Cold data shouldn't cost the same as hot data. Archival Storage stores cold data on Simple Object Storage (SOS) at €0.0042 per GB per month, 77% below Standard pricing, with free retrieval, on the same S3-compatible infrastructure you already use. It is built for genuine archival workloads: cold archives, long-term backups, and retention data you rarely access.
How it works
Request activation through the activation form, one request per bucket, reviewed case by case
Once approved, your usage is billed at the Standard rate, then the difference down to the Archival rate is credited as a discount in the following billing period
Same buckets, same API, same European zone, nothing changes for your applications
Sizing: each bucket is billed for at least 10 TB. A bucket on Archival Storage is billed for a minimum of 10 TB per month, metered as 9,313 GiB since Object Storage bills in GiB, even if it holds less. That is €42 per month, against €184 for the same 10 TB on Standard. Archival becomes cheaper than Standard from roughly 2.3 TB in a bucket, so it fits large, genuinely cold datasets rather than small ones. Estimate yours in the storage calculator.
Key conditions
At least 10 TB billed per bucket, whatever the bucket actually holds
No object lock or retention on enrolled buckets: both arrive with the Cold Storage Class
When the Warm and Cold Storage Classes launch in early 2027, a 30-day window is open to move each bucket to the Class of your choice. Cold Storage keeps the same €0.0042 per GB per month, without the 10 TB minimum. Buckets not migrated within the window return to Standard pricing
Timeline Overview
If you keep large, rarely-accessed datasets on Standard storage, Archival pricing can substantially lower their cost. See the full details on the Storage Classes page, request activation for your buckets, or estimate your savings with the storage calculator.