Best External Data Storage for Salesforce: AWS, Azure, GCP & Heroku

Salesforce is great at keeping the data your teams actively use close at hand. But what happens when your organization has years of files, documents, historical records, and growing datasets that don’t need to sit in the core Salesforce environment?

That is where external data storage for Salesforce comes in.

External data storage for Salesforce allows organizations to keep Salesforce-related data or content in platforms such as AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, or Heroku while connecting that information back to Salesforce through integrations, APIs, or external data capabilities. Salesforce’s current architecture also supports connections to external cloud object storage and external data sources, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Heroku.

The key isn’t simply moving data somewhere cheaper. It’s choosing where each type of data belongs, how users access it, and how securely it should be managed.

Why Do Businesses Use Salesforce External Storage?

As Salesforce environments grow, storing every file and dataset inside the platform can become difficult to manage.

Read the detailed Salesforce Data Storage Guide.

Organizations typically consider Salesforce external storage when they need:

• Higher storage scalability.

• More control over where data lives.

• Existing AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud infrastructure.

• Document collaboration through Microsoft 365.

• Lower-cost storage for large or historical datasets.

• More flexible retention and compliance strategies.

The smartest approach isn’t to move everything outside Salesforce.

Can Your Salesforce Data Handle 2X Growth? If not then you need this!

Keep frequently used operational data where your teams work. Move large, historical, or specialized data to the storage layer that fits it best.

That’s also where DataArchiva can fit into the picture. For historical Salesforce records, DataArchiva supports external archiving to AWS, Azure, GCP, Heroku, and on-premises environments while keeping archived information accessible.

Which External Storage Options Work With Salesforce?

Not every external storage platform solves the same problem. Your existing technology stack, data type, access requirements, and compliance needs should drive the decision.

Is AWS S3 Good for Salesforce Storage?

For organizations already invested in Amazon Web Services, AWS Salesforce storage can be a strong option for large-scale files and datasets.

Amazon S3 is designed for scalable object storage, making it useful for organizations dealing with large volumes of documents, media, backups, and historical information.

Salesforce also supports integrations with Amazon S3 for external file access, while Salesforce’s broader data architecture supports S3 as a cloud object storage option.

Read more: How to Leverage AWS for Salesforce Data Archiving and Backup

Best fit: AWS-heavy enterprises, large datasets, and organizations that already have AWS security and governance in place.

DataArchiva adds another use case here. Instead of simply storing files externally, DataArchiva can archive historical Salesforce records into a customer-controlled AWS environment, with scheduling, retention policies, monitoring, and restoration capabilities.

When Does Azure Salesforce Storage Make Sense?

Azure Salesforce storage makes particular sense for organizations already running their infrastructure through Microsoft Azure.

Azure Blob Storage is built for large volumes of unstructured data and can support enterprise storage requirements without forcing every file into Salesforce.

Salesforce’s current architecture supports Azure Blob Storage as an external cloud storage destination in relevant data workflows.

Read more: How to Archive Salesforce Data With Azure [Without Third-Party Connecter Apps]

Best fit: Microsoft-centric enterprises, large file volumes, and organizations with existing Azure governance and security frameworks.

DataArchiva can use Azure as an external archive destination when the requirement goes beyond files and involves historical Salesforce records that need structured retention and access.

Is Google Cloud Storage Right for Salesforce?

Google Cloud Storage can be a strong choice for organizations already operating within Google Cloud.

It’s particularly relevant when Salesforce data needs to connect with broader analytics, data engineering, or cloud workloads.

Salesforce’s current Data 360 architecture supports Google Cloud Storage alongside AWS and Azure for external cloud data workflows.

Best fit: GCP-based organizations, analytics-heavy environments, and businesses already managing data through Google Cloud.

When Does Heroku Storage Make Sense?

Heroku storage can make sense when Salesforce is part of a broader application environment built around Heroku.

It is particularly useful when businesses need to connect Salesforce with custom applications, databases, or external workloads while keeping certain data outside the core Salesforce environment.

It’s particularly useful for:

• Custom Salesforce applications.

• High-volume data workflows.

• External databases.

• Application-generated data.

• Salesforce integrations.

• Enterprise workloads connected to Heroku.

Read more: Benefits of Archiving Salesforce Data Using Heroku Cloud

Best fit: Organizations already using Heroku for custom applications and looking to extend their Salesforce data architecture beyond native storage.

How Do Salesforce External Storage Options Compare?

The takeaway: There is no universal winner in Salesforce external storage. The right option depends on where your infrastructure already lives, what you’re storing, how often users access it, and how much control your organization needs.

Turn Years of Salesforce Data Into a Managed Asset See DataArchiva in Action

How Can Salesforce Connect to External Storage?

The storage platform is only half the equation. You also need a way for Salesforce and the external system to communicate.

Can APIs Connect Salesforce to External Storage?

Yes. APIs can connect Salesforce with external databases, cloud storage, applications, and middleware.

This approach gives enterprises flexibility over how data is created, retrieved, synchronized, and updated.

For complex environments, integration platforms can sit between Salesforce and external systems to manage authentication, transformations, workflows, and data movement.

What Is External Object Storage in Salesforce?

External object storage lets Salesforce work with data that remains outside the Salesforce org rather than requiring another copy of the entire dataset inside Salesforce.

This is useful when Salesforce needs access to external information but the organization doesn’t want to duplicate massive datasets.

Salesforce’s architecture increasingly supports this type of external data access and zero-copy patterns, allowing data to remain in external systems while being accessed through Salesforce-connected capabilities.

Can Salesforce Access External Files?

Yes, depending on the storage platform and integration method.

The basic model is straightforward:

Salesforce record → Integration → External file or data → Salesforce access

This can be especially useful when the actual content is large, but users still need to find or reference it from their Salesforce workflow.

Is Salesforce External Storage Secure?

Moving data outside Salesforce doesn’t automatically make it secure. Your Salesforce external storage architecture should account for:

• Encryption at rest and in transit.

• Identity and access management.

• API authentication.

• Role-based permissions.

• Audit trails.

• Data residency.

• Retention controls.

• Least-privilege access.

Salesforce’s current security architecture emphasizes governed connections and secure authentication for external targets such as Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, and Google Cloud Storage.

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DataArchiva supports this type of controlled archive model with encryption, retention policies, access controls, and audit-oriented capabilities for archived Salesforce data.

How Does External Storage Support Compliance?

External storage can support compliance, but the storage provider alone doesn’t make your architecture compliant.

Also Read: The Only Guide You Need to Set Up & Manage Salesforce Compliance Audit

Before choosing a platform, evaluate:

For historical Salesforce data, DataArchiva provides policy-driven archiving and retention capabilities while supporting external cloud and on-premises storage.

Which Salesforce External Storage Option Should You Choose?

Here’s the quick decision framework:

Don’t choose based on storage capacity alone.

Look at data type, access frequency, integration complexity, security, compliance, scalability, and ownership.

Where Does DataArchiva Fit?

This is where it’s important to separate two ideas.

External storage answers:

Where should this data or file live?

Salesforce archiving answers:

What should happen to Salesforce data when it becomes historical?

DataArchiva is designed for the second problem while supporting the first.

DataArchiva can archive historical Salesforce data to Big Objects or external environments including AWS, Azure, GCP, Heroku, and on-premises infrastructure. It also supports scheduled archiving, retention policies, relationship preservation, search, reporting, monitoring, and restoration.

For example, an enterprise could keep:

Active Cases → Salesforce

Custom application data → Heroku

Historical Cases → DataArchiva + external cloud

Expired records → Controlled deletion

That gives every category of data a clear destination instead of treating Salesforce as the permanent home for everything.

What Is the Best External Data Storage Strategy for Salesforce?

There isn’t one answer for every organization.

AWS S3 works well for AWS-centric, data-heavy environments. Azure Blob Storage fits Microsoft-focused enterprises. Google Cloud Storage makes sense for GCP and analytics-driven environments. Heroku storage is a natural choice when custom applications, Salesforce integrations, and application-driven data workflows are the priority.

And when the problem is specifically historical Salesforce data, external archiving can be the better answer than simply connecting another file repository.

The goal of external data storage for Salesforce isn’t to move data out just for the sake of moving it.

It’s to put the right data in the right storage layer, while keeping it secure, accessible, governed, and scalable.