product."

"The tool's pricing depends on the type of Snowball device you choose, the amount of data you need to transfer, and the service fees involved. There’s a standard price for larger data transfers and a flat job fee, which includes the first ten days of on-site usage. Typically, there are no additional data transfer fees."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

Marketing Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	6

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with CloudEndure Live Migration?

I've never really looked at AWS Application Migration Service in a way of improving. There's always room for improvement, but I think we can improve the automation. It's already automated, but some...

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What is your primary use case for CloudEndure Live Migration?

I use AWS Application Migration Service to install application servers.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering CloudEndure Live Migration?

The main challenge I faced during migration was actually doing the migration itself. At first, I had to find a way to move or replicate the information to the cloud, which was way too manual. I thi...

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Which is better - Microsoft Azure Data Box or AWS Snowball?

Microsoft Azure Databox is a 45-pound, super rugged, tamper-resistant, human-managed hardware appliance that can transfer up to 100TB of data capacity to copy, store, then send to the Azure cloud. ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Snowball?

Depending of what is your priority; UseAWS Snowball if you are heavily invested in AWS or need edge computing features Choose Azure Data Box for smooth integration with Azure and potentially lower ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with AWS Snowball?

It's difficult to make a comparison and it depends on the customer. When analyzing costs, I must see how the customer uses AWS, Azure, or Google. Google is particularly interesting, for example, fo...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 16% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

Velostrata vs AWS Application Migration Service

Compared 13% of the time

More AWS Application Migration Service Competitors

Google Transfer Appliance vs AWS Snowball

Compared 56% of the time

Microsoft Azure Data Box vs AWS Snowball

Compared 9% of the time

Cloudwick Amorphic Data Platform vs AWS Snowball

Compared 7% of the time

Palantir Foundry vs AWS Snowball

Compared 5% of the time

IBM Cloud Mass Data Migration vs AWS Snowball

Compared 5% of the time

More AWS Snowball Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AWS Application Migration Service

September 2026

AWS Application Migration Service report

Download AWS Application Migration Service product report

Buyer's Guide

AWS Snowball

September 2026

Download AWS Snowball product report

Also Known As

CloudEndure Live Migration

Amazon AWS Snowball, Amazon Snowball, Snowball

Overview

AWS Application Migration Service offers a streamlined approach for moving workloads to the cloud by providing live migration capabilities with minimal downtime. Its user-friendly design and seamless integration with AWS services enable efficient transitions while supporting diverse workloads and database migrations.

AWS Application Migration Service is valued for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, offering live block-to-block replication to ensure data reliability. It assists in converting schemas to support database migrations and allows phased migrations with ease. Users benefit from its scalability and the ability to handle large-scale server transfers and application migrations, such as SAP and Salesforce, alongside supporting multi-region replication for distributed architectures and analytics. The service integrates well with AWS tools, simplifying cloud transitions and providing robust support for disaster recovery and cloud-to-cloud migrations.

What are the most important features of AWS Application Migration Service?

Live Migration: Enables continuous data replication with minimal downtime.
Database Migration Support: Converts schemas for smooth database transitions.
Scalability: Handles a wide range of applications and large-scale transfers.
Integration with AWS: Seamless connection with AWS services for streamlined operations.

What benefits do reviews highlight?

User-Friendliness: Simplified processes helpful for all users.
Cost-Effectiveness: Reasonable pricing structure with optimized usage cases.
Data Reliability: Block-to-block replication ensures high data integrity.
Scalability: Supports diverse workloads and large-scale migrations.

Industries utilizing AWS Application Migration Service benefit from its ability to migrate data from on-premises setups to the cloud, facilitating the movement of heavy-duty applications like SAP and Salesforce. Its support for multi-region replication aids businesses in setting up distributed architectures, while its compatibility with analytics platforms like Redshift and S3 ensures efficient data handling and integration for broader business intelligence needs.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS Snowball is an efficient tool providing high-speed data transfers, end-to-end encryption, and scalability to organizations in need of reliable data migration and integration with AWS infrastructure.

AWS Snowball offers robust data transfer capabilities, ensuring efficient management of large data volumes. It provides end-to-end encryption and tamper-evident features, enhancing data security. The interface is user-friendly and supports seamless integration within AWS. Its scalability and flexible integration options make it a valuable choice for managing complex data migrations. Despite the need for improved connectivity and broader geographical availability, continuous innovations and managed services optimize resources and time.

What are the key features of AWS Snowball?

High-Speed Data Transfer: Facilitates quick migration of large data volumes.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the process of data management.
End-to-End Encryption: Ensures data security during transfers.
Scalability: Easily integrates with AWS systems.
Edge Computing: Provides on-site processing capabilities.
Physical Durability: Designed for reliable data transport.

What benefits can users expect when implementing AWS Snowball?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces expenses associated with large-scale data transfers.
Time Optimization: Saves time in data migration processes.
Resource Optimization: Managed services enhance resource efficiency.
Seamless Integration: Supports on-premises to cloud migrations.
Security: Protects data with encryption during transfer.

Organizations across various industries utilize AWS Snowball for efficient cloud migrations and disaster recovery. In fields where bandwidth is limited, Snowball provides a solution for large-scale data transfers. Financial institutions use it for ETL processes and integrating analytical layers over current data warehouses. Industries with data validation requirements appreciate its secure data transfer features and the ability to reduce dependency on internet connections. Its edge computing capabilities address diverse environmental needs, ensuring data accuracy during migrations.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Sample Customers

Agio, Cloud Nation, Limelight Networks

Wazee Digital, Craftsy, Live Nation, Essess

Buyer's Guide

AWS Application Migration Service vs. AWS Snowball

September 2026

Free Report: AWS Application Migration Service vs. AWS Snowball

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