Where it fits
S3 is a natural option when the application already runs in AWS. Keeping the bucket close to compute can simplify the architecture, while public downloads need a separate look at outbound traffic.
For a standalone file library, compare the whole delivery path with other object stores—not just the capacity rate.
What the calculator covers
- S3 Standard in US East (N. Virginia).
- Tiered storage, ordinary PUT-class and GET-class requests, and direct internet transfer.
- The shared 100 GiB AWS transfer allowance when it is available and enabled.
CloudFront, KMS, replication, acceleration and other paid additions are extra. Ireland is a documented location in the comparison, but the calculator does not use Irish prices.
Before choosing
Test the operations your client actually makes: multipart uploads, listing, retries and ranged downloads can produce more calls than a simple file count suggests.
Decide how users reach private files and how access expires. Then budget a busy month as well as an ordinary one.
The S3 versus R2 guide compares direct delivery. The request-cost guide explains why operation volume matters.
