The many benefits of using cloud storage is well documented, but what are the disadvantages? One disadvantage that is often not considered and is arguably a hidden cost, are egress fees. While most cloud storage providers won’t charge you anything to move data into the cloud (ingress), egress fees are charged if you decide to move your data out of the cloud. Some providers will even charge data transfer fees when moving your data to a new geographical location within the same service.
One major issue with egress fees is that they are typically charged after the fact, which is a reason why many describe them as hidden fees. That means your business could unknowingly incur a large bill from data egress and you’ll have no choice but to pay for it since the service has already been done. This can be especially challenging for larger businesses that have multiple locations and hundreds of remote workers. Some reports have revealed just how much larger companies have paid in data transfer fees.
How Much are Egress Fees?
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question as there are several factors that impact egress fees. For starters, it will depend on how much data you’re moving out and its destination. Typically, the per-gigabyte cost will get cheaper the more data you’re moving out of the cloud. Where your data is going matters as well, if you’re transferring within the same cloud provider. Moving to an available zone that is within your current region will typically be cheaper than transferring your data to a different region. Finally, the method you choose to move your data can also impact the fees. Major providers often have different options and it’s worth shopping around to see what fits best for you and your company.
If you want to get an idea of egress fees, here are some links to published pricing from three major cloud storage providers. Since these fees can change over time, it’s recommended to check the published rates first if you plan on moving data out of the cloud.
- Amazon AWS Egress Fees (click on the Data transfer tab)
- Google Cloud Egress Fees
- Microsoft Azure Egress Fees
How do I Avoid Egress Fees?
While it’s sometimes difficult to avoid egress fees altogether, knowing about them is the first step in avoiding large bills at the end of every month. Knowledge allows you to plan ahead so you can organize the data you’re storing in the cloud to possibly limit data transfers. If egress fees are a concern for you, we recommend a hybrid cloud solution. In addition, some major providers offer alternative services to get your data out of the cloud, like Amazon’s AWS Snowball. At the end of the day, egress fees could become an expensive oversight, so being aware of what they are and how they can impact your business is one important factor of using cloud storage.
Before getting yourself locked into hidden egress fees, make sure you find the best priced solution for your business by getting a quote from WindRate.