# Introduction to Object Storage

> Learn about S3-compatible object storage for storing files, assets, and backups.

Introduction to Object Storage
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Ploi Cloud offers S3-compatible object storage for storing files, assets, backups, and any other data your applications need. Object storage provides a scalable and cost-effective solution for managing large amounts of unstructured data.

### What is Object Storage?

Object storage is a data storage architecture that manages data as objects, rather than as files in a file system or blocks in a block storage system. Each object includes the data itself, metadata, and a unique identifier.

### Key Features

- **S3-compatible API:** Use any S3-compatible library, SDK, or tool
- **Unlimited scalability:** Store as much data as you need
- **Multiple buckets:** Organize your files into separate buckets
- **Access control:** Create users and access keys with fine-grained permissions
- **Pay as you go:** Only pay for the storage you actually use

### Common Use Cases

Object storage is ideal for:

- **User file uploads:** Profile pictures, documents, and media files
- **Static assets:** Images, videos, CSS, and JavaScript files
- **Application backups:** Database dumps and file archives
- **Log storage:** Application and access logs for compliance
- **Media libraries:** Large collections of images or videos

### Pricing

Object storage is billed at **€10 per 250 GB** per month, based on your actual usage. There are no minimum commitments or hidden fees.

### Getting Started

To start using object storage:

1. Navigate to Object Storage in your team dashboard
2. Create a new object storage instance
3. Create buckets to organize your files
4. Create users and access keys for your applications
5. Configure your application to use the S3-compatible API

Continue reading to learn how to set up and configure object storage for your applications.