Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive is ideal for organizations needing extremely low-cost, long-term storage with infrequent access and strong compliance requirements. iCloud Drive is better suited for individuals and organizations that require fast access, seamless integration with Apple devices, and user-friendly file management.
| Attribute | Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive | iCloud Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Cost per GB | Approximately $0.00099 per GB/month | Varies with plan: 50GB for $0.99/month, 200GB for $2.99/month, 2TB for $9.99/month, 6TB for $29.99/month, and 12TB for $59.99/month |
| Data Retrieval Time | Retrieval options range from 12-48 hours | Generally fast and almost instantaneous, but can vary depending on internet speed |
| Data Durability | Designed for 99.999999999% (11 nines) of data durability | Apple does not guarantee data will not be subject to damage, corruption, loss, or removal. Redundancy is used. |
| Data Availability | Designed for 99.99% availability | Accessible across Apple devices and Windows PCs via app or iCloud.com |
| Integration with Other Services | Integrates with many AWS services, including AWS CloudTrail, S3 Lifecycle policies, AWS Backup, and AWS Transfer Family. It also integrates with tens of thousands of consulting, systems integrator, and independent software vendor partners. | Seamlessly integrates with Apple apps like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. It also integrates with other Apple services, including Photos, Notes, Reminders, and Keychain password manager. Can be integrated with other cloud platforms. |
| Security Features | Offers sophisticated integration with AWS CloudTrail for logging, monitoring, and retaining storage API call activities for auditing. It supports encryption at rest and in transit, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), and access controls. | Offers standard and Advanced Data Protection with encryption. Two-factor authentication is recommended. |
| Compliance Certifications | Supports security standards and compliance certifications, including SEC Rule 17a-4, PCI-DSS, HIPAA/HITECH, FedRAMP, EU GDPR, and FISMA. | While specific compliance certifications like HIPAA are not explicitly mentioned, iCloud employs security measures and policies to protect user data. |
| Ease of Use | You can upload directly using S3 APIs, AWS Management Console, AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), or AWS SDK. | Designed to work in the background, syncing files between mobile and desktop devices. Offers automatic syncing, direct file sharing, and easy organization and tagging. |
| Scalability | Provides virtually unlimited scalability. | Offers various storage plans, allowing users to scale their storage as needed. |
| Data Redundancy | Data is redundantly stored across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) that are physically separated within an AWS Region. | iCloud employs redundancy to prevent data loss. Data is copied to multiple drives, servers, and locations. |
| Access Control | Uses AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to control access to data. | Users can share files and folders with others and set permissions to allow them to view, edit, or comment on the files. |
| Geographic Availability | Available in all Amazon Web Services China Regions, uses standard S3 APIs, and supports all S3 features. | Apple utilizes a network of data centers located in the United States, China, Ireland, Denmark, and Singapore. Apple prioritizes storing your data in data centers closest to your physical location. |
| Minimum Storage Duration | 180 days | Not available |