S3 Storage Classes
S3 offers multiple storage classes based on access frequency. The less frequently you access data, the lower the storage cost, but minimum storage duration, retrieval fees, and retrieval time all increase.
| Aspect | S3 Standard | S3 Intelligent-Tiering | S3 Standard-IA | S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval | S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval | S3 Glacier Deep Archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access frequency | Frequent | Unknown or changing | Infrequent (about monthly) | Rare, but needs immediate access | Rare (a few times/year) | Almost never |
| Min. storage duration | None | None for Frequent, Infrequent, and Archive Instant Access tiers | 30 days | 90 days | 90 days | 180 days |
| Retrieval time | Immediate | Immediate (optional Archive tiers are asynchronous) | Immediate | Immediate | Minutes to 12 hours | 9–48 hours |
| Retrieval fee | None | None for Frequent and Infrequent tiers (monitoring fee applies) | Per GB | Per GB | Per request + per GB | Same, with the lowest storage cost |
| Typical use | Active web content | Data with unpredictable access patterns | Backups, DR | Archives needing instant access, such as medical images or media assets | Long-term archive, compliance | Regulatory/long-term audit logs |
How to Choose
When access frequency is predictable, use lifecycle rules to transition Standard → IA → Glacier automatically. For irregular, unpredictable access patterns, use S3 Intelligent-Tiering to auto-optimize cost (for a small monitoring fee). Before moving infrequently accessed data into a class with a minimum storage duration like Standard-IA, confirm it won't be deleted or overwritten within that window — you're billed for the minimum duration even if deleted early.
Exam Points
- SAA frequently tests "access frequency unknown" → Intelligent-Tiering, and "might be deleted within 30 days" → Standard-IA is unsuitable
- Automatic tiering via lifecycle policies for cost optimization is a recurring SAA/SAP theme
- One Zone-IA stores data in a single AZ, which can be unsuitable depending on availability requirements — a common exam trap
Related Service Guides
References
Last updated: 2026-09-06
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