I'm building a SaaS app with user uploads, what storage should I use?

For a SaaS app with user uploads, the default best choice is usually object storage rather than local disk.

Recommended option

Use object storage:

• AWS S3 if you’re on AWS or want the most common choice
• Google Cloud Storage if you’re on GCP
• Azure Blob Storage if you’re on Azure
• Cloudflare R2 if you want lower egress costs and simple CDN-friendly storage

Why object storage is the right fit

• Scales well for lots of files and users
• Durable and highly available
• Cheap compared to running your own file server
• Works well with signed URLs for direct browser uploads/downloads
• Easy to add CDN caching for public assets

Typical architecture

• App server handles auth and upload permissions
• Client uploads directly to storage using a pre-signed URL
• Your database stores only metadata:
  • file name
  • content type
  • size
  • owner/user ID
  • storage key/path
  • visibility/status
• Your app serves downloads via:
  • signed URLs for private files
  • public CDN URLs for public files

When to choose something else

Local disk

Only if:

• you’re in early development
• files are temporary
• you have a single server and don’t care about horizontal scaling

Database storage

Usually not recommended for actual files. Fine for:

• tiny blobs
• avatars in small apps
• metadata only

Managed file platform

Use a specialized service if you need:

• image/video transformations
• malware scanning
• resumable uploads
• advanced media workflows

Examples:

• Uploadcare
• Filestack
• Cloudinary

Practical recommendation

If you want a safe default:

• Start with S3-compatible storage
• Use pre-signed uploads
• Store metadata in your DB
• Put private files behind signed download URLs
• Add lifecycle rules for cleanup/versioning

If you want the cheapest/simple setup

• Cloudflare R2 for storage
• Cloudflare CDN in front if public
• S3-compatible APIs, so it’s easy to move later

If you tell me your stack (AWS/GCP/Azure, Next.js, Rails, Django, etc.) and whether files are public or private, I can recommend a concrete setup and folder/key structure.