Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Cloud File Storage Services

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP vs Amazon FSx for Windows File Server

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP #3 in Cloud File Storage Services 9.2/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit NetApp
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server #7 in Cloud File Storage Services 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Amazon FSx

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP leads on 0 checks, Amazon FSx for Windows File Server 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 scoreNetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP · 9.2/10

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP scores higher on our rubric for cloud file storage services: 9.2 against 8.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #7.

On scaling model, NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP gives you Auto_scaling where Amazon FSx for Windows File Server offers Provisioned.

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP is the better fit for multicloud enterprise file and block storage. Amazon FSx for Windows File Server is the better fit for low-cost Windows-compatible file shares.

  • NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP fits best

    Multicloud enterprise file and block storage

  • Amazon FSx for Windows File Server fits best

    Low-cost Windows-compatible file shares

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 NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Amazon FSx for Windows File Server 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.8
Ranking #3 in Cloud File Storage Services #7 in Cloud File Storage Services
Best for Multicloud enterprise file and block storage Low-cost Windows-compatible file shares
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price — $0.01/GB/mo
Free plan — —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Docs Docs, Community
Integrations 7 integrations 8 integrations
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP 2/2 · Amazon FSx for Windows File Server 2/2
Snapshots ✓ ✓
Managed backups ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported protocols iSCSI, NFS, SMB, NVMe-TCP, S3 SMB
Maximum capacity Not checked yet 64 TB
Availability zones Not checked yet 1 zones
Scaling model Auto_scaling Provisioned
Our review
Pros
  • Supports iSCSI, NFS, SMB, NVMe-TCP, and S3 protocols
  • Provides Snapshots, SnapMirror replication, backup, and data tiering
  • Runs single-node or high-availability deployments across three clouds
  • SMB access with Microsoft Active Directory integration
  • Daily and on-demand backups plus Windows shadow copies
  • AWS integrations including Backup, CloudWatch, and CloudFormation
Cons
  • Paid service with no permanent free plan
  • Enterprise features may exceed the needs of smaller workloads
  • Cloud, configuration, and license choices affect capacity limits
  • Core protocol coverage is limited to SMB
  • The entry plan uses Single-AZ HDD storage
  • Pricing varies with region, deployment, capacity, and data transfer
Our verdict

NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP is a software-only storage appliance that runs ONTAP data-management software in Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. It is designed for organizations managing enterprise and business-critical…

Read the review →

Amazon FSx for Windows File Server is a fully managed cloud file system for shared Windows-compatible storage in AWS. It serves Windows applications, Linux and macOS clients, and AWS services over SMB. Its fit is strongest for business…

Read the review →
  1. NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAPCloud File Storage Services 9.2Paid
  2. Amazon FSx for Windows File ServerCloud File Storage Services 8.8Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP — where it wins

    • Supports iSCSI, NFS, SMB, NVMe-TCP, and S3 protocols
    • Provides Snapshots, SnapMirror replication, backup, and data tiering
    • Runs single-node or high-availability deployments across three clouds

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid service with no permanent free plan
    • Enterprise features may exceed the needs of smaller workloads
    • Cloud, configuration, and license choices affect capacity limits

  • Amazon FSx for Windows File Server — where it wins

    • SMB access with Microsoft Active Directory integration
    • Daily and on-demand backups plus Windows shadow copies
    • AWS integrations including Backup, CloudWatch, and CloudFormation

    Where it doesn't

    • Core protocol coverage is limited to SMB
    • The entry plan uses Single-AZ HDD storage
    • Pricing varies with region, deployment, capacity, and data transfer
  • NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP9.2/10 · Paid

    A broad ONTAP storage appliance for enterprise workloads across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

    Visit NetAppFull verdict →
  • Amazon FSx for Windows File Server8.8/10 · Paid

    A low-cost AWS file share for Windows workloads that need SMB and Active Directory.

    Visit Amazon FSxFull 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