Alternative to native Amazon S3 client, is it worth trying?

What is Amazon S3, and How Does it Work?

Amazon Simple Storage Service, or simply S3, is a long-term, cloud-based data storage solution provided by the American tech giant. It comes with a web services interface that allows users to store and access information, at any given time, anywhere around the world through an internet connection. The idea behind the Amazon S3 client is that it offers the same scalability, reliability, and speed that Amazon uses to run its own websites, at an affordable rate.

Unlike many other cloud-based storage services, Amazon doesn’t use folders and files. Instead, they use buckets and objects. Every object is located in a bucket, the container for storing any number of other objects. Therefore, accessing the a bucket to get to the object stored in it is possible in three different ways:

• • Using the Amazon S3 console;
• • Using the Amazon S3 bucket URL;
• • Path-style/virtual-hosted style.

The virtual-hosted style is destined for developers and programmers that access the S3 clients through coding. The native console and the bucket URL are the most popular access points among regular users.

Once you can create the buckets you need to store your data, simply start by adding them through drag and drop or copy-paste and they will become objects in the respective buckets. Now, using your AWS Management Console in the browser or through the downloaded desktop app, you will be able to gain instant access to all the objects and buckets on your account.

CloudMounter – the Best Alternative to Access S3 Storage

If you don’t want to go through all the hassle of accessing Amazon S3 through its native apps, there’s a better solution out there. CloudMounter is the best S3 client on the market because it allows you to mount S3 as a desktop drive on your computer and easily manage the data as they were stored locally. Easily pick the bucket you want to mount so you don’t waste time linking all of them and then use Finder or Explorer to navigate through it and manage the data as needed.

On top of that, you will be able to use CloudMounter for all the AWS regions - Frankfurt, Seoul, Ohio, Mumbai, Central, London, or Beijing. Another added advantage that this Amazon S3 client brings is the compatibility with other storage services such as Sloudian HyperStore.

Mount Your Amazon S3 Account on Mac with CloudMounter

Mac users that have an Amazon S3 account will be able to seamlessly access the data thanks to CloudMounter. This Amazon S3 Mac client enables you to mount the online storage solution as a local or network drive on your device. It comes with Finder integration and enhanced security, thanks to the encryption protocols offered. Furthermore, you’ll forget all about any file size limits or other restrictions that you’d normally encounter using the S3 native interface. Add CloudMounter on your Mac, mount Amazon S3 and many other cloud storage solutions, and start accessing and managing data like never before.

Connect 3rd party providers through the S3 protocol using CloudMounter

In addition to offering support for the S3 FTP client, you can rely on CloudMounter to give you access to other 3rd-party storage solutions that are compatible with S3. For example, you can use the same steps described above to connect it to Wasabi, Mini, Hyperstore, and more through the “Server Endpoint” field. Instead of inserting the Server Endpoint, Access ID, and Secret Access Key for S3, just go grab the credentials for the 3rd-party storage system you’re using and use them as local disks on your computer.

Other Solutions to Access S3 on your Computer

Since we’re determined to provide our readers with complete information, we’ve also put together a list of other solutions that can be used to access Amazon’s S3 on a computer. After rigorous testing, CloudMounter remains the app we recommend, however, these can be stored as back-up apps as well:

• • Commander One;
• • Transmit;
• • Dragon Disk.