Which provider should I use?
Guyun uses your own bucket. We help you pick a provider — then follow its guide.
Step by step
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Step 1
Work out the cost first
- Open the object storage cost calculator: drag storage and monthly data traffic to plot every provider's monthly cost on one chart, with the list below sorted from cheapest to dearest for your settings.
- If you are unsure which provider to pick, start with that chart.
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Step 2
Which one, and how do I choose?
- Start with where the bucket lives: the closer it is to you, the faster access is.
- If you want to store data in mainland China: you may need your own domain, a completed filing and a digital certificate; without those, activation takes longer — or simply pick a bucket outside mainland China.
- Open that provider's guide and work through it.
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Step 3
Choose the provider and the place → enter the name, bucket name and key
- Back in Guyun: Add storage → choose the provider and the place (the place fills in the region and the HTTPS endpoint for you) → enter the name, the bucket name and the key (plus APPID for Tencent Cloud COS, or Account ID for Cloudflare R2) → choose Test connection & save.
Providers side by side
| Guide | Where buckets can live | Rough cost | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Cloud OSS | 12 mainland regions, plus Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo …; there is also an international site | Pay as you go | China site: Alipay, WeChat Pay; international site: card, PayPal |
| Tencent Cloud COS | Mainland China, plus Hong Kong, Singapore …; there is also an international site | Pay as you go | China site: WeChat Pay, Alipay; international site: card |
| AWS S3 | Dozens of regions worldwide | Pay as you go; free allowance per the AWS site | Credit card |
| Cloudflare R2 | Not selectable (placed automatically) | Free allowance, no egress fee | Credit card |
| Backblaze B2 | us-west, eu-central and a few more | Pay as you go, free allowance | Credit card, PayPal |
| MinIO / self-hosted | Your own server | Software is free | Not needed |
| Other S3 | Depends on the provider | Depends | Depends |
The Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud guides cover both the China site and the international site; the app's provider list has just Alibaba Cloud OSS and Tencent Cloud COS — there is no China/international split.