Why an S3 client still matters in 2026
Object storage stopped meaning "AWS" years ago. Most teams now keep buckets across two or three providers out of AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, MinIO, Backblaze B2, and DigitalOcean Spaces: one for production assets, one for backups, and often a self-hosted MinIO instance for local dev or on-prem compliance.
The AWS Console only speaks S3. aws s3 and rclone work, but neither lets you browse a bucket, preview an image, or fix an ACL without first reading the flag docs. A dedicated S3 client gives you one native app and one login flow for every S3-compatible bucket you use.
What to look for in an S3-compatible storage browser
- Multi-provider support. S3, R2, MinIO, B2, and Spaces each implement the S3 API with their own quirks: multipart thresholds, region handling, and path-style versus virtual-hosted-style URLs. A client tested against AWS alone tends to break when you point it at R2 or a self-hosted MinIO endpoint.
- Resumable multipart uploads and downloads. Without automatic retry and progress tracking, a 20 GB file over a flaky connection can eat your afternoon.
- Presigned URLs on demand. You should be able to share one private object without writing a script or making the bucket public.
- ACL and metadata inspection. Check whether an object is public, and to whom, before it ships.
- In-app previews for images, text, and JSON, so you skip the round trip through a browser tab.
- Storage and databases in one workspace. When you debug a production issue, you need the bucket and the database open at the same time.
rdSQL Desktop as an S3 client
rdSQL Desktop includes a native object storage browser next to its SQL and NoSQL clients. One connection manager covers AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, MinIO, Backblaze B2, and DigitalOcean Spaces. The S3, R2 & MinIO client page has the full breakdown. In short:
- Multipart upload and download with live progress, smoothed transfer speed, ETA, cancellation, and batch operations. Transfers run with bounded concurrency and automatic retry, so if file 40 of 200 drops, the other 199 keep going.
- Presigned URLs and ACL editing in a couple of clicks, plus in-app previews for images, text, and JSON.
- One workspace for buckets and databases. You can switch from a bucket to a PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, or other connection without leaving the app, and the schema-aware AI assistant works in both.
rdSQL runs as a native desktop app instead of an Electron wrapper, so it stays fast and light while you browse a bucket with millions of keys.
S3 client comparison at a glance
| rdSQL Desktop | AWS Console | CLI (aws s3 / rclone) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-provider (S3, R2, MinIO, B2, Spaces) | Yes | AWS only | Yes, with per-provider config |
| Native GUI with previews | Yes | Browser-based | No |
| Presigned URL generation | In-app, one click | Manual, per-object | Scripted |
| Same app for databases | Yes | No | No |
| Setup | Add a connection | None (AWS-hosted) | Config files per provider |
FAQ
Does rdSQL Desktop work with Cloudflare R2 and MinIO, or only AWS S3? It connects to any S3-compatible endpoint: AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, MinIO (self-hosted or managed), Backblaze B2, and DigitalOcean Spaces. You add each one through the same connection flow.
Can I browse buckets and query a database in the same app? Yes. Storage and database connections share one Explorer, so you can move between an S3 bucket and a PostgreSQL or MongoDB connection without switching apps.
Is there a free tier? See Download for current platform builds and pricing.
Download rdSQL Desktop for macOS, Windows, or Linux and open your first bucket.