AWS Snowball vs Google Transfer Appliance comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google are both solutions in the Data Migration Appliances category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.2, while Google is ranked #4. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 36.1% mindshare in DMA, compared to Google’s 23.8% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution.

AWS Snowball

Read 10 AWS Snowball reviews

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2,573 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Google Transfer Appliance

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1,324 Comparison Views

AWS Snowball

Google Transfer Appliance

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Google Transfer Appliance and AWS Snowball are competing in the data migration market. Though Google's solution has pricing advantages, AWS Snowball's advanced features provide it with an upper hand.

Features: Google Transfer Appliance offers straightforward setup, high-speed data transfer, and efficient handling of petabyte-scale migrations. AWS Snowball integrates robustly with AWS services, provides strong data encryption, and includes edge compute capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Google Transfer Appliance provides plug-and-play deployment and easy-to-use support. AWS Snowball has a more complex setup due to its features but offers comprehensive support and coordination for enterprise needs.

Pricing and ROI: Google Transfer Appliance features a cost-effective and predictable pricing model, promising quick ROI. AWS Snowball's initial costs may be higher, but its extensive feature set and AWS integration offer compelling long-term ROI.

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

AWS Snowball

Ranking in Data Migration Appliances

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Migration (12th)

Google Transfer Appliance

Ranking in Data Migration Appliances

4th

Average Rating

0.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Data Migration Appliances category, the mindshare of AWS Snowball is 36.1%, down from 42.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Transfer Appliance is 23.8%, up from 23.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Migration Appliances Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
AWS Snowball	36.1%
Google Transfer Appliance	23.8%
Other	40.099999999999994%

Data Migration Appliances

Featured Reviews

Kevin-Davis

Global CTO AWS Business Group at Eviden

Seamless data transfer and efficient migration with customizable storage sizes

I like that I can take data and send it straight to S3 when it loads in. The interface for getting my data onto the Snowball is so streamlined. I don't know if you've ever seen it before. It's really cool. I connect them to the backplane of our existing network. I'm able to address it quickly and move the data quickly inside my customers' data centers. There's a little screen on it, which changes the UPS codes and all that stuff. The label and everything AWS electronic, so I don't have to deal with shipping issues. It makes it super simple and easy to use from end to end.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	6

No data available

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Microsoft Azure Data Box or AWS Snowball?

Microsoft Azure Databox is a 45-pound, super rugged, tamper-resistant, human-managed hardware appliance that can transfer up to 100TB of data capacity to copy, store, then send to the Azure cloud. ...

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What do you like most about AWS Snowball?

The most valuable features of AWS Snowball for me are its security measures and its flexibility.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Snowball?

Depending of what is your priority; UseAWS Snowball if you are heavily invested in AWS or need edge computing features Choose Azure Data Box for smooth integration with Azure and potentially lower ...

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Comparisons

Microsoft Azure Data Box vs AWS Snowball

Compared 39% of the time

IBM Cloud Mass Data Migration vs AWS Snowball

Compared 5% of the time

Palantir Foundry vs AWS Snowball

Compared 4% of the time

AWS Snowball Edge vs AWS Snowball

Compared 4% of the time

More AWS Snowball Competitors

Microsoft Azure Data Box vs Google Transfer Appliance

Compared 23% of the time

AWS Snowball Edge vs Google Transfer Appliance

Compared 6% of the time

More Google Transfer Appliance Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AWS Snowball

November 2025

Download AWS Snowball product report

No data available

Also Known As

Amazon AWS Snowball, Amazon Snowball, Snowball

No data available

Overview

Snowball is a petabyte-scale data transport solution that uses devices designed to be secure to transfer large amounts of data into and out of the AWS Cloud. Using Snowball addresses common challenges with large-scale data transfers including high network costs, long transfer times, and security concerns. Customers today use Snowball to migrate analytics data, genomics data, video libraries, image repositories, backups, and to archive part of data center shutdowns, tape replacement or application migration projects. Transferring data with Snowball is simple, fast, more secure, and can be as little as one-fifth the cost of transferring data via high-speed Internet.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Transfer Appliance is a hardware appliance you can use to securely migrate large volumes of data (from hundreds of terabytes up to 1 petabyte) to Google Cloud Platform without disrupting business operations.

Google

Sample Customers

Wazee Digital, Craftsy, Live Nation, Essess

Makani

See our list of best Data Migration Appliances vendors.

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