What's the difference between object, block and file storage?

Object storage keeps data as objects accessed over an API (often S3-compatible) and scales almost infinitely — ideal for backups, media and app data. Block storage presents raw volumes to a server, like a virtual disk, giving the low-latency, high-IOPS performance databases and VMs need. File storage offers a shared file system (NFS/SMB) for traditional file access across users and apps. We help you compare leading cloud storage service providers and pick the right storage type—or a combination—for every workload.