1CDN vs Amazon S3 + CloudFront
1CDN is the fastest way to put files online and keep the bill predictable: upload via the dashboard or one API call, get an HTTPS URL, done. Your data stays resident in the EU, pricing is a flat plan by file count, and there are zero per-GB egress fees, the line item that makes cloud bills impossible to forecast. It's perfect for teams who just need to store files and serve them fast, without becoming infrastructure engineers.
Amazon S3 + CloudFront targets large-scale, programmatic object storage on AWS. It scales effectively without limit, but getting there means wiring up buckets, IAM policies, CORS and a CloudFront distribution, and the bill is per-GB storage plus per-GB egress plus per-request charges, so month-end costs are hard to predict.
1CDN deliberately keeps it simple: store and serve, with public links and time-limited signed links built in. No distributions, no IAM, no egress meter to configure or pay for. We're honest about scope: 1CDN is not an S3-compatible object store, so if you genuinely need the S3 API, that's S3's job. For predictable, EU-hosted file hosting and delivery, 1CDN wins on simplicity and cost certainty.
At a glance
| Feature | 1CDN | Amazon S3 + CloudFront |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Live in minutes: sign up, upload, get a URL | Bucket + IAM + CORS + CloudFront distribution to wire up |
| Pricing model | One flat plan by file count, predictable | Per-GB storage + per-GB egress + per-request charges |
| Egress / bandwidth fees | Zero. Bandwidth never inflates your bill | Per-GB egress, often the largest and least predictable line |
| Data location | Resident in the EU | Region you configure (global by default on the CDN) |
| Private files | Built-in signed links (5 min–7 days), no setup | Signed URLs require IAM / CloudFront configuration |
| API | Simple REST API, snippets in 8 languages | Full AWS SDK / S3 API |
| S3-compatible API | No, store-and-serve by design | Yes (it is S3) |
| Best for | Simple, predictable, EU-hosted file hosting & delivery | Large-scale, programmatic object storage |
Which should you choose?
Choose 1CDN if…
- You want to be live in minutes, with no buckets, IAM, CORS or distributions to configure.
- You want one predictable flat bill with zero egress surprises, however much traffic you serve.
- You want your files resident in the EU, delivered over HTTPS.
- You want public links and time-limited private signed links built in, not assembled.
Choose Amazon S3 + CloudFront if…
- You genuinely need an S3-compatible API, programmatic buckets, lifecycle rules or versioning.
FAQ
Is 1CDN S3-compatible?
No, and that's deliberate. 1CDN offers a simple REST API for upload, list, info and delete instead of the full S3 surface area, so there's nothing to configure. If you specifically need an S3-compatible drop-in, S3 is the right tool; if you need files online fast with a predictable bill, 1CDN is.
Does 1CDN charge for bandwidth/egress?
Never. Plans are flat by file count with zero per-GB egress fees, exactly the part of an S3 + CloudFront bill that's hardest to predict. Your cost stays the same whether you serve a little traffic or a lot.
Where are my files stored?
At rest in the European Union and delivered over HTTPS: EU data residency without any extra region configuration on your part.
Try 1CDN free
EU-hosted file storage & delivery. 50 files on the free plan, no credit card.
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