Object tiers, lifecycle & protection
Amazon S3 storage classes / Amazon Glacier (original vault service) vs Blob Storage access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive)
S3 storage classes map to Blob access tiers.
Standard-IA maps to cool (30-day minimum), Glacier Instant Retrieval maps to cold (90 days), and Glacier Flexible Retrieval and Deep Archive both map to archive (180 days, offline).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon S3 storage classes Amazon Glacier (original vault service) Maintenance | Blob Storage access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive) |
| Lifecycle | Generally available The standalone vault-based Glacier service (2012 REST API) no longer accepts new customers. Existing data stays accessible. AWS recommends the S3 Glacier storage classes instead. | Generally available |
| What it is | Standard, Intelligent-Tiering, Express One Zone, Standard-IA, One Zone-IA, Glacier Instant Retrieval, Glacier Flexible Retrieval, and Glacier Deep Archive. Minimum storage durations are 30 days (the IA classes), 90 days (Glacier Instant and Flexible), and 180 days (Deep Archive). Archive storage in vaults with its own API, separate from S3 and the S3 Glacier storage classes. | Online hot, cool (30-day minimum), and cold (90-day minimum) tiers, plus the offline archive tier (180-day minimum, rehydration up to 15 hours). Tiers apply to block blobs; archive needs an LRS, GRS, or RA-GRS account. |
| Pricing model | Lower GB-month as you go colder, with per-GB retrieval fees, minimum durations (30, 90, or 180 days), and a 128 KB minimum billable object size on the IA classes and Glacier Instant Retrieval. | Lower GB-month as you go colder, with per-GB retrieval fees and prorated early-deletion charges for cool (30 days), cold (90 days), and archive (180 days). |
| Docs | Amazon S3 storage classes docs Amazon Glacier (original vault service) docs | Blob Storage access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive) docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon S3 storage classes pricing Amazon Glacier (original vault service) pricing | Blob Storage access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive) pricing |
| Exams | CLF-C02 SAA-C03 SOA-C03 | AZ-900 AZ-104 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Granularity. In S3 the storage class is set per object. On Azure the tier is set per block blob, with a default tier (hot, cool, cold, or smart) set on the account.
- Archive. Azure has one archive tier. Rehydration takes up to 15 hours and must go to an online tier before you can read. S3 has two archive classes, Glacier Flexible Retrieval (minutes to hours) and Deep Archive (within 12 hours for standard retrieval, lowest cost), and restores create a temporary copy.
- Redundancy limits. Blob archive isn't supported in ZRS, GZRS, or RA-GZRS accounts. S3 Glacier classes keep their multi-AZ design.
- Single-zone tiers. S3 One Zone-IA has no matching Azure tier. The nearest is the cool tier in an LRS account.
- Legacy. The original standalone Amazon Glacier vault service accepts no new customers. Use the S3 Glacier storage classes.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Lower GB-month as you go colder, with per-GB retrieval fees, minimum durations (30, 90, or 180 days), and a 128 KB minimum billable object size on the IA classes and Glacier Instant Retrieval. Amazon S3 storage classes pricing → Amazon Glacier (original vault service) pricing →
- Azure
- Lower GB-month as you go colder, with per-GB retrieval fees and prorated early-deletion charges for cool (30 days), cold (90 days), and archive (180 days). Blob Storage access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive) pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 | AWS | Foundational | current Italian and German versions retire after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate SAA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Italian version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate SOA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Replaces AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (SOA-C02), whose last exam day was Sep 29, 2025. Simplified Chinese and Korean versions retire after Nov 19, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 | Azure | Fundamentals | current |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate AZ-104 | Azure | Associate | current |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 | Azure | Expert | current English version updated Apr 17, 2026. |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon S3 storage classes and Amazon Glacier (original vault service)?
S3 storage classes map to Blob access tiers. Standard-IA maps to cool (30-day minimum), Glacier Instant Retrieval maps to cold (90 days), and Glacier Flexible Retrieval and Deep Archive both map to archive (180 days, offline).
How does pricing compare between Amazon S3 storage classes and Amazon Glacier (original vault service) and Blob Storage access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive)?
AWS: Lower GB-month as you go colder, with per-GB retrieval fees, minimum durations (30, 90, or 180 days), and a 128 KB minimum billable object size on the IA classes and Glacier Instant Retrieval. Azure: Lower GB-month as you go colder, with per-GB retrieval fees and prorated early-deletion charges for cool (30 days), cold (90 days), and archive (180 days). Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02); AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate (SOA-C03); Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).
Is the Azure cold tier the same as S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval?
Microsoft's AWS comparison maps them. Both are online, millisecond-access tiers for rarely read data, with a 90-day minimum. Azure archive is offline and maps to Glacier Flexible Retrieval and Deep Archive.