Object storage is a data architecture type that’s used to store large amounts of unstructured data.
The web is filled with unstructured data, which includes things like text files, images, web pages and media files. Object storage gives businesses an effective way to manage large quantities of this type of data.
In this post, I explain what object storage is, how it compares to other storage types, what its benefits are and which data providers offer it.
What is Object Storage? Quick Summary
Server rackers in a data center
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To understand what object storage is and why it’s important, you need to understand what unstructured data is.
Unstructured data is any data that does not fit in a strict format that arranges data into rows and columns in a predefined data model.
Much of the internet is made up of unstructured data, from email and text files to images and media files.
Without object storage, accessing this data is difficult. Because it doesn’t use a predefined data model, it can be difficult for humans and applications alike to locate this type of data when needed.
It’d be like stepping into a warehouse to get an item you need but having to locate it in an unorganized, towering pile of similar items.
Object storage separates data into individual units that are distinct from one another. Each unit, or “object,” is made up of three components:
- The data
- Metadata
- Unique identifier, or “unique ID”
So, instead of collecting data in an unkempt pile that’s difficult to sift through, object storage arranges it in a data warehouse and assigns it a unique ID, allowing applications to access it efficiently.
Object storage can be done locally, but most businesses opt for cloud storage.
How Does Object Storage Work?
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A typical storage system has a hierarchy for organizing data. For example, you can organize data in a file storage system into subfolders, then organize those subfolders into parent folders, giving the original file a direct file path.
Object storage is different. Data in this storage system is stored in a flat environment, or a “storage pool.” It is not organized into folders or any other type of hierarchical system.
This is why each object is assigned metadata and a unique ID that distinguishes it from all other data in the environment. Without these identifiers, locating data that’s grouped together in one large flat data environment would be difficult.
Applications use RESTful APIs as well as HTTP and HTTPS protocols to locate data by querying object metadata. It’s this metadata that makes accessing unstructured data in an object storage environment so efficient.
Object storage is also highly scalable. Storage pools can be distributed across several devices and data centers when needed, allowing the data environment to scale to accommodate and balance loads in the petabyte and exabyte ranges.
Related: Ultimate Guide to Safe Cloud Storage
Object Storage vs File Storage
File storage organizes data into hierarchies, such as folders and subfolders.
Files are given names and metadata before being placed in a folder. This gives them a direct file path, which you can use to locate them easily.
Object storage doesn’t use hierarchies. It stores data in a flat data environment instead.
This makes it much more flexible than file storage and much better suited for handling large amounts of unstructured data.
Object Storage vs Block Storage
A block storage system separates data into chunks and stores them as “blocks,” each having a fixed size.
The system pulls these blocks in from multiple locations and rebuilds them when needed.
Like object storage, block storage does not use a predefined hierarchy system to organize data. It uses a flat data environment and unique identifiers that help locate data.
Unlike object storage, metadata in a block storage environment cannot be customized, making it more limited. It can only use basic file attributes.
Block storage is known for performing better in spite of this due to how fast it handles data retrieval.
Use Cases for Object Storage
Common use cases for object storage include:
- Backup and recovery
- Data archiving
- Cloud-native applications
- Content delivery
- Content management
- Big data analytics
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Machine learning, especially in generative AI
Because object storage is so well suited for storing an endless amount of unstructured data and is cheaper than other solutions when it comes to storage costs, it’s a common solution for any project that produces large amounts of this kind of data.
This includes being used as a backup and data archiving solution.
It’s also one of the best solutions for storing a large amount of rich media, including videos, images and audio files.
Finally, analytics and AI companies produce a lot of data by nature. Object storage gives them the space and scalability they need to create a colossal amount of data in a short period of time.
What are the Benefits of Object Storage?
Object storage has several benefits, such as:
- Scalability on a very large scope
- Better protection against data loss and outages
- Simplicity
- Easier to search
- Cheaper
Scalability
Object storage doesn’t face the same limitations as file storage or block storage when it comes to scalability.
Because it operates in a flat data environment, you can scale it as much as you need to in order to support large workloads.
Better Security
Object storage has the ability to copy data automatically and store copies in multiple locations at once, including multiple devices and geographic locations.
This prevents outages and data loss, making data more accessible even when attacks, theft and disasters threaten it.
It also speeds up the recovery process when disasters do occur.
Related: Is the Cloud Secure?
Simplicity
Hierarchies in file storage have their advantages and disadvantages.
For one, they help you organize data into classification systems that make sense, such as storing audio files in a folder labeled “Music” and photos in a folder labeled “Images.”
However, this makes locating data quite complex. Instead of being able to identify data by a unique ID, you need to know its name and direct file path.
Object storage, while overwhelming in nature, is actually more efficient when it comes to accessing data. Instead of needing to sift through a hierarchy system, all you need to do is reference a unit’s unique ID in order to locate it.
Easier to Search
Object storage also uses metadata to distinguish objects from one another.
“Metadata” is any attribute you tag a file with in order to categorize it based on certain parameters.
For example, you can tag objects with attributes that identify them based on things like cost and consumption and actions like retention and deletion.
This gives you an efficient way to search for data.
Cheaper
The simplicity of object storage has an additional benefit in cheaper storage costs. Object storage is often cheaper than file and block storage solutions.
Here’s an example from Amazon Web Services (AWS), which charges the following rates for the data giant’s US-Ohio servers:
- S3 (object storage) – $0.023/GB for your first 50TB/month
- EBS (block storage) – $0.08/GB for general purpose SSD storage
- EFS (file storage) – $0.30/GB for “high-performance SSD storage”
You’re often only charged for what you need, so it’s a fairly cost efficient way of storing massive amounts of unstructured data.
What are Disadvantages of Object Storage?
Cons of object storage include:
- Higher data retrieval costs
- Slow data transfer speeds
- High latency
- Lack of data modification
One of the biggest downsides of using object storage is the way its costs can increase over time.
While initial storage might be cheaper than other solutions, many providers charge more for accessing data in this type of environment. The costs of retrieving data will be labeled as “egress fees” in your billing summary.
Performance is another disadvantage.
While object storage is certainly an efficient way to store unstructured data, it’s still not as fast as block storage when it comes to transferring data.
It has higher latency as well, making it unsuitable for applications that require low-latency performance, such as real-time analytics applications and transactional databases.
You also can’t modify objects. If you need to make changes to data in an object storage environment, you’ll need to reupload a modified version of that data.
This uses more bandwidth, and if you need to retain the original copy for versioning purposes, you’ll need to pay the costs of storing both copies.
Top Object Storage Providers
These are some of the most popular object storage providers for businesses:
- Amazon S3
- Microsoft Azure Blob Storage
- Google Cloud Storage
- IBM Storage Scale
- Cloudflare R2
- Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
- Cloudian
- Wasabi
Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud are the most popular solutions for object storage, though they’re more geared toward enterprise customers.
Backblaze B2 and Cloudflare R2 are favored among individual developers and smaller operations.
Cloudflare R2 has a free tier that allows you to store up to 10GB per month. Its paid tier is cheap at a rate of $0.015/GB per month (as of April 2026), and it charges zero egress fees, saving you from the usual fees that accrue from accessing object storage files.
Related: Microsoft Azure vs AWS: Which Cloud Platform is Best?
