Object access, file access & analytics · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon S3 Files / Mountpoint for Amazon S3 vs Cloud Storage FUSE
Mountpoint for Amazon S3 maps to Cloud Storage FUSE, which mounts buckets as a local file system on VMs and GKE.
There is no managed NFS front end like S3 Files.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon S3 Files Mountpoint for Amazon S3 | Cloud Storage FUSE |
| Lifecycle | Launched Apr 7, 2026. Built on Amazon EFS technology. Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | A shared file system linked to an S3 bucket or prefix. It mounts on EC2, Lambda, EKS, and ECS, caches actively used data on high-performance storage, and keeps the file system and bucket in sync in both directions. An open-source FUSE client that mounts a bucket as a local file system on Linux, optimized for high-throughput reads and sequential writes. Not fully POSIX. It's designed for reading large files and writing new ones, not for in-place edits. | Mounts Cloud Storage buckets as a local file system on VMs and GKE, with caching options. Not a POSIX file system. |
| Pricing model | S3 Files charges for data on its high-performance storage, small-file reads and all writes, and S3 requests made during sync. Mountpoint is free; you pay for S3 requests. | Cloud Storage FUSE is free; you pay Cloud Storage operations and storage. |
| Docs | Amazon S3 Files docs Mountpoint for Amazon S3 docs | Cloud Storage FUSE docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon S3 Files pricing Mountpoint for Amazon S3 pricing | — |
Key differences
- Google states Cloud Storage FUSE is not a POSIX file system and behaves differently from NFS or SMB.
- For a real shared file system over the same data, use Filestore or Managed Lustre with import and export.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- S3 Files charges for data on its high-performance storage, small-file reads and all writes, and S3 requests made during sync. Mountpoint is free; you pay for S3 requests. Amazon S3 Files pricing → Mountpoint for Amazon S3 pricing →
- GCP
- Cloud Storage FUSE is free; you pay Cloud Storage operations and storage.
And on Azure?
Partial match Azure's equivalent is NFS 3.0 protocol support for Blob Storage, BlobFuse2. AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon S3 Files and Mountpoint for Amazon S3?
Mountpoint for Amazon S3 maps to Cloud Storage FUSE, which mounts buckets as a local file system on VMs and GKE. There is no managed NFS front end like S3 Files.
How does pricing compare between Amazon S3 Files and Mountpoint for Amazon S3 and Cloud Storage FUSE?
AWS: S3 Files charges for data on its high-performance storage, small-file reads and all writes, and S3 requests made during sync. Mountpoint is free; you pay for S3 requests. Google Cloud: Cloud Storage FUSE is free; you pay Cloud Storage operations and storage. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
NFS 3.0 protocol support for Blob Storage and BlobFuse2 (partial match). Amazon S3 Files (a managed shared file system over a bucket) and Mountpoint for Amazon S3 map to NFS 3.0 support for Blob Storage and BlobFuse2.