I'm not super familiar with AWS services, but I'm considering using Amazon S3 because Google Drive has limited free storage and can get pricey if you exceed it. Can I actually use S3 for this purpose? If so, what are the pros and cons I should be aware of?
4 Answers
If you're not already familiar with AWS, sticking with Google Drive might be a better idea. It can get confusing and expensive if you don't know what you're doing with S3. Plus, Google Drive offers 15GB for free, which is more than S3's free tier of just 5GB.
One thing to consider is the costs with S3 can add up quickly! You’ll pay for storage, ingress, and egress. If you plan to upload and download often, you could face hefty fees. I'd recommend starting with Google Drive if it meets your needs.
Yes, you can definitely use S3! Here are the pros and cons:
**Pros:**
1. Economical once you go past the free tier.
2. You can choose a storage tier that fits your needs to save money.
3. It’s not too hard to set up if you're willing to learn.
**Cons:**
1. It's not a plug-and-play solution like Google Drive.
2. There’s no official S3 client, so you'll have to research the best tools to manage your storage.
3. Configuration and security are entirely your responsibility, and support from AWS is limited unless you pay for it.
Thanks for breaking that down! It's nice to see the pros and cons laid out like this.
If the storage is all about photos and videos like personal backups, consider other options too! Backblaze B2, for example, offers cheaper pricing and the first 10GB is free. Plus, you could integrate it with something like ownCloud for a similar experience to Google Drive.
Great tip! I hadn't considered Backblaze as an option.
That's a solid suggestion, thanks! I'll look into it.
I agree with you there! I found setting up S3 to be a bit tricky, but once you get it, it’s pretty flexible.