Choosing your storage provider
If you do not have an opinion yet, Cloudflare R2 is the default pick. It does not charge surprise download fees when you pull your own files back out, pricing is simple, and the dashboard is approachable. Most streamers will never touch the limits.
What S3-compatible storage means
S3 is Amazon’s cloud-storage product. It has been around so long that other companies built storage services that connect in the same way. That shared connection style is what “S3-compatible” means.
For VOD Manager, the practical version is simple: Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, AWS S3, and Wasabi all give you private online storage for your video files. We put the files in your account after each stream. You can download them whenever you want, move them somewhere else, or keep them long-term.
What usually changes the bill
Storage price is the number most people compare first, but it is only one part of the story. A Twitch VOD can be several gigabytes, and a busy month can turn into hundreds of gigabytes quickly. The monthly storage price tells you what it costs to keep those files sitting in your account.
The second part is download cost. Some providers charge when you download files from your account to your computer or another service. That may not matter if the archive is mostly a backup. It matters a lot if you regularly pull VODs down for editing, clipping, sponsor review, or uploading to YouTube.
The third part is policy. Some providers have minimum charges, free monthly allowances, or rules around deleting files quickly. None of that is bad, but it changes which provider feels simple. For a first setup, simple is worth a lot.
The four supported providers
Cloudflare R2
The friendly default
R2 is about $0.015 per GB each month, or about $1.50 for 100 GB. The first 10 GB are free. Its biggest advantage is that it does not charge download fees, so pulling files back down for editing or uploading elsewhere stays predictable.
Best for most streamers, especially anyone who may download VODs later for YouTube edits, highlight reels, backups, or sponsor clips.
Backblaze B2
The cheapest paid option
B2 starts around $6 per TB each month, or about $0.60 for 100 GB. The first 10 GB are free. Downloads are free up to 3x your average monthly storage, and extra downloads cost about $0.01 per GB.
Best for streamers who save a lot and mostly leave the files alone. The dashboard can feel a little less friendly than R2, but the price is hard to beat.
AWS S3
The household name
AWS S3 Standard is about $0.023 per GB each month in common US regions, or about $2.30 for 100 GB. Downloads to the internet are usually charged after AWS’s free monthly allowance, and those fees can add up if you pull down large VODs often.
Best for streamers who already have AWS from work, school, or another project and would rather keep everything in one account.
Wasabi
Flat-rate predictability
Wasabi is about $6.99 per TB each month, with a 1 TB monthly minimum on pay-as-you-go accounts. It does not charge download or request fees on that plan, but files deleted before 90 days can still be billed for the remaining time.
Best for streamers who are saving long-term and rarely deleting. It is less appealing if your archive is small or you often clear out old VODs quickly.
A simple decision tree
- 1 Already have an account with one of these? Use that. Familiar beats perfect.
- 2 Planning to download archives often? Pick R2 first, then B2. Download fees matter more than storage price once video files get big.
- 3 Saving a lot and rarely deleting? B2 or Wasabi can be very inexpensive for long-term archives.
- 4 Just want it to work? Choose Cloudflare R2 and move on.
A quick cost example
For 100 GB of saved VODs, R2 is about $1.50 per month, B2 is about $0.60, AWS S3 Standard is about $2.30 before any download charges, and Wasabi is still covered by its 1 TB monthly minimum, so it starts around $6.99. That is why Wasabi can be excellent at larger sizes but less attractive for a small starter archive.
For 1 TB, the numbers get closer: R2 is about $15, B2 is about $6, AWS S3 Standard is about $23 before download charges, and Wasabi is about $6.99. At that size, the cheapest storage-only choices are B2 and Wasabi. R2 stays compelling because frequent downloads do not create a second bill.
These examples are not a promise about your exact invoice. They are a sanity check. For most streamers, the best first choice is the one with the fewest surprises, not the one that wins by a few cents in a spreadsheet.
Coming soon
If creating a storage-provider account feels like too much work, hang tight. We are working on Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive so you can sign in with an account you already have. No access keys, no special setup language, no extra homework.
After you pick
The next step is creating the storage space and connecting it to VOD Manager. Provider-specific setup guides are coming soon:
During signup, VOD Manager will ask for the connection details, test that it can save a tiny file, and show a clear error if something is wrong. After that, your future streams can save there automatically.
- Setting up Cloudflare R2 coming soon
- Setting up Backblaze B2 coming soon
- Setting up AWS S3 coming soon
- Setting up Wasabi coming soon