AWS S3 Glacier
Amazon S3 Glacier provides extremely low-cost archival storage with three archive classes optimized for different access patterns and retrieval times.
What is S3 Glacier? (Simple Explanation)
S3 Glacier is an AWS service in the Storage category. Amazon S3 Glacier provides extremely low-cost archival storage with three archive classes optimized for different access patterns and retrieval times.
When Would You Use S3 Glacier?
- Long-term data archiving
- Regulatory compliance records
- Digital preservation
- Media asset archives
- Scientific data retention
Who Uses S3 Glacier?
From startups to enterprises, S3 Glacier powers:
What Makes S3 Glacier Powerful
S3 Glacier Pricing & Free Tier
Free Tier: 5GB Standard storage, 20,000 GET requests, 2,000 PUT requests (12 months). After that, ~$0.023/GB/month.
S3 Glacier Best Practices
- 1Block all public access by default (never grant s3:* to *)
- 2Enable versioning and MFA delete on critical buckets
- 3Use lifecycle policies to automatically tier to Glacier after 90 days
- 4Encrypt at rest with SSE-KMS (not SSE-S3)
- 5Enable S3 Access Logs or CloudTrail data events for audit trail
Getting Started with S3 Glacier in 5 Minutes
- 1Open the AWS Console and navigate to S3 Glacier
- 2Click "Create bucket" or "Create file system"
- 3Name your resource (globally unique for S3) and choose a region
- 4Configure public access settings (block all public access by default) and click "Create"
S3 Glacier CLI Quick Reference
1 production-ready commands. Full CLI Library (225+ services) →
aws glacier list-vaults --account-id - --query 'VaultList[*].{Name:VaultName,ARN:VaultARN,Created:CreationDate}' --output tableList all Glacier vaultsPros & Cons of S3 Glacier
Pros
- Glacier Instant Retrieval (milliseconds access)
- Glacier Flexible Retrieval (minutes to hours)
- Glacier Deep Archive (lowest cost, 12-48h retrieval)
- S3 Glacier Vault Lock for WORM compliance
- Lifecycle policies for automatic archival from S3
Cons
- ✕Storage costs compound over time — data tends to grow, not shrink
- ✕Cross-region replication adds latency and egress costs
- ✕Inexperienced users can accidentally expose data publicly (misconfigured bucket policies)
S3 Glacier vs Alternatives
S3 Glacier vs S3
Choose S3 Glacier for Long-term data archiving and Regulatory compliance records. It excels at glacier instant retrieval (milliseconds access).
Choose S3 as an alternative when your requirements differ. Each service in the Storage category serves different architectural patterns.
Services That Work with S3 Glacier
S3 Glacier is rarely used alone. It is typically combined with:
Compliance & Security
How AWS S3 Glacier fits into major compliance standards. Browse all 41 frameworks →
S3 Glacier configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults.
NIST 800-53S3 Glacier access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families.
PCI DSS 4.0S3 Glacier encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments.
SOC 2S3 Glacier security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.
ISO 27001S3 Glacier configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
Frequently Asked Questions About S3 Glacier
What is AWS S3 Glacier?
Amazon S3 Glacier provides extremely low-cost archival storage with three archive classes optimized for different access patterns and retrieval times.
What is S3 Glacier used for?
S3 Glacier is commonly used for: Long-term data archiving; Regulatory compliance records; Digital preservation; Media asset archives; Scientific data retention. It's a core service in the storage category of AWS.
Is S3 Glacier free?
Free Tier: 5GB Standard storage, 20,000 GET requests, 2,000 PUT requests (12 months). After that, ~$0.023/GB/month.
What are the key features of S3 Glacier?
S3 Glacier's most important capabilities include: Glacier Instant Retrieval (milliseconds access). Glacier Flexible Retrieval (minutes to hours). Glacier Deep Archive (lowest cost, 12-48h retrieval). S3 Glacier Vault Lock for WORM compliance. Lifecycle policies for automatic archival from S3. Each of these is designed to help teams long-term data archiving.
How does S3 Glacier compare to alternatives?
S3 Glacier competes with both AWS-native alternatives (S3, Backup, CloudTrail) and third-party equivalents. The right choice depends on your specific requirements for scalability, cost, and operational overhead. See the comparisons section below for detailed guidance.
Which compliance frameworks apply to S3 Glacier?
CIS AWS v3.0: S3 Glacier configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults. NIST 800-53: S3 Glacier access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families. PCI DSS 4.0: S3 Glacier encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments. SOC 2: S3 Glacier security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria. ISO 27001: S3 Glacier configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
People also search for
Was this page helpful?
Ready to secure your S3 Glacier configuration?
Pavora continuously monitors your AWS S3 Glacier for misconfigurations, compliance violations, and security risks.