# Tigris vs AWS S3: Which Should I Use? Both Tigris and AWS S3 store objects using the S3 API. Tigris adds zero egress fees, automatic global distribution, and multi-cloud support. S3 offers deeper AWS integration and additional services like Glacier and S3 Select. ## Frequently Asked Questions[​](#frequently-asked-questions "Direct link to Frequently Asked Questions") **Is Tigris cheaper than S3?** For most workloads, yes. Tigris has zero egress fees. AWS S3 charges $0.09/GB for internet data transfer, which can dominate costs for data-intensive workloads. A workload transferring 5 TB/month saves over $450/month on egress alone. **Is Tigris as fast as S3?** For workloads running outside of AWS, Tigris delivers roughly 4x the throughput and sub-10ms P90 read latency for small objects. For workloads running inside AWS, S3 has a latency advantage due to co-location. **Can I use Tigris and S3 together?** Yes. Use shadow buckets to keep Tigris and S3 synchronized, or use both services for different buckets in the same application. **What S3 features does Tigris not support?** S3 Select, Glacier/archive tiers, Object Lambda, and S3 Access Points. Tigris supports over 90% of the S3 API, covering all commonly used operations. **Do I need to change my code to switch from S3 to Tigris?** No. Change the endpoint to `https://t3.storage.dev` and update credentials. All SDK calls remain the same. See [Replace AWS S3 with Tigris](https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/ai-agents/replace-s3-with-tigris.md). ## When Should I Choose Tigris Over S3?[​](#when-should-i-choose-tigris-over-s3 "Direct link to When Should I Choose Tigris Over S3?") ### Choose Tigris when:[​](#choose-tigris-when "Direct link to Choose Tigris when:") * The workload has significant data transfer costs (egress fees dominate spend). * The application runs across multiple clouds or regions. * The project needs global data distribution without manual replication setup. * You want a single endpoint instead of region-specific URLs. * The project is an AI/ML workload that moves data between training and inference environments. * You need bucket forks for isolated experiments or agent environments. * You want predictable costs without egress surprises. ### Choose S3 when:[​](#choose-s3-when "Direct link to Choose S3 when:") * The application is tightly coupled to AWS services (Lambda, SQS, SNS) and needs co-located low-latency access. * You need S3 features that Tigris does not support (S3 Select, Glacier, Object Lambda, S3 Access Points). * You need deep AWS IAM integration with cross-service policies. * Compliance requirements mandate data residency on AWS infrastructure. ## How Do Tigris and S3 Compare Feature by Feature?[​](#how-do-tigris-and-s3-compare-feature-by-feature "Direct link to How Do Tigris and S3 Compare Feature by Feature?") | Feature | Tigris | AWS S3 | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------- | | **S3 API compatibility** | Over 90% of S3 API | Full S3 API | | **Egress fees** | None | $0.09/GB internet, $0.01-0.02/GB cross-region | | **Storage pricing** | $0.02/GB/month | $0.023/GB/month (S3 Standard) | | **Global distribution** | Automatic, single endpoint | Manual cross-region replication | | **Endpoint** | `https://t3.storage.dev` (global) | Region-specific endpoints | | **Region model** | Single global endpoint, auto-routing | Choose a region per bucket | | **Data replication** | Automatic, access-pattern-based | Manual CRR/SRR configuration | | **Bucket forks** | Yes, instant zero-copy | No | | **Shadow bucket migration** | Yes, zero-downtime | N/A | | **Multi-cloud support** | Yes, vendor-neutral | AWS only | | **Free tier** | 5 GB, 10K Class A, 100K Class B | 5 GB storage, 20K GET, 2K PUT | | **Multipart upload** | Yes | Yes | | **Presigned URLs** | Yes | Yes | | **Versioning** | Yes | Yes | | **Lifecycle rules** | Yes | Yes | | **Object notifications** | Yes | Yes (via EventBridge, SNS, SQS) | | **S3 Select** | No | Yes | | **Glacier/Archive tiers** | No | Yes | | **Object Lambda** | No | Yes | ## How Do Costs Compare?[​](#how-do-costs-compare "Direct link to How Do Costs Compare?") Egress fees are the primary cost driver for data-intensive workloads on S3. Tigris eliminates this cost entirely. A workload that stores 1 TB and transfers 5 TB/month out to the internet: | Cost Component | Tigris | AWS S3 (us-east-1) | | -------------- | ------------- | ------------------ | | Storage (1 TB) | $20/month | $23/month | | Egress (5 TB) | $0 | $450/month | | **Total** | **$20/month** | **$473/month** | ## How Do I Switch from S3 to Tigris?[​](#how-do-i-switch-from-s3-to-tigris "Direct link to How Do I Switch from S3 to Tigris?") Change the endpoint and credentials. All SDK calls remain the same: ``` // Before: AWS S3 const client = new S3Client({ region: "us-east-1" }); // After: Tigris const client = new S3Client({ region: "auto", endpoint: "https://t3.storage.dev", }); ``` For existing data, use [shadow buckets](https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/migration/aws-s3.md) for zero-downtime migration. See the full [Replace AWS S3 with Tigris](https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/ai-agents/replace-s3-with-tigris.md) guide. ## Learn More[​](#learn-more "Direct link to Learn More") * [Tigris Object Storage for AI Coding Agents](https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/ai-agents.md) * [Replace AWS S3 with Tigris](https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/ai-agents/replace-s3-with-tigris.md) * [Performance Benchmarks: AWS S3](https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/overview/benchmarks/aws-s3.md) * [Migrate from AWS S3](https://www.tigrisdata.com/docs/migration/aws-s3.md)