Object storage · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon S3 access control (IAM, bucket policies, presigned URLs) vs Cloud Storage access control (IAM, signed URLs)
S3 IAM, bucket policies, and presigned URLs map to Cloud Storage IAM (with uniform bucket-level access), managed folders, and signed URLs.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon S3 access control (IAM, bucket policies, presigned URLs) | Cloud Storage access control (IAM, signed URLs) |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Access is granted by IAM identity policies and bucket policies (ACLs are disabled by default), with Block Public Access, VPC endpoints for network control, and presigned URLs for time-limited sharing. | IAM with uniform bucket-level access (or legacy ACLs), managed folders, and time-limited signed URLs. |
| Pricing model | No charge for IAM or bucket policies. Requests are billed normally. | No charge for access control features; you pay for storage and operations. |
| Docs | Amazon S3 access control (IAM, bucket policies, presigned URLs) docs | Cloud Storage access control (IAM, signed URLs) docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon S3 access control (IAM, bucket policies, presigned URLs) pricing | — |
Key differences
- Google recommends uniform bucket-level access, which disables object ACLs, much like S3 Object Ownership's bucket-owner-enforced setting.
- Permissions are granted with IAM policies on the bucket, project, or folder; there are no resource-based JSON bucket policies with conditions like S3's.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- No charge for IAM or bucket policies. Requests are billed normally. Amazon S3 access control (IAM, bucket policies, presigned URLs) pricing →
- GCP
- No charge for access control features; you pay for storage and operations.
And on Azure?
Direct match Azure's equivalent is Azure Storage access control (Entra RBAC, SAS, network rules). AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon S3 access control (IAM, bucket policies, presigned URLs)?
S3 IAM, bucket policies, and presigned URLs map to Cloud Storage IAM (with uniform bucket-level access), managed folders, and signed URLs.
How does pricing compare between Amazon S3 access control (IAM, bucket policies, presigned URLs) and Cloud Storage access control (IAM, signed URLs)?
AWS: No charge for IAM or bucket policies. Requests are billed normally. Google Cloud: No charge for access control features; you pay for storage and operations. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure Storage access control (Entra RBAC, SAS, network rules) (direct match). S3 IAM policies, bucket policies, and presigned URLs map to Microsoft Entra ID with Azure RBAC data roles, the storage account firewall and private endpoints, and shared access signatures (SAS).