--- title: "Firevault vs AWS Glacier: Offline Vault vs Cloud | Firevault" url: https://fire-vault.com/compare/firevault-vs-aws-glacier description: "Compare Firevault Offline Secure Storage with AWS Glacier on network exposure, jurisdiction, pricing and retrieval. Pick the right offline copy for ransomware…" lang: en-GB --- Why OSS # Firevault vs AWS Glacier Cold cloud is still cloud. Compare what an actual offline copy looks like next to AWS Glacier on the four dimensions that matter in a real incident. Image: Corridor of offline storage racks inside a Firevault bunker (https://fire-vault.com/assets/hero-square-bunker-B6Y7Qt9r.jpg) vs Head To Head ## Cold Cloud or Truly Offline The fundamental architectural difference. Everything else flows from this. 01 Cold cloud, always reachable ### AWS Glacier Glacier is cheap cold storage inside the AWS control plane. The data is reachable through IAM, the API and your AWS account at any time. Retrieval takes minutes to hours and per gigabyte egress applies on the way out. - Always on the network - IAM and account dependent - Per GB egress and retrieval fees 02 Layer 1 disconnected, no IP ### Firevault Offline Secure Storage Firevault stores the data on dedicated hardware in Firevault Bunkers, physically disconnected from the network. There is no IP address to attack, no IAM policy to misconfigure, and no per gigabyte egress charge to budget around. - No NIC and no IP when offline - Identity verified scheduled access - Flat VAT inclusive UK pricing Four Dimensions ## Where the Choice Actually Bites Network exposure, jurisdiction, pricing model and retrieval behaviour. The places customers regret picking the wrong tier. 01 Reachable vs unreachable ### Network Exposure Glacier is reachable through the AWS API at all times. Firevault has no network interface when disconnected. The single biggest difference, and the reason ransomware crews can target Glacier accounts but cannot target a disconnected Firevault. - Glacier: always reachable - Firevault: physically offline - No exploitable IP surface 02 Multi region vs Firevault Bunker ### Jurisdiction Glacier data location depends on the region you choose and the AWS account that holds it. Firevault data is held in named UK colocation bunkers with documented physical security and clear chain of custody. - Named UK locations - Documented chain of custody - No silent region failover 03 Per GB plus egress vs flat subscription ### Pricing Model Glacier looks inexpensive at rest but recovery and egress can dominate the bill in a real incident. Firevault uses a flat monthly subscription with VAT inclusive UK pricing and predictable retrieval cost. - Predictable monthly cost - No surprise egress in incidents - VAT inclusive 04 Tiered minutes to hours vs scheduled physical ### Retrieval Behaviour Glacier retrieval is tiered from a few minutes to many hours depending on what you pay. Firevault retrieval uses scheduled identity verified connection windows. Slightly different operational shape, similar real world recovery time. - Scheduled access windows - Identity verified - Audited every time Want to see how this compares against tape, NAS and other cloud options too. Compare five storage architectures (https://fire-vault.com/compare/oss-vs-everything) Questions ## Firevault vs Glacier, Common Questions Straight answers on how Offline Secure Storage® behaves in practice. ### Is AWS Glacier ever the right choice? ### What about Glacier Deep Archive? ### Can I use Firevault and Glacier together? ### How does egress compare in a real ransomware recovery? ### Is Firevault SOC 2 or ISO 27001 aligned? Image: Mark Fermor (https://fire-vault.com/assets/mark-fermor-DWFWqeWL.jpg) Image: David Bailey (https://fire-vault.com/assets/david-bailey-Dgqj8eaE.jpg) Image: Kenny Phipps (https://fire-vault.com/assets/kenny-phipps-Dy-CtCjw.jpg) Online Now Get started ## Get the right offline copy, not just a cold one Talk to Firevault about replacing or complementing AWS Glacier with a Layer 1 offline copy. From £360 a month including VAT. 36-month commitment. First payment at checkout. From £360/mo VAT included 36-month plan ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization", "name": "Firevault", "legalName": "Firevault Limited", "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/logo.png", "width": 200, "height": 60 }, "foundingDate": "2025-03", "description": "Protect what matters with Offline Secure Storage and control what moves with Control by Firevault. 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