Mover vs. AWS DataSync.
Vendor-neutral. No agents.
Comparison · AWS DataSync
DataSync is AWS's native transfer service — fast and well-integrated if your migration lives entirely inside AWS. Mover is the vendor-neutral alternative for everyone whose migration leaves AWS, touches a SaaS source, or needs a dashboard a non-engineer can read.
DataSync covers AWS. Mover covers anywhere.
DataSync's supported endpoints are S3, EFS, FSx (Windows and Lustre), and NFS / SMB on-prem. That's a strong set if your migration stays inside AWS. If it touches Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, Box, or any SaaS source — DataSync can't help.
Mover moves data between 20+ providers. The same dashboard handles a migration from S3 to Azure Blob, from Google Drive to SharePoint, and from an SFTP server to GCS. For file-system targets — EFS, FSx, on-prem NFS or SMB — the Files.com Agent is the bridge: install it on any host that mounts the file system, and Mover reads and writes through it like any other connection.
No agents. No console. No glue code.
DataSync requires you to deploy and maintain an agent (a VM or hardware appliance) at any non-AWS endpoint. For on-prem NFS or SMB, that means standing up a VMware / Hyper-V / EC2 host, configuring credentials, and maintaining it for the duration of the migration.
Mover connects to source and destination directly — IAM credentials, OAuth, SSH keys, or API keys per provider. Nothing to install. The migration runs from a web dashboard a non-engineer can read.
A dollar amount, before you commit.
Estimating DataSync ahead of time means modeling AWS line items by hand — the transfer fee plus regional egress plus whatever else applies on the migration path. You can be off by a meaningful amount.
Mover's free dry-runwalks both sides of the migration and returns the exact number of files, total size, and projected cost — Mover fees and provider egress fees, line-itemized in dollars. You see what you'll pay before any data moves.
The differences that matter
Why customers pick Mover when their migration leaves AWS.
DataSync is the right answer for pure-AWS work. Mover is the right answer for the migrations DataSync isn't built for.
Vendor-neutral by design.
DataSync moves data into, out of, and within AWS — that's the supported surface. Mover moves data between 20+ providers including Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive, and standard protocols. For file-system targets (EFS, FSx, on-prem NFS / SMB), the Files.com Agent bridges them into the same dashboard.
No agents on either side.
DataSync requires you to deploy and maintain an agent at any non-AWS endpoint — a VM or appliance for on-prem NFS / SMB. Mover connects directly via IAM credentials, OAuth, SSH keys, or API keys per provider. Nothing to install.
A web dashboard, not a console.
DataSync is configured in the AWS console with CloudWatch metrics. Mover gives you a real-time web dashboard with per-file status, throughput graphs, error breakdowns, and a downloadable audit log. Pause, resume, or cancel from the browser. Shareable.
Cost in dollars before you commit.
Estimating DataSync ahead of time means modeling AWS line items by hand — transfer fee, source region, destination region, egress. Mover's free dry-run returns the exact dollar amount: Mover fees plus provider egress, line-itemized, before any data moves.
Honest about cross-provider quirks.
DataSync handles AWS-native quirks well. The cross-provider edges — Google Drive duplicate names, SharePoint long paths, Dropbox shared-folder permissions, OAuth re-auth cycles — are not its world. Mover documents the specific quirks it handles per provider on the data-source pages.
Vendor credibility.
Mover runs on the same engine as Files.com, the #1-ranked MFT vendor in Gartner Peer Insights and the #1-scoring vendor in every attribute on G2 for Managed File Transfer. 4,000+ organizations use that engine in production every day — Boeing, Toyota, Adobe, and Mount Sinai among them.
The honest comparison
What each does that the other doesn't.
Real trade-offs in both directions. For pure-AWS work, DataSync is the right tool and we'll tell you so. For migrations that leave AWS or touch a SaaS source, Mover is the better fit.
Preserves S3 storage class on S3-to-S3 transfers.
DataSync can keep an object's storage class (Standard, Glacier, Intelligent-Tiering, etc.) across an in-AWS move. Mover writes to the destination's default storage class. For an S3-to-S3 reorg where storage-class fidelity matters, DataSync wins.
AWS-native operational integration.
IAM permissions, CloudWatch metrics, EventBridge scheduling, VPC endpoints for private-network transfers, CloudTrail audit. If your operations posture is 'everything goes through AWS-native services,' DataSync slots in without you adding a new vendor to the surface area.
DataSync Discovery for on-prem sizing.
Before a migration off on-prem storage, DataSync Discovery scans a NAS and inventories file counts, sizes, age, and access patterns. Useful for planning a phased cutover. Mover's free dry-run sizes the migration once you've connected the source; the on-prem-scan-before-connect step is DataSync's.
Same-region in-AWS transfers at AWS-network speed.
S3-to-S3 in the same region, S3-to-EFS in the same region — DataSync runs on AWS's internal network, no cross-cloud egress, with the throughput characteristics of AWS-internal pipes. For pure-AWS workloads, that's hard to beat.
Cross-cloud reach across 20+ providers.
Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive, Wasabi, Backblaze, plus SFTP / FTP / WebDAV. One dashboard, any pair. DataSync only writes to AWS targets.
A free dry-run with a dollar amount in writing.
Walks both sides of the migration before any data moves and returns the exact cost — Mover fees plus provider egress, line-itemized. DataSync requires modeling AWS line items by hand.
A web dashboard a non-engineer can read.
Real-time per-file status, throughput graphs, error breakdowns, downloadable audit log. Shareable by link. DataSync runs in the AWS console — fine for an SRE, friction for the IT director or the security reviewer who needs to see what shipped.
SaaS source handling with OAuth and provider-specific quirks.
Google Drive duplicate-name handling, SharePoint long paths, Dropbox shared-folder permissions, OAuth re-auth cycles, S3 Object Ownership detection. The edges that show up in real cross-provider migrations.
Common Questions
Mover vs. DataSync, answered.
The dry run is free, every time. Run one to verify the comparison yourself before you commit a single byte.
No. DataSync's destinations are AWS endpoints (S3, EFS, FSx) plus on-prem NFS / SMB via an agent. Cross-cloud transfers to Azure Blob, GCS, or any SaaS provider require a different tool — Mover is one of them.
Don't take our word for it. Run the dry run.
Connect both sides, run a free dry-run, see what Mover would charge for your migration in dollars. If DataSync covers your scope and your team lives in the AWS console, the dry-run will confirm it. If it doesn't, you'll have a real number in hand.