The Best Cloud File Storage Services in 2026
We researched cloud file storage services through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings reflect each service’s fit for managed shared file systems, value for money, and verified features for NFS and SMB workloads.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP#1 of 319.4/10A broad AWS storage service for enterprise file and block workloads.
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Runner-up
Alibaba Cloud File Storage NAS#2 of 319.3/10Flexible NFS and SMB file storage for Alibaba Cloud workloads, with usage-based tiers.
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Lowest paid price in the top 10
Amazon FSx for OpenZFS#8 of 318.7/10A cost-focused AWS NFS service with snapshots, backups, and flexible deployment options.
From $0.09/mo
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 31 tools, best first
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Best forAWS multiprotocol enterprise storage
A broad AWS storage service for enterprise file and block workloads.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
9.4/10★★★★★Visit AWS -
Best forBroad Alibaba Cloud file storage needs
Flexible NFS and SMB file storage for Alibaba Cloud workloads, with usage-based tiers.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forMulticloud enterprise file and block storage
A broad ONTAP storage appliance for enterprise workloads across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
9.2/10★★★★★Visit NetApp -
Best forAzure enterprise file volumes
A configurable Azure file service for enterprise workloads needing shared file access.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
9.1/10★★★★★Visit site -
Best forGoogle Cloud multiprotocol volumes
A flexible Google Cloud service for enterprise file, block, and application storage.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forElastic AWS-native file storage
Elastic NFS file storage for Linux workloads running across AWS services.
- Managed backups
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon EFS -
Best forLow-cost Windows-compatible file shares
A low-cost AWS file share for Windows workloads that need SMB and Active Directory.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon FSx -
Best forLow-cost AWS NFS storage
A cost-focused AWS NFS service with snapshots, backups, and flexible deployment options.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon FSx -
Best forAffordable shared file storage
Affordable shared storage with flexible access, scaling, snapshots, and Tencent integrations.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Tencent Cloud -
Best forIBM VPC file shares with replication
A managed NFSv4.1 file service for IBM Cloud VPC workloads needing shared storage.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit IBM Cloud -
Best forHuawei elastic NFS and SMB storage
A focused Huawei Cloud file service for elastic shared storage across cloud servers.
- Managed backups
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Huawei Cloud -
Best forElastic Huawei hybrid file access
A flexible Huawei Cloud file service for shared NFS and SMB workloads.
- Managed backups
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Huawei Cloud -
Best forManaged NFS on Google Cloud
A managed NFS service for shared storage across Google Cloud workloads.
- Managed backups
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forAlibaba high-throughput parallel storage
A specialized parallel file system for Linux-based HPC and intelligent-computing workloads.
- Managed backups
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forScalable file and object platforms
A scalable enterprise platform for file, object, block, and table data across protocols.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit VAST Data -
Best forMulticloud PowerScale file storage
Multicloud PowerScale storage with broad protocol access and enterprise data services.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forFree OCI object storage with S3 compatibility
A capable free-tier object store for teams that need S3-compatible buckets.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Oracle Cloud -
Best forAzure schemaless entity storage
A scalable Azure table service for structured entities, not general-purpose file storage.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Azure -
Best forMulticloud file data management
A multicloud file platform with broad protocol support, elastic scaling, and data controls.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Qumulo -
Best forDistributed enterprise file collaboration
A distributed file platform for enterprises that need centralized control across sites and clouds.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Nasuni -
Best forHybrid global file services
A broad hybrid file platform for distributed enterprises with contact-sales pricing.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit CTERA -
Best forGlobal distributed file collaboration
A distributed file system with global access, caching, locking, and hybrid object-storage support.
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Panzura -
Best forAWS HPC and machine-learning workloads
A strong AWS-native choice for high-throughput POSIX storage, with usage-based pricing.
- Managed backups
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon FSx -
Best forHigh-performance Google Cloud parallel filesystems
High-throughput POSIX storage with performance tiers for Google Cloud workloads.
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forAzure Linux HPC file workloads
A focused Azure service for Linux HPC workloads needing Lustre-compatible shared storage.
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Azure -
Best forMulticloud parallel file workloads
A multicloud parallel file system for high-throughput, data-intensive workloads.
7.1/10★★★★☆Contact DDN -
Best forIndividuals wanting simple personal cloud file sync
A personal cloud drive with free access, desktop sync, and paid 8 TB memberships.
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Aliyun Drive -
Best forSmall teams wanting collaborative file storage
A collaborative file service with broad access options and modest storage tiers.
- Managed backups
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit ContactOffice -
Best forDevelopers managing HDF5 data through a REST API
A focused REST service for teams that need parallel access to HDF5 datasets.
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit The HDF Group -
Best forAI and cloud-scale parallel file systems
A broad, high-performance file platform for teams with complex infrastructure needs.
- Snapshots
- Managed backups
5.5/10★★★☆☆Visit WEKA -
Best forTeams needing fax document workflows
A focused online fax service for teams managing document-based fax workflows.
5.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Dropbox Fax
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Supported protocols | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP | NFS, SMB, iSCSI, NVMe-over-TCP | 9.4 | ||
| 2 | Alibaba Cloud File Storage NAS | No | NFSv3, NFSv4.0, SMB 2.1, SMB 3.0 | 9.3 | |
| 3 | NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP | No | iSCSI, NFS, SMB, NVMe-TCP, S3 | 9.2 | |
| 4 | Azure NetApp Files | No | NFS, SMB, dual protocol, Object REST API | 9.1 | |
| 5 | Google Cloud NetApp Volumes | NFSv3, NFSv4.1, NFSv4.2, SMB, iSCSI, NVMe/TCP, S3 multiprotocol (ONTAP-mode only) | 9.0 | ||
| 6 | Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) | No | $0.30/GB/mo | NFSv4.0, NFSv4.1 | 8.9 |
| 7 | Amazon FSx for Windows File Server | No | $0.01/GB/mo | SMB | 8.8 |
| 8 | Amazon FSx for OpenZFS | $0.09/mo | NFS v3, v4.0, v4.1, v4.2 | 8.7 | |
| 9 | Tencent Cloud File Storage (CFS) | $0.06/GB/mo | NFS, CIFS/SMB, TURBO | 8.6 | |
| 10 | IBM Cloud File Storage | NFSv4.1 | 8.5 | ||
| 11 | Huawei Cloud Scalable File Service Turbo | No | NFSv3, SMB 2.0, SMB 2.1, SMB 3.0 | 8.4 | |
| 12 | Huawei Cloud Scalable File Service Turbo (SFS Turbo) | NFSv3, SMB 2.0, SMB 2.1, SMB 3.0 | 8.3 | ||
| 13 | Google Cloud Filestore | No | NFSv3, NFSv4.1 | 8.2 | |
| 14 | Alibaba Cloud Cloud Parallel File System (CPFS) | No | $0.12/GB/mo | POSIX, NFS v3 | 8.1 |
| 15 | VAST Data Platform | NFS, SMB, S3, Block | 8.0 | ||
| 16 | Dell APEX File Storage for Public Cloud | NFS, SMB, HDFS, S3 | 7.9 | ||
| 17 | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage | Yes | 7.8 | ||
| 18 | Azure Table Storage | No | OData, REST API, HTTP/HTTPS | 7.8 | |
| 19 | Qumulo Cloud Data Platform | SMB, NFS, S3, REST, FTP | 7.8 | ||
| 20 | Nasuni File Data Platform | No | 7.7 | ||
| 21 | CTERA Enterprise File Services Platform | No | 7.6 | ||
| 22 | Panzura CloudFS | 7.5 | |||
| 23 | Amazon FSx for Lustre | No | POSIX | 7.4 | |
| 24 | Google Cloud Managed Lustre | No | $0.06/GB/mo | Lustre over TCP | 7.3 |
| 25 | Azure Managed Lustre | No | Lustre, POSIX | 7.2 | |
| 26 | DDN EXAScaler Cloud | POSIX, NFS, SMB, S3 | 7.1 | ||
| 27 | Aliyun Drive | Yes | 6.8 | ||
| 28 | ContactOffice | Yes | €5/user/mo | WebDAV; SMB/CIFS | 6.7 |
| 29 | Highly Scalable Data Service (HSDS) | Yes | Free | HTTP, HTTPS, REST | 6.5 |
| 30 | WEKA Data Platform | POSIX, NFS, SMB, S3, GPUDirect Storage | 5.5 | ||
| 31 | Dropbox Fax (formerly HelloFax) | Yes | 5.5 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs Alibaba Cloud File Storage NAS
- Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP
- Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs Azure NetApp Files
- Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs Google Cloud NetApp Volumes
- Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)
- Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
- Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs Amazon FSx for OpenZFS
- Alibaba Cloud File Storage NAS vs NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP
- Alibaba Cloud File Storage NAS vs Azure NetApp Files
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How we rank cloud file storage services
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update