Comparison of S3 Storage Classes
To manage your S3 buckets optimally, we offer two specialized storage classes: S3 and S3 Eco. They differ in performance, cost structure, and ideal use case.
Setup and Access
When creating a new user in your dashboard you can choose between the profiles "s3" and "s3 eco". Depending on the choice, access is via different endpoints:
- S3: Access via
https://storage.netways.cloud - S3 Eco: Access via
https://storage2.netways.cloud
Both variants use encrypted HTTPS protocol and are fully S3 API compatible, so you can continue using your existing tools and libraries seamlessly.
Overview of the storage classes
In the following table you find the technical and economic differences at a glance:
| Feature | S3 | S3 Eco |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Performance & Availability | Cost Efficiency |
| Price per GB per month | €0.120 | €0.01584 |
| Hardware | Enterprise SSD | Enterprise HDD |
| Throughput | High | Normal |
| Latency | Low | Normal |
| Availability Zones | Multi-RZ (2 Datacenters) | Single-RZ (1 Datacenter) |
| Replication | 3x | Erasure Coding |
Detailed Analysis
Performance & Hardware
- S3 is based on SSD technology. This guarantees maximum IOPS and the lowest latencies. It is the right choice when your applications need real‑time data access.
- S3 Eco uses HDD storage media. Performance is optimized for sequential read/write operations, but it is slower for random accesses compared to SSDs.
Security & Redundancy
- S3 offers higher fault tolerance by distributing data across two datacenters compared to the S3 Eco variant.
- S3 Eco is optimized for storing data in a single datacenter, making it ideal for archiving or a cost‑effective alternative where geographic redundancy is secondary.
Recommendation: Which storage do you need?
S3 ("Hot Data")
Choose this class for data that is constantly moving or needs to be instantly available:
- Web applications: Delivering images, scripts, and media.
- Data Lakes: Active analysis of large data sets.
- Content Delivery: Fast delivery to end users.
S3 Eco ("Cold Data")
Choose this class for data that is accessed rarely or where storage cost is the primary concern:
- Backups: Cost‑effective storage of system snapshots.
- Archiving: Legal retention periods for documents.
- Cost‑optimized applications: Apps with normal requirements focusing on efficiency.
- Historical data: Data sets needed only for occasional audits or reconstructions.
Note on scalability
You can create different users for various projects within your account to use both S3 and S3 Eco in parallel for your infrastructure.