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Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs Box comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 17, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Amazon EFS (Elastic File Sy...
Ranking in Cloud Storage
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
File and Object Storage (8th)
Box
Ranking in Cloud Storage
12th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Content Management (6th), Digital Asset Management (3rd), Document Management Software (3rd), Content Collaboration Platforms (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Cloud Storage category, the mindshare of Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) is 7.6%, down from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Box is 3.9%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud Storage
 

Featured Reviews

MuhammadAzhar Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Auto-scaling capabilities enhance file management while reducing downtime
The most valuable feature of Amazon EFS is its auto-scaling capability. It's really easy to configure EFS by just creating it and running a command to directly configure it with my servers. It supports unlimited use, and charges are applied based on the file usage at the end of the month. The solution offers reduced downtime and increased durability through its auto-scaling features.
Shrikant Pillay - PeerSpot reviewer
Allows you to upload and download files quickly but lacks integration with Office 365
For enterprise users, the data is in a local repository. We use it for files for the end user process. This is a cloud solution. In my current organization, we have over 10,000 people using this solution. I use it very extensively. Users these days are working remotely You can upload your bin,…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Elastic File Systems allow me to share data, provision, and manage capacity and performance in AWS."
"The initial setup was straightforward."
"The most beneficial feature of the product for data storage stems from the fact that it serves as a shared file storage."
"We can run code and deploy it whenever we want."
"Amazon EFS offers the flexibility of scaling as needed without requiring pre-provisioned storage."
"The product's initial setup phase is easy, as per the configurations."
"Its elasticity and flexible pricing are the most valuable. For Amazon EFS, you are charged based on the storage. It is also very fast and stable with a very simple and intuitive interface."
"Amazon EFS is extremely stable, as it is managed by AWS."
"Office Integration. The full integration into the Microsoft Office products is just perfect."
"Box is very realistic when it comes to sharing capabilities."
"Box is very user-friendly; more so than SharePoint."
"Simple file sharing and sync for internal and external customers."
"The system's performance is impressive, and file sharing is notably straightforward."
"Governance and ease of use are why I think a lot of people like Box, including ourselves. Basically, we're concerned about what information is being sent to Box, so we use a lot of the Box governance features to make sure that what is being sent to Box is appropriate. If it is not appropriate, it is not allowed to be sent. It is also pretty easy to use. It is the easiest to use for customers and for technologists."
"The sharing feature, with its various permission settings, such as viewing or uploading, is convenient and helpful."
"File sharing with collaborators not on the same domain with offline access from multiple devices: I work on many projects that are multi-organizational, such as with customers, suppliers, or acquisitions."
 

Cons

"Around 80 percent of the features of Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) are available on Linux and not in Windows, making it a major drawback of the product."
"Amazon EFS is more costly compared to other storage options available from AWS."
"Specifically, when it comes to the file system for the learning system, we encountered performance issues with both Azure and AWS."
"The main challenge with EFS is its cost, which is slightly higher compared to EBS or S3."
"It should be simplified. There are people who don't have cloud experience. It should be storage that we are able to just connect to."
"The initial setup requires prior experience and technical skills."
"It could be better in connecting with Windows Server instances."
"The deployment is definitely not an easy process."
"The solution's data security should be improved."
"I don't like the low level of role-based security it provides – it's very cumbersome, and the support is ordinary at times."
"They could integrate better with other platforms."
"Working on documents in real-time is sometimes faulty and could be improved."
"Maturity of the enterprise security around user management."
"If you want to delete something in Box, you have to do it manually, one by one. That was my recent experience. They might have a bulk delete, but I could not find that option. If you want to delete something, you have to go to each and every file and delete it."
"One thing that Box would benefit from is a records management component."
"I haven't really come across a case where we're not able to use it for what it is, so I don't really have anything holding us up or any customers holding us up at this point that I know of. There are always some limitations, but as a technologist, I just live with them, and there is always room for improvement, but I don't have anything quantifiable."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's price depends on the services and the size and capacity at which it is used in a business environment."
"Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) offers a pay-as-you-go model, so whenever you use its services, you need to pay."
"It has flexible pricing. You are charged based on your storage."
"The product charges are based on the amount of data stored."
"The solution's price is mid-ranged."
"The main challenge with EFS is its cost, which is slightly higher compared to EBS or S3. For one GB or ten GB of data, S3 is much cheaper. EFS could cost around $30 to $50 per month for similar usage."
"I would rate the pricing 7 out of 10."
"A business account has a minimum of three users. If you are more than three people in-house, go for the Enterprise version. All the external users are free of charge."
"The more you dig, the deeper the level of tools, and the more expensive it becomes."
"There's a free version that allows you to use it with almost full-feature access. Even in the free version, it gives you all you need."
"It is expensive per head, as you need the enterprise license to get full security and tools. So negotiate a discount!"
"They are very price competitive when pushed. Initially, they come out with a standard list price, but they are willing to be very competitive. The Box price was pretty much equal to or lower than the Citrix price, and Box has more features."
"We are using the free version of the solution. There is a free version and monthly and yearly subscriptions available."
"Box needs to improve with their pricing in terms of licensing costs."
"Box's pricing is excellent."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
53%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
5%
Government
4%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which file storage system is better - Amazon EFS (elastic file storage) or Azure File Storage?
Amazon EFS is easy to set up: you can use the AWS management console, API, or command-line. Amazon EFS can grow to petabytes and deliver consistent low latencies and high levels of throughput. This...
What do you like most about Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)?
The product's initial setup phase is easy, as per the configurations.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon EFS (Elastic File System)?
Amazon EFS is more costly compared to other storage options available from AWS.
What do you like most about Box?
The solution is used for data storage and any kind of visualization.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Box?
The solution is expensive when it comes to API calls.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Arcesium, Atlassian, Seeking Alpha, Zend
GE, Toyota, P&G, Caterpillar, Flex, Schneider Electric, Sally Beauty, Eurostar, AstraZeneca, AirBnB, Whirlpool, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Nationwide, Aeropostale etc
Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs. Box and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.