Introduction
Choosing the best cloud storage for professional video (pro video) can be a tedious task. Many cloud storage options have emerged as a viable solution for backup, archive, and long-term storage of video content. However, video requirements vary from traditional IT requirements.
Backup and archive requirements for video applications such as Avid, Adobe, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut are focused on storing larger amounts of video content with the need to access this content on a more regular basis for content re-purposing. As such, this article focuses on a select set of cloud providers that provide a balance of cost and access features for video backup and archive workflows designed for video pipelines.
How to Select The Best Cloud Provider for Your Business?
Video Cloud Storage Comparison
While there are numerous cloud-based video storage vendors, this article focuses on a select few as they provide an optimal balance of cost, video features, and performance.
We compare the following cloud storage options for cloud-based video backup, archive in this article:
- Amazon AWS S3 vs Microsoft Azure Blob vs Google Cloud Pricing Comparison
- Wasabi vs Backblaze Pricing Comparison
- Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive vs Frame.io Pricing Comparison
- Avid Nexis Cloudspaces Pricing
Amazon AWS S3 vs Microsoft Azure Blob vs Google Cloud Pricing Comparison
Amazon AWS S3 vs Microsoft Azure Blob vs Google Cloud for Business – Cost Comparison
Hyperscaler (AWS, Azure and Google Cloud) cloud providers enable a multitude of services including compute, networking, file-systems, object storage and applications. Each of these providers can serve as a target for video backup and archive workflows.
Pros:
- If you are looking to build a cloud strategy beyond backup and archive for a video pipeline (e.g. Editing in cloud, transcoding in cloud), these providers are the way to go.
- They offer a multitude of video storage options and provide the absolute lowest cost of storage e.g. AWS Glacier Deep, Azure Cold. However, ensure your backup and archive provider (e.g. DNAfabric) supports tiering to colder storage options.
Cons:
- Can be complex and cumbersome to set up.
- Pricing is often confusing and can result in unforeseen and exorbitant costs.
- Egress costs can be high with these providers. However, egress costs can be curbed if content is re-purposed in the cloud.
EXPERT TIP
Egress costs for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud can often be a majority of the price you pay for cloud storage. Consider re-purposing in the cloud as the egress charges are minimal for retrieving within the same AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud datacenter.
DNAfabric with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud
DNAfabric supports Amazon AWS S3, Microsoft Azure Blob, Google Cloud as a target for project backup and archive (Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, AAF) and workspace backup and archive.
In the following table, we compare storing 100 TB of content in each cloud provider with a 10% retrieval every month.
NOTE: Click on each provider for a detailed breakdown of costs.
| Cloud | Type | Storage | Egress Cost/Month (Assuming 10 TB/month egress) |
Storage + Access Cost/Month (Storage Only Cost/Month) ** |
Total Cost/Month | Total Cost/Year |
| AWS S3 | S3 Infrequent | 100 TB | $922 | $1,127 ($1,024) | $2,049 | $24,588 |
| AWS S3 | Glacier | 100 TB | $922 | $513 ($409) | $1,435 | $17,216 |
| AWS S3 | Glacier Deep | 100 TB | $922 | $242 ($109) | $1,164 | $13,967 |
| Azure Blob | Cool | 100 TB | $890 | $1,127 ($1024) | $2,017 | $24,206 |
| Azure Blob | Archive | 100 TB | $890 | $307 ($101) | $1,197 | $14,364 |
| Google Cloud | Nearline | 100 TB | $870 | $1,741 ($1638) | $2,611 | $31,337 |
| Google Cloud | Coldline | 100 TB | $870 | $921 ($716) | $1,791 | $21,497 |
| Google Cloud | Archive | 100 TB | $870 | $769 ($256) | $1,639 | $19,673 |
** Storage + Access v/s Storage Only: Larger cloud providers tend to charge an “access cost” for colder storage tiers. This column what the costs would be (Storage Only) if no access was performed. Note that this access cost is different from the egress costs.
Wasabi vs Backblaze Pricing Comparison
Wasabi or Backblaze for Business – Cost Comparison
These include Wasabi and Backblaze cloud providers that specialize in providing cloud-based object storage. They offer simpler pricing models for their storage offerings but lack the ability to provide a broader set of workflows e.g. editing in the cloud, transcoding, etc.
Pros:
- Faster access at a lower cost. Both Wasabi and Backblaze offer “hot” access storage at a cost approaching cold storage offerings from AWS and Azure.
- Wasabi is unique in that it offers download at no egress costs. However, Wasabi limits the amount of data downloaded to the amount of data stored.
- Fewer storage options make it easier to get up and running than multi-service cloud providers.
- Simpler and more transparent pricing makes these options more predictable.
Cons:
- Limited to storage only offerings making it a challenge to expand to cloud editorial, transcoding etc.
- Requires a download from cloud for any re-purposing of data. On the other hand, with multi-service cloud providers, data can be repurposed directly in the cloud.
EXPERT TIP
These providers have some of the lowest cost of hot storage and egress costs. If using the cloud for backup and archive is currently the only priority, consider these providers. However, watch out for fine print (e.g. Wasabi’s egress limitations).
DNAfabric with Wasabi vs Backblaze
DNAfabric supports Wasabi vs Backblaze as a target for project backup and archive (Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, AAF) and workspace backup and archive.
In the following table, we compare storing 100 TB of content in each cloud provider with a 10% retrieval every month.
NOTE: Click on each provider for a detailed breakdown of costs.
| Cloud | Type | Storage | Egress Cost/Month (Assuming 10 TB/month egress) |
Storage Cost/Month | Total Cost/Month | Total Cost/Year |
| Wasabi | Wasabi | 100 TB | $0** | $599 | $599 | $7,188 |
| Backblaze | B2 | 100 TB | $102 | $500 | $602 | $7,229 |
**NOTE: While Wasabi advertises zero egress costs, it is not designed for use cases where total egress exceeds total data stored. Refer to Q3. How do I know if Wasabi’s free egress policy is a fit for my use case? (https://wasabi.com/cloud-
Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive vs Frame.io Pricing Comparison
Google Drive vs OneDrive vs Dropbox vs Frame io for Business – Cost Comparison
Consumer (Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive vs Frame.io) cloud providers are designed for desktop-based content sharing. While these providers have desktop application uploaders, they do not support specialized Avid/Adobe based backup and archive out of the box. However, DNAfabric can be used with these consumer cloud providers (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Frame.io) as a target for creative application backup and archive workflows.
Pros:
- Simple setup. Requires little to no IT expertise to manage.
- Lower costs. Often can provide unlimited storage for a fixed price.
Cons:
- Limited to storage-only offerings making it a challenge to expand to cloud editorial, transcoding etc.
EXPERT TIP
Consumer cloud providers have the most flexible storage plans with no egress charges. Further, they include numerous services for collaboration, logging, tagging, searching which can work seamlessly with DNAfabric’s ability to backup and archive your data.
DNAfabric with Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, Frame.io
DNAfabric supports Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Frame.io as a target for project backup and archive (Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, AAF) and workspace backup and archive.
In the following table, we compare storing 100 TB of content in each cloud provider with a 10% retrieval every month.
NOTE: Click on each provider for a detailed breakdown of costs.
| Cloud | Type | Storage | Egress Cost/Month (Assuming 10 TB/month egress) |
Storage Cost/Month | Total Cost/Month | Total Cost/Year |
| Dropbox | Dropbox | 100 TB | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Google Drive | Google Drive | 100 TB | $0 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $12,000 |
| OneDrive | OneDrive | 100 TB | $0 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $12,000 |
| Frame.io | Active | 100 TB | $0 | $5,325 | $5,325 | $63,898 |
| Frame.io | Archive | 100 TB | $0 | $922 | $922 | $11,059 |
Avid Nexis Cloudspaces Pricing
Avid NEXIS for Business – Pros, Cons, and Costs involved
Avid Nexis Cloudspaces is an Avid Nexis add-on offering that allows for backup and archive to cloud. Avid Nexis Cloudspaces appear as regular Nexis workspaces but data copied into these workspaces are transparently synced to an Azure blob bucket in the background. These files, if accessed, are retrieved from the Azure blob bucket as needed.
Pros:
- Simple setup. Requires little to no IT expertise to manage.
Cons:
- Limited only to Avid Nexis environments.
- Expensive compared to other cloud storage offerings.
EXPERT TIP
Avid Cloudspaces provides an easy way to offload content to cloud. However, it is tied to Avid Nexis and comes in at a higher price-point than other offerings.
DNAfabric with Avid Nexis Cloudspaces
DNAfabric supports Avid Nexis Cloudspaces as a target for project backup and archive (Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, AAF) and workspace backup and archive.
In the following table, we compare storing 100 TB of content in each cloud provider with a 10% retrieval every month.
NOTE: Click on each provider for a detailed breakdown of costs.
| Cloud | Type | Storage | Egress Cost/Month (Assuming 10 TB/month egress) |
Storage Cost/Month | Total Cost/Month | Total Cost/Year |
| Avid Nexis Cloudspaces | Cloudspace | 100 TB | $720 | $2,685 | $3,405 | $40,856 |
Conclusion
We hope that our extensive list of handpicked online video storage options with pricing comparison helps you make the right choice. Which video cloud storage service aligns with your needs? Let us know in the comments below.
