AWS Glacier & Glacier Deep Archive for Beginners: Cold Storage Explained
In today’s digital world, businesses generate massive amounts of data every day — from logs, backups, and compliance records to raw footage, medical archives, and historical customer files. But not all data needs to be accessed frequently. That’s where AWS Glacier and Glacier Deep Archive come in — offering extremely low-cost cloud storage designed for long-term retention and infrequent access.
If you’re new to AWS or exploring cloud archiving for your personal or professional projects, this beginner’s guide explains everything you need to know about Amazon S3 Glacier and Glacier Deep Archive — including how they work, their differences, ideal use cases, pricing, and how to get started.
What is Amazon S3 Glacier?
Amazon S3 Glacier is a cold storage class within the Amazon S3 ecosystem, designed for archiving data that is infrequently accessed but still needs long-term durability. It offers very low storage costs, with retrieval times ranging from minutes to hours, depending on your needs.
Durability: 99.999999999% (11 nines)
Availability: Designed for 99.99% availability
Encryption: Data is encrypted at rest by default
Glacier is ideal for use cases where data retrieval is needed occasionally — like regulatory compliance data, raw footage, or long-term backups.
What is Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive?
Glacier Deep Archive is a deeper and cheaper storage class than standard Glacier. It’s designed for data that you almost never need to retrieve — but must retain for years (or even decades) due to legal or compliance requirements.
Cheapest AWS storage option
Retrieval times range from 12 to 48 hours
Costs less than 1/10th of S3 Standard storage
Think of Deep Archive as your digital filing cabinet in the cloud — ideal for old tax records, media archives, research data, or backups you hope you’ll never need but must keep.
Glacier vs Glacier Deep Archive
| Feature | Glacier | Glacier Deep Archive |
|---|---|---|
| Use Case | Infrequent but occasional access | Almost never accessed |
| Storage Cost (2025) | ~$0.004/GB/month | ~$0.00099/GB/month |
| Retrieval Speed | Minutes to hours | 12–48 hours |
| Retrieval Options | Expedited, Standard, Bulk | Standard, Bulk |
| Best For | Logs, archives, backups | Compliance data, historical data |
Amazon Glacier is part of the broader Amazon S3 service and integrates seamlessly with S3 lifecycle policies.
Basic Workflow:
Store data in an S3 bucket.
Use Lifecycle Rules to move data from S3 Standard to Glacier/Deep Archive after a set period (e.g. 30 days).
Retrieve data via restore requests when needed.
Monitor with Amazon CloudWatch or logs.
The best part? You don’t have to manage hardware, media, or offsite storage anymore — AWS does it all with unmatched durability and security.
Key Features of Glacier & Deep Archive
Ultra Low Cost
Pay only for storage and retrieval — no minimum fees or hardware costs.
Secure by Default
All data is encrypted at rest and in transit using AES-256 and AWS KMS integration.
Scalable and Elastic
Store petabytes of data without upfront investment or scaling decisions.
Lifecycle Management
Automate data movement from hot to cold storage using S3 lifecycle policies.
Compliance-Ready
Supports compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP, FINRA, and more.
Common Use Cases
Compliance Archiving
Store healthcare, financial, or legal records that must be retained for 7+ years.
Digital Media Archives
Video footage, raw image libraries, podcast backups.
Backup Storage
Long-term offsite backup of EC2/EBS/S3 data for disaster recovery.
Scientific Research
Genome sequences, climate models, medical imaging.
Government or Education Archives
Historical records, institutional data, exam logs.
How to Use S3 Glacier in AWS
Option 1: S3 Lifecycle Rule
Upload your data to an S3 bucket.
Create a lifecycle rule that moves data to Glacier after X days.
AWS will transition objects automatically.
Option 2: Upload Directly to Glacier (via S3 API)
Use the S3
storage-classheader when uploading files:
Option 3: Restore Objects
Use the AWS Console or CLI to initiate a restore.
Choose retrieval speed: Expedited, Standard, or Bulk.
Access the restored object from S3 after retrieval completes.
AWS Glacier Pricing Overview (2025 Approx.)
| Item | Glacier | Glacier Deep Archive |
|---|---|---|
| Storage per GB/month | ~$0.004 | ~$0.00099 |
| Restore Request (per 1,000) | ~$0.05 | ~$0.10 |
| Data Retrieval | Varies by speed | Slower = cheaper |
| Min Storage Duration | 90 days | 180 days |
Important Notes:
Deleted data before minimum storage duration incurs pro-rated charges.
Use Glacier Bulk retrieval for cost-effective mass data recovery.
Security & Compliance
Encryption at rest using AES-256 or customer-managed keys (KMS)
IAM policies and bucket policies for access control
Logging and Monitoring via CloudTrail and CloudWatch
Object Lock and MFA Delete to prevent accidental/malicious deletions
Easily meet regulatory requirements without investing in physical backup infrastructure.
Tips for Using Glacier Efficiently
Set S3 lifecycle policies to automate archival from S3 Standard.
Choose Glacier Deep Archive for data you won’t need for years.
Use Bulk retrieval for cost-effective mass restores.
Monitor storage usage with AWS Cost Explorer.
Test restore workflows before relying on Glacier for critical recovery.
Final Thoughts: Why Choose Glacier or Deep Archive?
If your organization or project involves large volumes of data that must be kept but rarely accessed, Amazon S3 Glacier and Glacier Deep Archive offer unmatched value. They eliminate the need for expensive physical tape backups, hard drives, or offsite data centers — with global scale, built-in encryption, and seamless AWS integration.