# Soft Delete vs Versioning: What Each One Keeps, and for How Long

> Soft delete keeps deleted data for a set number of days. Versioning keeps the older copies of a file. How they differ, with the soft delete and trash periods of Azure, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box and iCloud Drive.

![Soft delete vs versioning. What each one keeps, and for how long: Google Cloud, Azure Blob, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive and iCloud Drive](https://blober.io/kb/articles/soft-delete-vs-versioning/cover.50584493c8.webp)

Soft delete keeps a deleted item for a set number of days, then removes it for good. Versioning keeps the older copies of a file when you replace it. On a cloud drive, the trash or recycle bin does the job of soft delete.

## How soft delete differs from versioning

Soft delete always ends. Azure keeps soft-deleted data for 1 to 365 days[[1]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-blob-overview) and Google Cloud Storage for 7 to 90 days[[2]](https://docs.cloud.google.com/storage/docs/soft-delete). Blob versions in Azure stay until you delete them[[3]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-vs-versioning-options).

You cannot open a soft-deleted file until you restore it[[4]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-blob-overview), while an older version stays readable[[5]](https://docs.cloud.google.com/storage/docs/object-versioning). On both Google Cloud Storage[[6]](https://docs.cloud.google.com/storage/docs/soft-delete) and Azure[[7]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-blob-overview), soft delete also keeps the data that an overwrite replaces.

Soft-deleted data is billed like any stored data until the period ends, on Azure[[8]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-blob-overview) and on Google Cloud Storage[[9]](https://docs.cloud.google.com/storage/docs/soft-delete). For protection against accidental or malicious deletes, Google recommends soft delete over versioning[[10]](https://docs.cloud.google.com/storage/docs/object-versioning).

## Soft delete and trash periods

| Provider | Name | How long | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Cloud Storage | Soft delete | 7 days by default, 7 to 90 days, or 0 to turn it off[[11]](https://docs.cloud.google.com/storage/docs/soft-delete) | On by default in buckets that support it |
| Azure Blob Storage | Blob soft delete | 1 to 365 days[[12]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-blob-overview) | On by default for storage accounts created in the Azure portal[[13]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-blob-enable) |
| Azure Blob Storage | Container soft delete | 7 days by default[[14]](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-container-overview) | Keeps whole deleted containers |
| Google Drive | Trash | 30 days[[15]](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/14933051) | Counts toward your storage |
| Dropbox | Deleted files | 30, 180 or 365 days, by plan[[16]](https://help.dropbox.com/delete-restore/recover-deleted-files-folders) | |
| OneDrive (personal) | Recycle bin | 30 days[[17]](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/restore-deleted-files-or-folders-in-onedrive-949ada80-0026-4db3-a953-c99083e6a84f) | |
| OneDrive for work or school | Recycle bin | 93 days, unless an admin changed it[[18]](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/restore-deleted-files-or-folders-in-onedrive-949ada80-0026-4db3-a953-c99083e6a84f) | |
| Box | Trash | 30 days by default[[19]](https://support.box.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044196093-Managing-Trash) | Business and Enterprise admins can shorten or lengthen it |
| iCloud Drive | Recently Deleted | 30 days[[20]](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104953) | |

## Delete markers in versioned buckets

In a versioned bucket on Amazon S3[[21]](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/versioning-workflows.html), Backblaze B2[[22]](https://www.backblaze.com/apidocs/s3-delete-object), DigitalOcean Spaces[[23]](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/spaces/how-to/enable-versioning/), IBM Cloud Object Storage[[24]](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-object-storage?topic=cloud-object-storage-versioning), Oracle Cloud[[25]](https://docs.oracle.com/en-us/iaas/Content/Object/Tasks/usingversioning.htm) and Storj[[26]](https://storj.dev/dcs/api/s3/object-versioning), a delete adds a delete marker instead of removing the data. The file looks deleted, but its older versions stay until you or a lifecycle rule remove them. [File Versioning on Overwrite](https://blober.io/kb/articles/cloud-storage-file-versioning-on-overwrite/) lists the versioning defaults and costs of each provider.

## How this works with Blober

[Blober](https://blober.io) copies and moves files between clouds, and deletes files in a Delete workflow:

- By default, Blober skips a file when one with the same name is already at the destination.
- When Blober overwrites a file on Proton Drive, the old file goes to the trash.
- On Backblaze B2, a Move or Delete workflow hides the file, and its older versions stay.
- Blober copies current files only. Trashed and soft-deleted files stay with the source provider.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is a trash the same as soft delete?**
For deleted files, yes. Cloud drives call it the trash, the recycle bin or Recently Deleted, and Azure and Google Cloud Storage call it soft delete.

**Do I need versioning if my provider has soft delete?**
Soft delete or the trash brings back a file that you deleted and noticed within days. A good file replaced by a bad one needs an older version, unless your provider's soft delete also keeps overwritten data. For a problem that you find after the period ends, only versioning or a copy with a second provider still has the file, as the [3-2-1 backup rule](https://blober.io/kb/articles/3-2-1-backup-rule-for-cloud/) describes.

## Related guides

- [File Versioning on Overwrite: Which Cloud Storage Keeps the Old Copy](https://blober.io/kb/articles/cloud-storage-file-versioning-on-overwrite/)
- [The 3-2-1 Backup Rule for Cloud Storage](https://blober.io/kb/articles/3-2-1-backup-rule-for-cloud/)
- [How Blober Handles Duplicate Files in Long-Running Backups](https://blober.io/kb/articles/avoid-duplicate-files-long-running-backups/)