Azure File Share vs Blob Price

Hello Handian,

Please be informed that Azure Blob Storage is generally more cost-effective than Azure File Share for large amounts of data like your 10 TB.

Azure Blob Storage Cost Advantages:

1. For most tiers (Cool, Cold, Archive), Blob storage offers significantly lower prices per GB compared to Azure File Share. The Hot tier in Blob storage can be comparable or slightly cheaper than some File Share tiers, especially for larger data volumes where tiered pricing benefits kick in.
2. Azure Blob Storage offers different access tiers (Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive) optimized for various data access frequencies. You can store infrequently accessed data in the cheaper Cool, Cold, or Archive tiers to significantly reduce storage costs. Azure File Share also has Hot, Cool, and Premium tiers, but the cost difference between them and the overall cost per GB tend to be higher than in Blob storage.
3. Unlike Azure File Share's Premium tier, where you pay for the provisioned storage regardless of usage, standard Blob storage tiers (Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive) charge you based on the actual amount of data stored. This can lead to significant savings if your 10 TB usage fluctuates or if you don't consistently use the entire capacity.
4. If your data in the 10 TB is not accessed frequently, the transaction costs in the Cool, Cold, or Archive tiers of Blob storage, while higher than the Hot tier, might still be lower overall compared to the transaction costs associated with accessing files in Azure File Share. Both services offer reserved capacity discounts for committing to a certain amount of storage for 1 or 3 years. However, given the lower base price of Blob storage, these discounts can translate to more significant absolute savings.

Azure File Share Cost Advantages:

1. Generally, the per GB cost for Azure File Share, especially the Premium tier (designed for high performance), is higher than the equivalent tiers in Blob storage. For the Premium tier of Azure File Share, you are charged for the provisioned storage, even if you are not using the entire 10 TB. This can be less cost-effective if your actual usage is lower. The Standard tiers are charged based on used capacity.
2. Depending on the frequency and type of file operations, the transaction costs in Azure File Share can become a significant part of the overall cost.

For a 10 TB storage requirement, Azure Blob Storage will likely be the more cost-effective option, especially if the data is not accessed with high frequency. You can leverage the Cool or Cold tiers to minimize storage costs.

References:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/storage/blobs/

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-plan-manage-costs

Hope the above answer helps! Please let us know do you have any further queries.

Please do not forget to "Accept the answer” and “up-vote” wherever the information provided helps you, this can be beneficial to other community members.