Cloud Storage Service Comparison

What is cloud storage?

It means "cloud" or "storage," and is a service that allows users to store photos, videos, and other files online. Normal storage involves storing data on physical storage devices on your PC or smartphone, whereas cloud storage is stored on servers operated by the service. In this sense, cloud storage is a type of rental server.

In the past, cloud storage was a service that played a single role: "cloud storage = online storage space," but today, the role is changing to one of the functions of various cloud services, such as office suites and file sharing.

What are the benefits of using cloud storage?

Cloud storage has the following three advantages

1. large storage capacity
2. single management for "anywhere, any device" access
3. reduced risk of data loss

Since cloud storage uses storage on huge servers organized in TB units, large amounts of storage, such as 30TB, which are difficult to manage in physical storage, can be used at the touch of a button.

Also, since cloud storage is online, you can access your files from anywhere and from any device as long as you have an Internet connection and account information.

Another advantage of cloud storage is that the risk of data loss is very low. Although it depends on the service you sign up for, the chance of data loss is about 0.001%. It is a good probability that the data will almost never be lost.

What are the disadvantages of cloud storage?

Although cloud storage seems to have all the advantages, it also has disadvantages.

1. significantly more expensive than physical storage
2. always have to pay a fee (1) Usable only when connected to the Internet
3. time-consuming data exchange

First, in terms of cost, cloud storage is generally 5 to 8 times more expensive than physical storage (assuming a storage life of 5 years). Furthermore, since it is a subscription service, you must continue to pay a monthly fee to continue storing your data.

Another disadvantage of cloud storage is that it is "Internet." Since you cannot access the data without an Internet connection, for example, when you are on an airplane, you cannot open the data on the cloud storage unless you download the data to your PC or smartphone in advance.

It also takes time to upload and download large or massive files. Although cloud storage services are making efforts in this area, they cannot beat physical storage in terms of "quick and easy" use.

What is the difference between a regular rental server and cloud storage?

We said that cloud storage is a type of rental server, but the difference between cloud storage and a rental server is "UI" and "maintenance performance.

Cloud storage provides an easy-to-use UI specialized for managing files, while a rental server is just a server rental, so file operability is not so high.

Also, cloud storage is sold with high "maintenance performance" such as external security and file versioning, but ordinary rental servers do not have such features.