Object storage
Cloud storage for files such as photos, videos and documents, kept in buckets and reached by URL rather than stored in your database.
Updated October 2026 · with examples from our own builds
What does object storage mean in practice?
Services such as Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2 and Backblaze B2 hold files as objects in buckets. Apps keep only a reference in the database and let users upload and download directly, often through short-lived signed links.
Storage is cheap until data moves out of it. Many providers charge egress fees for data leaving their network, and abandoned multipart uploads can sit in a bucket, billed but invisible in normal listings.
The main security risk is a bucket left more open than intended. Private files need private-by-default rules and access through links that expire.
Object storage at a glance
- Examples
- Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, MinIO
- Watch the bill for
- Egress fees and abandoned multipart uploads
- Default to
- Private buckets and expiring links
Where has object storage come up in our builds?
Uploads go from the browser straight to the customer's own bucket over presigned multipart URLs, so file bytes never pass through Storafleet's servers, and a scanner finds abandoned multipart uploads that are billed but invisible in normal listings.
Visiting-card photos sit in a private S3 folder, and an anonymous request for one gets a 403.
The app uploads media to an S3 bucket, and the API gained presigned direct-to-S3 uploads in the same pass that built the video pipeline.
Common questions about object storage
What are egress fees?
Charges some cloud providers make for data leaving their network, such as downloads or copies to another provider. They are why Storafleet estimates the egress cost before a migration starts and asks the user to acknowledge it above $10.
Should file uploads go through my server?
Usually not. Signed upload links let the browser or app send files straight to storage, which saves server bandwidth and keeps large files away from your API.
Related terms
Sources
Planning a product and not sure where object storage fits? Ask us, or browse all 116 terms in the glossary.