AWS Import/Export Snowball
Cloud migration software
ETL tools
Data integration tools
Cloud data integration software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$1,800 per job
Free Trial unavailableFree version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Transportation and logistics
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
What is AWS Import/Export Snowball
AWS Import/Export Snowball (now part of the AWS Snow Family, including Snowball Edge) is a physical data transport service used to move large volumes of data into and out of AWS when network transfer is impractical. It targets IT, infrastructure, and data platform teams performing bulk migrations, data center exits, disaster recovery seeding, or large-scale archival transfers to Amazon S3 and related AWS storage services. The service uses tamper-resistant devices shipped to the customer site, with data encrypted and then ingested into AWS upon return. It differentiates from network-based transfer tools by prioritizing offline, high-volume transfer using managed hardware logistics.
Efficient bulk offline transfer
It supports moving very large datasets without relying on WAN bandwidth, which can reduce transfer time for multi-terabyte or petabyte-scale migrations. This is useful for initial cloud seeding, data center exit projects, and periodic bulk imports/exports. Compared with network-only migration approaches, it provides a predictable path when connectivity is limited or expensive. The workflow is oriented around shipping devices rather than continuous synchronization.
AWS-native ingestion workflow
It integrates directly with AWS storage endpoints (commonly Amazon S3) and AWS job management for tracking, labeling, and device handling. Teams can incorporate it into AWS migration runbooks alongside other AWS services for staging and validation. This can simplify governance for organizations standardizing on AWS tooling and IAM-based access controls. The service is designed for one-time or batch transfers rather than ongoing integration pipelines.
Security and chain-of-custody
Data is encrypted as part of the Snowball process, and devices are designed for secure transport and handling. Job tracking and device return logistics provide an auditable chain-of-custody compared with ad hoc shipping of customer-owned drives. This can help meet internal security requirements for offline transfer. Security controls still require correct customer-side key management and operational procedures.
Not an ETL platform
It primarily moves files/objects and does not provide transformation, mapping, or workflow orchestration typical of ETL and data integration tools. Any schema conversion, cleansing, or pipeline logic must be handled before or after transfer using other services or software. Organizations expecting end-to-end integration features will need additional components. This makes it less suitable for ongoing data integration use cases.
Batch logistics add latency
Because it depends on shipping hardware, end-to-end timelines include device delivery, on-site loading, and return transit. This introduces operational coordination and potential delays compared with purely online transfer methods. It is best suited to planned migrations rather than urgent, near-real-time replication. Physical handling also requires local staffing and secure facilities.
AWS-centric destination scope
The service is designed around moving data into and out of AWS, with common landing in AWS storage services. Multi-cloud migration scenarios may require additional steps to move data onward to other environments. Teams with heterogeneous targets may prefer tools that directly connect to multiple cloud endpoints and SaaS systems. This can increase overall process complexity when AWS is not the final destination.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Combination of on‑demand (per‑job + per‑day), monthly, and 1‑year committed upfront options (regionally priced).
On‑demand (per job)
- Snowball Edge Storage Optimized (210 TB): Service fee per job (includes first 15 days on‑site):
- Up to 100 TB (includes 15 days): $1,800 (example: US regions).
- 101 TB to 210 TB (includes 15 days): $3,200 (example: US regions).
- On‑demand per‑day fee (beyond included 15 days): $250 / day (example: US regions).
- Shipping charges: standard carrier rates; in‑country shipping applies for on‑demand orders.
Monthly
- Snowball Edge Storage Optimized (210 TB): $9,885 per month (example: US regions).
- Snowball Edge Compute Optimized (up to 104 vCPUs, 416 GB RAM): $5,038 per month (example: US regions).
- Monthly pricing is charged at the beginning of the month and prorated for first month.
1‑Year Committed Upfront
- Snowball Edge Storage Optimized (210 TB): $97,268 for 1 year (example: US regions).
- Snowball Edge Compute Optimized (up to 104 vCPUs, 416 GB RAM): $37,960 per year (example: US regions).
- Shipping charges are included in the 1‑year committed upfront fee for devices; device cycling fees may apply.
Other pricing notes
- Data transfer IN to Amazon S3: $0.00 per GB.
- Data transfer OUT from Amazon S3: priced by region (example in AWS doc: $0.05/GB in an example for exports).
- Amazon S3 compatible storage on Snowball (optional, monthly/1‑yr for S3 on device): $0.01 per GB per month or $0.12 per GB per year (when ordered under Monthly or 1‑Year plans).
- Additional AWS service charges (S3 PUT/GET, storage, KMS, CloudWatch, etc.) apply separately.
- Pricing tables and per‑region values are published on the AWS Snowball pricing page; shipping and taxes vary by region.
Seller details
Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Seattle, Washington, USA
2006
Subsidiary
https://aws.amazon.com/
https://x.com/awscloud
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon-web-services/
