Choosing the right object storage solution between Cloudflare R2 and Amazon S3 is essential in 2025. Both are popular options in the cloud storage market, but they differ in key areas such as pricing and performance. Making an informed decision is essential for you to optimize your data management strategies.
Whether you’re managing large volumes of data, offloading files, or aiming to reduce costs, selecting the appropriate service can significantly impact your operations.
In this blog, we will compare Cloudflare R2 vs AWS S3 to help you determine which option best suits your needs this year.
Cloudflare R2 Overview
Cloudflare R2 is a global object storage solution with no egress fees. It is S3-compatible, allowing businesses to use familiar tools and libraries. This makes R2 a cost-effective alternative to traditional cloud storage.
R2 helps companies avoid vendor lock-in. It works with Cloudflare Workers to manage data across 330+ data centers. This setup improves content delivery and performance, especially for dynamic content.
Businesses can easily migrate data from other providers like Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage to Cloudflare R2.
R2 also supports event-driven applications, triggering workflows based on data changes. With no hidden costs, R2 is a great option for companies wanting to save money while maintaining performance.
Key features
- S3-Compatible Storage: Works with the S3 API, making it easy to use existing S3 tools and libraries.
- Zero Egress Fees: No charges for data transfer out, helping reduce cloud costs.
- Global Network: Integrated with Cloudflare’s network of over 330 data centers for faster access.
- Easy Data Migration: Offers automated migration from other providers like Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage.
- No Vendor Lock-In: Allows flexibility to move and store data without being tied to a single provider.
- Edge Integration: Works with Cloudflare Workers for seamless routing, authentication, and deploying edge functions.
- Dynamic Content Optimization: Extends cache lifetimes and provides low-latency access for large files.
- Event-Driven Applications: Supports event notifications and Queues for automating workflows.
Pricing structure
It has several plans. Starts at $0.015 per GB per month for storage.
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AWS S3 Overview
Amazon S3 is a secure and scalable object storage service. It can store any amount of data for various purposes like websites, backups, and machine learning. Many businesses use Amazon S3 for its strong performance and security.
Amazon S3 is designed for 99.999999999% (11 9’s) durability. This means it keeps data safe and protected over time. It also supports big data analytics, AI, and machine learning to help businesses get valuable insights.
S3 is great for backing up and restoring important data. It helps companies meet their recovery goals and ensures data can be restored quickly when needed.
Key features
- Scalable Storage: Stores any amount of data for various use cases like websites, backups, and analytics.
- High Durability: Designed for 99.999999999% (11 9’s) durability, ensuring data safety over time.
- Global Availability: Provides reliable storage for millions of customers worldwide.
- Data Security: Offers strong security features to protect data at rest and in transit.
- Big Data and AI Support: Ideal for running big data analytics, AI, and machine learning applications.
- Cloud-Native Applications: Supports fast, scalable cloud-native mobile and web apps.
- Backup and Restore: Helps meet Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) for critical data recovery.
Pricing of AWS S3:
Pricing starts at $0.023 per GB for the first 50 TB per month (for the S3 Standard storage class).
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Detailed Comparison: Cloudflare R2 vs AWS S3
The detailed comparison of Cloudflare R2 vs AWS S3 highlights key differences between these cloud storage services. Cloudflare R2 offers zero egress fees, S3 compatibility, a global edge network, and multi-cloud architectures.
On the other hand, AWS S3 provides unmatched durability (99.999999999% or 11 9’s), deep integration with AWS services, and is best suited for data lakes, machine learning, and large-scale analytics, though it comes with egress charges and potential vendor lock-in.
Let’s explore the comparison and talk about clearly on the points.
Cost Structure:
- Cloudflare R2: It is widely promoted that Cloudflare R2 does not charge egress fees, which is a key differentiator. This pricing model helps businesses reduce overall costs, especially when transferring large amounts of data.
- Amazon S3: Charges egress fees for data transfer out of its storage, which can lead to higher costs, especially for businesses with large data transfer needs.
Compatibility:
- Cloudflare R2: Provides S3-compatible APIs, allowing businesses to use existing S3 tools, libraries, and extensions with minimal adjustments.
- Amazon S3: Naturally operates with its own S3 APIs, which are widely used and supported in many applications.
Global Network:
- Cloudflare R2: Integrated with Cloudflare’s global network of over 330+ data centers. It enables low-latency access and efficient content delivery.
- Amazon S3: While Amazon S3 provides global availability, its primary focus is centralized cloud storage with several regions and availability zones. AWS does not emphasize an edge network like Cloudflare.
Use Cases:
- Cloudflare R2: Best suited for businesses needing multi-cloud architecture, content delivery optimization, and avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Amazon S3: Ideal for data lakes, websites, cloud-native applications, machine learning, big data analytics, and long-term archiving, with proven durability and availability.
Durability and Availability:
- Cloudflare R2: Focuses more on cost savings and flexibility, though it does offer high availability through its global network.
- Amazon S3: Designed for 99.999999999% (11 9’s) durability, ensuring that stored data is highly protected and available worldwide.
Event-Driven Applications:
- Cloudflare R2: Supports event-driven applications with features like event notifications and Queues, allowing automation based on changes in stored data.
- Amazon S3: Also supports event-driven workflows and integrates with other AWS services for triggering events based on data changes.
Vendor Lock-In:
- Cloudflare R2: Focuses on avoiding vendor lock-in, giving businesses flexibility in multi-cloud strategies.
- Amazon S3: Part of the AWS ecosystem, offering deep integration with other AWS services, but making it harder to move data to other platforms without additional costs.
Quick Comparison Table: Compare Cloudflare R2 and AWS S3 Side by Side
| Feature | Cloudflare R2 | AWS S3 |
| Egress Fees | No egress fees | Charges egress fees |
| Compatibility | S3-compatible APIs | Native S3 APIs |
| Durability | High availability, but specific durability not emphasized | 99.999999999% (11 9’s) durability |
| Global Network | Integrated with Cloudflare’s global edge network (330+ data centers) | Operates in multiple regions with centralized storage |
| Cost Structure | Cost-effective with consistent pricing | Charges for data transfer and additional features |
| Event-Driven Applications | Supports event notifications and workflows | Event notifications integrated with AWS services |
| Vendor Lock-In | Avoids vendor lock-in, flexible for multi-cloud setups | Potential for vendor lock-in due to AWS ecosystem integration |
| Best For | Multi-cloud architectures, cost savings, content delivery | Data lakes, machine learning, big data analytics |
Final Recommendation
When choosing between Cloudflare R2 and AWS S3, it’s important to consider your specific needs and budget. If cost-efficiency is a top priority, Cloudflare R2 stands out with its zero egress fees and S3-compatible API. It offers a flexible, multi-cloud approach that allows businesses to avoid vendor lock-in while benefiting from a global edge network for fast content delivery. This makes R2 an excellent option for companies looking to optimize storage costs and improve content access without sacrificing performance.
On the other hand, AWS S3 is ideal for businesses requiring unmatched durability, scalability, and tight integration with the AWS ecosystem. S3 is built for high-performance applications like data lakes, machine learning, and analytics, providing 11 9’s of durability and robust tools to manage large-scale data storage. However, it comes with egress fees and the potential for vendor lock-in, which may increase overall costs.
Choosing storage providers depends on your requirements and budget. So, we recommend picking one according to your needs.
Bonus: How Do You Offload WordPress Media Files to Cloudflare R2 and AWS S3?
The Next3 Offload plugin makes it easy to offload WordPress media files to cloud storage like Cloudflare R2 or AWS S3. Moving media files to the cloud helps reduce server load and boost website performance. The plugin transfers files from your WordPress library to cloud storage, where they are stored and accessed directly when users visit your site. If we make a comparison of Cloudflare R2 vs AWS S3, we can say that Cloudflare R2 and AWS S3 both offer reliable and fast storage, perfect for media-heavy websites.
Next3 Offload is simple to set up and use. It manages offloading files automatically or selectively, optimizing database and other elements, supports WebP format images, and so on. This way, files load directly from cloud storage without slowing down your site. For WordPress users wanting a quick way to improve speed and efficiency, Next3 Offload provides an easy solution for offloading and managing media externally.
You May Also Like to Read:
- How to Offload WordPress Media Files to Exoscale Object Storage
- How to Offload WordPress Media Files to Cloudian Cloud Storage
- How to Offload WordPress Media to OVHcloud Object Storage
- How to Offload WordPress Media Files to Scaleway
- How to Offload WordPress Media to Any S3-Compatible Object Storage
Final Words
Choosing between Cloudflare R2 and AWS S3 depends on your specific needs and budget. If you value cost savings and flexibility, Cloudflare R2 is an excellent choice with its zero egress fees and S3-compatible API. This makes it ideal for businesses looking to optimize storage costs while ensuring efficient content delivery.
On the other hand, if your priorities include durability and advanced features, AWS S3 might be more suitable. It offers unmatched scalability and integration with other AWS services, making it a strong option for data-intensive applications. Assess your requirements to determine which storage solution aligns best with your goals.
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