Infrastructure·Tool
Photography Cloud Storage & Cost Estimator
Cheap storage looks cheap until client downloads, image pipelines, and a second subscription show up. This is the architecture behind the invoice: what you pay when the library has to work as a business, not just sit in a bucket.
Estimator
Interactive estimator
What the library actually costs to run
2 TB
Binary TB (1024 GB) to match plan storage. Dragging the slider clears a file-count override.
Optional. Converts files × mix average MB into TB and moves the volume slider.
Results
Estimates only; not a quote. Assumptions v2026-07-vectors. Rates last updated 2026-07.
2 TB
~46,603 files at raw-heavy archive (45 MB avg)
2 TB fits Master (2 TB included). Same cost vectors as DIY and patchwork — here they are included in one plan instead of separate bills.
Cost vectors (all-in platform)
Master · 2 TB included · $99/mo plan
Est. $99/mo all-in
- Data storageIncluded in Master
- Data transfer / egressBundled / zero-surprise
- Application hostingIncluded ($0)
- Media pipelineNative processing
- CMS & galleriesBuilt-in galleries & portals
- Maintenance & securityFully managed
Assumptions (v2026-07-vectors)
- This tool compares total cost shapes (platform vs DIY stack vs SaaS patchwork), not raw object storage alone. A bucket is inventory; a studio needs UI, auth, transforms, and ops on top.
- Plan storage limits and monthly prices come from the published marketing tier table. Confirm live numbers on Pricing.
- PAYG-style overage is modeled at $0.10/GB-month when volume exceeds a plan's included storage.
- All three modes use the same six cost vectors (storage, egress, hosting, media pipeline, CMS & galleries, maintenance) so you can compare coverage line by line.
- Platform mode marks vectors as included/bundled in the plan. DIY prices each vector. Patchwork maps vectors onto separate SaaS subscriptions.
- DIY fixed overhead (hosting + pipeline + CMS + ops) is about $43–145/mo before the bucket bill. Unpaid engineering time is excluded.
- Egress band assumes 8–25% of the library leaves storage each month. Heavy video streaming would land higher.
- Mix averages are disclosed defaults for ballparking file counts, not camera-specific truth.
What this estimator is for
Photographers search for photography cloud storage cost when a wedding season, commercial archive, or RAW backlog suddenly looks expensive. This tool turns a TB number (or a file count + mix) into three total-cost shapes you can share: all-in platform, DIY stack, and SaaS patchwork.
It is not a checkout quote. Plan prices follow the published marketing tiers. DIY and patchwork lines use disclosed illustrative bands so we do not imply partnerships with Cloudflare, AWS, or any gallery SaaS.
Why raw object storage is the wrong peer
R2-style and S3-style buckets are cheap on a $/GB list price. That is inventory, not a studio system. A raw bucket has no client proofing UI, no CMS, no auth, and no media pipeline. Comparing ArtInStack to the bucket alone creates a DIY optical illusion.
Self-hosted / custom stack mode adds a disclosed overhead band for app hosting, transforms, and ops so the comparison is closer to total cost of ownership. Patchwork mode prices the more common reality: a site builder plus a gallery SaaS plus cloud files.
How to store 2TB of RAW photos without kidding yourself
Two binary terabytes is a common search because it matches a busy year of RAW-heavy work. On ArtInStack that lands on the Master plan band in the fallback tier table (2 TB included), with site and delivery in the same bill.
On DIY, watch the bucket-only subtotal versus the full stack total. On patchwork, watch how fast separate subscriptions add up even when none of them share one media spine. Use the versioned assumptions panel whenever rates or mixes change.
Ready when you are
Keep researching with related guides, or move into pricing when you want plan limits for ArtInStack in plain language.
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