Storage Classes and Lifecycle Policies

Not all data is accessed with the same frequency. A video file uploaded today may be streamed thousands of times in the first week, then rarely accessed again after a month. S3 storage classes let you match the cost of storage to the access pattern—frequently accessed data uses a more expensive class optimised for retrieval speed, while archival data uses ultra-cheap classes with higher retrieval latency. The SAA-C03 exam regularly asks you to select the right class for a described access pattern.

S3 Standard is the default general-purpose storage class: 99.99% availability SLA, 11 nines durability, no minimum storage duration, and no retrieval fee. Data is stored across at least three AZs. Use Standard for frequently accessed data—web assets, active datasets, frequently downloaded content. Standard has the highest storage cost per GB but zero retrieval charge, making it ideal when you don't know access patterns or when data is accessed multiple times per month.