5 Best Object Storage Solutions

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Object storage solutions are an effective solution to an increasingly common modern enterprise business need: how to capture and store the growing volumes of data they rely on that strikes a balance between storage, performance, security, monitoring, and compliance. At the same time, rapidly emerging digital business initiatives for better data synchronization are creating a parallel need for comprehensive storage solutions with a flexible architecture, virtually unlimited scalability, and improved resiliency.

Object storage solutions offer nearly endlessly scalable infrastructure, creating a storage pool that removes constraints and reduces complexities. More companies are adopting object storage solutions to efficiently manage data in large-scale environments. However, the market is saturated with options—understanding which aligns best with your business needs requires a deep understanding of the landscape.

To help navigate this landscape, we’ve identified and compared the top five object storage solutions based on key features.

1. Amazon S3: Best for Scalability
2. IBM Cloud Object Storage: Best for Hybrid Environment 
3. Google Cloud Storage: Best for Static Storage
4. Dell Object Storage: Best for Next-Gen Workloads
5. Microsoft Azure Blob Storage: Best for Cloud-native Workloads

Top 5 Object Storage Solutions Comparison Chart

Jump to:

• Top Object Storage Solutions Comparison
• Top Object Storage Solutions for Your Business
• Key Features of Object Storage Solutions
• Benefits of working with Object Storage Solutions
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Methodology

Amazon S3: Best for Scalability

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is a highly scalable, durable, and secure object storage service that caters to businesses of all sizes. It offers industry-leading scalability, data availability, security, and performance. Being a part of AWS cloud solutions, it can easily integrate with other Amazon applications and tools, which increases its performance and efficiency.

Amazon S3 is designed to store and protect any amount of data for virtually any use case, such as data lakes, cloud-native applications, and mobile apps.

Features

• Multiple storage tiers optimize costs
• S3 Batch Operations for data processing and storage management
• Replication features to meet Recovery Time Objectives (RTO), Recovery Point Objectives (RPO), and compliance requirements
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) delete to prevent accidental deletions
• Single global endpoint with Multi-Region Access Points to simplify managing data replication across AWS Regions
• Organization-wide visibility with S3 Storage Lens

Pros

• Intelligent tiering
• Easy-to-use data management capabilities
• Robust Data Backup

Cons

• Complex pricing structure
• Confusing security features

Pricing

Access Amazon S3 for free with the AWS Free Tier package. For subscription plans, check the estimated cost for desired services using the AWS Pricing Calculator.

IBM Cloud Object Storage: Best for Hybrid Environment

IBM Cloud Object Storage is a versatile solution that can be deployed both on-premises and in the cloud, making it an ideal choice for businesses seeking hybrid object storage solutions. It is designed to manage critical workloads that experience exponential data growth. It uses IBM’s distributed storage technologies and can be dispersed across multiple geographic locations, ensuring high durability, resiliency, and security.

Features

• Flexible storage classes cater to hot and cold data, including a smart tier for unknown or changing data usage patterns
• High-speed data transfer with IBM Aspera, allowing secure and rapid data movement to the cloud
• Immutable data retention to preserve electronic records and protect data against deletion or modification
• Actionable data insights through SQL queries and custom code execution
• Partner ecosystem with a leading marketplace for supported application partners

Pros

• Enhanced data security
• Reduced storage costs
• Security-rich data storage
• Robust partner ecosystem

Cons

• Professional support is required for deployment
• The user interface can be improved

Pricing

IBM offers three plans for its cloud object storage solutions: Lite, Standard, and One Rate. The Lite plan is free and can be used for trial. The other two plans have variable class pricing.

Google Cloud Storage: Best for Static Storage

Google Cloud Storage is an object-based storage solution that caters to businesses of all sizes. It offers multi-regional and regional storage with four options: Standard, Nearline, Coldline, and Archival. This storage solution seamlessly integrates with other powerful Google tools for warehousing and analytics support.

Google Cloud Storage is designed for high durability and availability, providing secure and reliable storage for data. It also supports a variety of data transfer methods, including online transfer, transfer appliance, and transfer service for on-premises data.

Features

• Object Lifecycle Management for storage class transitions
• Dual-region buckets for ultra availability
• Secure-by-design features for data protection and control
• Open-source analytics with ML/AI tools

 Pros

• Simplified data transfer
• Configurable security features
• Flexible retention policies
• Uniform control access

Cons

• Requires improved filtering system
• Complicated bucket management
• Needs improvement in User Interface

Pricing

Google offers limited free usage with its Always Free Usage plan. For paid plans, Google provides a detailed pricing structure based on the storage class, network usage, operations, and retrieval fees. Estimate the cost using the Google Cloud Pricing Calculator or contact sales for a customized quote.

Dell Object Storage: Best for Next-Gen Workloads

Dell Object Storage Solution is based on a modernized infrastructure that helps improve data visibility and accelerate performance. With superior storage efficiency, it offers a host of benefits like capacity monitoring, platform modernization, faster time-to-insights, and more.

Features

• Software-defined storage solution
• Unified data view
• Tiered storage options
• Future-proof data protection and compliance

Pros

• Supports hybrid and multi-cloud storage architecture
• Increases ROI
• Accurate data forecasts

 Cons

• Requires a slight learning curve
• The pricing strategy can be improved

Pricing

For pricing details, contact sales with specific requirements.

Microsoft Azure Blob Storage: Best for Cloud-Native Workloads

Microsoft Azure Blob Storage is a robust and versatile object storage solution designed for high-performance computing and offers advanced security features. Azure Blob Storage provides comprehensive data management in a cost-efficient manner, making it an ideal option for data lakes, analytics, and machine learning workloads.

Features

• Azure Active Directory for secure authentication, multi-protocol access for better data insights
• Supports serverless architectures like Azure Functions and is compatible with popular development frameworks like Java, .NET, Python, and Node.js
• Multi-protocol access for better data insights
• Durable design with geo-replication
• Advanced threat protection with Role-Based Access Control(RBAC)

Pros

• Multiple storage tiers
• Meets high-throughput requirements
• Automated lifecycle management

Cons

• Needs better UI
• Documentation could be better

Pricing

Microsoft offers flexible pricing options based on four storage tiers- Premium, Hot, Cool, and Archive. For customized pricing plans, you can check the Azure Pricing Calculator.

Learn more about object storage.

Key Features of Object Storage Solutions

With continuously changing technology and business demands, object storage solutions have evolved to accommodate new requirements. They are now equipped with advanced features that help with data analysis, categorization, optimization, and customization. Here are the top features to consider when choosing enterprise object storage solutions:

Performance monitoring and analytics

Object storage solutions help improve data manageability with efficient structurization. They replace the traditional tiered file systems with a flat data environment. As a result, it becomes easier to access and monitor data performance. Choosing solutions that increase data visibility with detailed performance monitoring and analytics is important.

Metadata custom attributes

Metadata is essential to object storage systems as it helps structurize data and improve overall visibility. It enhances search and access with unique identifiers or keys. As metadata helps effectively categorize objects, data organization, indexing, and sorting get easier. Customized metadata attributes help configure different objects according to business needs.

Security and access controls

Because object storage solutions deal with business data, they must offer advanced security features and access controls to protect sensitive and confidential information. Additionally, they should meet standard compliance requirements. When choosing an object storage solution, make sure it can handle your data security requirements, preventing data breaches and unauthorized access.

Data durability

Efficient object storage solutions should also include features for data preservation, availability, and reliability. Data loss can severely affect businesses, causing heavy financial losses and reputational damage. Object storage solutions must consider data durability with a distributed storage approach, long-term archiving, redundant mechanisms, and other features for data loss prevention.

Infrastructure management

Object storage solutions should be efficiently integrated with the business infrastructure to accommodate operations like load balancing, storage pooling, data categorization, capacity planning, and other related aspects. It is vital to check that the chosen solution is compatible with your existing business structure and can manage the infrastructural storage aspects.

Learn more about enterprise object storage use cases.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How are object storage solutions different from traditional systems?

Traditional storage systems were based on a tiered architecture that lacked flexibility and scalability to accommodate varying business needs. They also had limited integration options and were only restricted to data storage.

Object storage solutions are integrated with intelligent technologies that improve their capabilities significantly. They support advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) algorithms to help with data storage and organization, provide seamless scalability, and improve data access, management, and analysis capabilities.

How do object storage solutions work?

Object storage solutions store data in separate, distinct units in a unified address space called objects. These objects have a unique identifier or key for additional information and are stored in a distributed manner to ensure high availability. They also create multiple copies of the objects for data replication and protection. Thus, object storage solutions can efficiently manage massive volumes of unstructured data.

What are the top business benefits of object storage solutions?

The top business benefits of object storage solutions include:

• High flexibility
• Unmatched scalability
• Better data analytics
• Optimized storage allocation
• Accelerated data performance

Methodology

To decide on the best object storage solutions, we first conducted thorough research on current business needs and industry standards. Based on the results, we finalized the key features that could serve the requirements and then identified the best companies that offered object storage solutions with these advanced functionalities. We also considered user reviews to check the actual performance and customer satisfaction. After carefully evaluating all aspects, we analyzed the data and chose the best solutions.

Bottom Line: Object Storage Solutions

In an era where data is the new oil, businesses are grappling with an unprecedented surge in data volumes. The need for robust, scalable, and intelligent storage solutions has never been more critical. Object storage solutions, with their limitless scalability, flexible management, and advanced analytics capabilities, are emerging as the linchpin of modern data strategies. These solutions are not just about storing data. They’re about transforming data into actionable insights, powering next-generation workloads, and driving business growth.

Read next: How to Choose the Best Cloud Storage Solution