Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Azure File Storage VS AWS Storage Gateway

Compare Azure File Storage VS AWS Storage Gateway and see what are their differences

Azure File Storage logo Azure File Storage

Try Azure File Storage for managed file shares that use standard SMB 3.0 protocol. Share data with on-premises and cloud servers, integrate with apps, and more.

AWS Storage Gateway logo AWS Storage Gateway

AWS Storage Gateway is a service connecting an on-premises software appliance with cloud-based storage.
  • Azure File Storage Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-11
  • AWS Storage Gateway Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-11

Azure File Storage features and specs

  • Scalability
    Azure File Storage can seamlessly scale up to support your data storage needs without sacrificing performance, ensuring that businesses can grow without concerns about storage limitations.
  • Managed Service
    As a fully managed service, Azure takes care of the maintenance, updates, and infrastructure, reducing administrative overhead for IT teams, and allowing them to focus on other business-critical tasks.
  • Integration
    Azure File Storage integrates well with other Microsoft products such as Windows Server and other Azure services, enabling a cohesive and efficient ecosystem for consistent and smooth user experiences.
  • Access Control
    Provides robust access control through Azure Active Directory, setting up specific permissions, ensuring that data remains secure and only accessible to authorized users.
  • Cross-platform Access
    Supports the SMB protocol, allowing access from various operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, enabling diverse environments to interact seamlessly with the storage service.

Possible disadvantages of Azure File Storage

  • Cost
    Costs can accumulate rapidly, especially in scenarios involving large volumes of data, frequent access, or high redundancy, potentially leading to substantial operational expenses.
  • Complex Pricing Model
    The pricing model can be complex with various tiers and charges based on operations, data redundancy, and outbound data transfer, making it difficult to predict the exact costs effectively.
  • Latency
    While generally fast, there can be latency issues, particularly in situations where files are accessed from regions that are geographically distant from the storage location, affecting performance.
  • Limited Customization
    Compared to on-premise solutions, there is limited capacity for customization of the infrastructure and may not meet specific needs of certain businesses that require tailor-made setups.
  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    Azure File Storage relies on stable internet connectivity, which can be a risk for businesses situated in areas with unstable networks or outages, impacting the ability to access data.

AWS Storage Gateway features and specs

  • Hybrid Cloud Capabilities
    AWS Storage Gateway allows seamless integration between on-premises storage and AWS cloud, ensuring a smooth transition and hybrid cloud operations without disrupting existing workflows.
  • Backup and Disaster Recovery
    The service provides robust options for backing up and archiving data to S3, Glacier, and other AWS storage solutions, enhancing data protection and disaster recovery capabilities.
  • Scalability
    AWS Storage Gateway leverages the scalable nature of AWS cloud storage, enabling businesses to scale their storage needs up or down with ease, based on demand.
  • Cost Efficiency
    By offloading storage to AWS, organizations can reduce the need for expensive on-premises storage infrastructure, paying only for the storage they use.
  • Data Security and Compliance
    AWS provides strong security measures, including encryption at rest and in transit, as well as compliance with several industry standards, which helps businesses meet regulatory requirements.
  • Improved Data Management
    The integration with AWS services allows for enhanced data management and analytics capabilities, facilitating better data insights and business intelligence.

Possible disadvantages of AWS Storage Gateway

  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    Since AWS Storage Gateway relies on internet connectivity for data transfer to AWS cloud, any network downtime can disrupt access to data.
  • Upfront Learning Curve
    Implementing and managing AWS Storage Gateway may require a learning curve for IT staff, especially those who are not familiar with AWS services.
  • Ongoing Costs
    While AWS Storage Gateway can reduce on-premises infrastructure costs, there are ongoing cloud storage and data transfer fees which can accumulate over time.
  • Data Transfer Latency
    Transferring large amounts of data over the internet to AWS cloud storage can introduce latency, which might not be ideal for applications requiring real-time data access.
  • Potential Vendor Lock-in
    Relying heavily on AWS services may lead to vendor lock-in, making it challenging to switch providers or migrate workloads in the future.

Azure File Storage videos

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AWS Storage Gateway videos

Cloud Storage in Minutes with AWS Storage Gateway

More videos:

  • Tutorial - What is AWS Storage Gateway | Cloud Storage Gateway Tutorial
  • Demo - AWS Storage Gateway Demo

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Azure File Storage and AWS Storage Gateway)
Cloud Storage
49 49%
51% 51
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100
Work Collaboration
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Azure File Storage should be more popular than AWS Storage Gateway. It has been mentiond 14 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Azure File Storage mentions (14)

  • A Step by Step Guide on How to Migrate from AWS to Azure
    If your workloads require shared storage, Azure Files is a nice pick. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Searching for online alternative for a synology
    Azure Files perhaps? Or if you need frequently accessed files to be quicker then Azure File Sync. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How To Upload and Delete files in Azure Blob Storage Using Blazor Apps With .NET 7
    ​To know more details: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/storage/files/. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Hosted, mappable storage?
    If you have a use case that affords any kind of budget, maybe consder Azure Files. It is an SMB share you access over the internet. Basically, windows file server but hardened and entirely managed by Microsoft. This is as hands-off as it gets for an SMB share. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Microsoft cloud drive options
    I have a client that (finally!) decided to go all-in on Azure; I had prepared the owner to expect additional costs based on their need for a file share -- I was expecting to have to use Azure Files. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

AWS Storage Gateway mentions (7)

  • Best way to use ftp(s) to s3 for document upload?
    Could Storage Gateway help here? EC2 fronts the FTP endpoint to a file server that is Storage Gateway? Source: over 2 years ago
  • Allow S3 files to be accessed from an on-prem app
    One option is https://aws.amazon.com/storagegateway/ (plus VPN). Source: over 2 years ago
  • self hosted s3 server?
    That helps, thank you. You might have a look at AWS' Storage Gateway, more specifically the S3 File Gateway. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Are there tools or service that provide near realtime file sync to s3
    I *think* storage gateway can do this (https://aws.amazon.com/storagegateway/). Also, several of the Amazon FSx services can, I think. They all basically mean you have a remote file system to which you write, and that file system gets backed up to FSx. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Best way to approach scheduling a call to move data (csv) from my ERP system to S3?
    You can deploy Storage gateway in your local environment, and copy the files to storage gateway, it will automatically sync the files to s3. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Azure File Storage and AWS Storage Gateway, you can also consider the following products

Cyberduck - A libre FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3, Backblaze B2, Azure & OpenStack Swift browser.

VMware vSAN - VMware vSAN is radically simple, enterprise-class software-defined storage powering VMware hyper-converged infrastructure. 

Igloo Software - Igloo is a modern intranet, it connects people with the information they need to do their best work.

Azure Storage Explorer - Easily manage your Azure storage accounts in the cloud, from Windows, macOS, or Linux, using Azure Storage Explorer.

IBM Cloud File Storage - IBM Cloud File Storage is flash-backed, durable, fast, and flexible NFS-based file storage.

Zadara Storage - Enterprise Storage-as-a-Service Solutions (STaaS). On premises or in the cloud. Fully-managed 24/7. Pay only for what you use. Leading companies worldwide trust Zadara Data Storage. Proud to be the best cloud storage option