| Data Unit | Files organized in folders | Fixed-size blocks | Self-contained objects with metadata |
| Structure | Hierarchical (tree-like) | Linear volumes of blocks | Flat (buckets) |
| Metadata | Limited, within the file system | Minimal, managed by server OS | Extensive, customizable, per object |
| Access Method | File paths, NFS, SMB/CIFS | Block-level protocols (iSCSI, FC) | HTTP/HTTPS, RESTful APIs |
| Scalability | Can be challenging | Good, especially in SANs | Highly scalable |
| Performance | Can be affected by hierarchy | High performance, low latency | Good for large reads, higher latency for small random I/O |
| Cost | Varies | Generally more expensive | Often cost-effective for large scale |
| Complexity | Relatively simple to manage | More complex, requires OS formatting | Can be more complex for initial integration |
| Best For | File sharing, general-purpose | Databases, VMs, transactional apps | Unstructured data, backups, cloud storage |