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Head-to-head · Cloud File Storage Services

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP vs Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP #1 in Cloud File Storage Services 9.4/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit AWS
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) #6 in Cloud File Storage Services 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Amazon EFS

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP leads on 0 checks, Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAmazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP · 9.4/10
  • Most featuresAmazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP · 2 of 2

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP scores higher on our rubric for cloud file storage services: 9.4 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

On scaling model, Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP gives you Auto_scaling where Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) offers Elastic.

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP is the better fit for AWS multiprotocol enterprise storage. Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) is the better fit for elastic AWS-native file storage.

  • Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP fits best

    AWS multiprotocol enterprise storage

  • Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) fits best

    Elastic AWS-native file storage

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.

Side by side

Feature Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.9
Ranking #1 in Cloud File Storage Services #6 in Cloud File Storage Services
Best for AWS multiprotocol enterprise storage Elastic AWS-native file storage
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price Not checked yet $0.30/GB/mo
Free plan Not checked yet —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web, Linux
Support Community, Docs Docs
Integrations 8 integrations 11 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP 2/2 · Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) 1/2
Snapshots ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Managed backups ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported protocols NFS, SMB, iSCSI, NVMe-over-TCP NFSv4.0, NFSv4.1
Maximum capacity Not checked yet Not checked yet
Availability zones Not checked yet Not checked yet
Scaling model Auto_scaling Elastic
Our review
Pros
  • Supports NFS, SMB, iSCSI, and NVMe-over-TCP access
  • Combines snapshots, backups, replication, and file restoration
  • Adds tiering, deduplication, compaction, and FlexClone cloning
  • Automatic scaling to petabyte scale
  • Regional multi-Availability Zone deployment
  • NFS access across EC2, ECS, EKS, Fargate, and Lambda
Cons
  • Usage-based pricing requires separate cost considerations
  • Deployment choices vary between Single-AZ and Multi-AZ
  • Best suited to workloads that need broad protocol support
  • No permanent free plan
  • Designed around Linux workloads and NFS access
  • Costs vary by Region, storage class, throughput, and data protection use
Our verdict

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP is a fully managed cloud storage service for shared file and block storage. It is designed for AWS and on-premises workloads that need access through NFS, SMB, iSCSI, or NVMe-over-TCP. Single-AZ and Multi-AZ…

Read the review →

Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) is a managed, shared cloud file system for Linux workloads. It provides NFSv4.0 and NFSv4.1 access for AWS compute services, including Amazon EC2, Amazon ECS, Amazon EKS, AWS Fargate, and AWS Lambda. EFS…

Read the review →
  1. Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAPCloud File Storage Services 9.4Paid
  2. Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)Cloud File Storage Services 8.9Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP — where it wins

    • Supports NFS, SMB, iSCSI, and NVMe-over-TCP access
    • Combines snapshots, backups, replication, and file restoration
    • Adds tiering, deduplication, compaction, and FlexClone cloning

    Where it doesn't

    • Usage-based pricing requires separate cost considerations
    • Deployment choices vary between Single-AZ and Multi-AZ
    • Best suited to workloads that need broad protocol support

  • Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) — where it wins

    • Automatic scaling to petabyte scale
    • Regional multi-Availability Zone deployment
    • NFS access across EC2, ECS, EKS, Fargate, and Lambda

    Where it doesn't

    • No permanent free plan
    • Designed around Linux workloads and NFS access
    • Costs vary by Region, storage class, throughput, and data protection use
  • Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP9.4/10 · Paid

    A broad AWS storage service for enterprise file and block workloads.

    Visit AWSFull verdict →
  • Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)8.9/10 · Paid

    Elastic NFS file storage for Linux workloads running across AWS services.

    Visit Amazon EFSFull verdict →

More comparisons

All cloud file storage services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update