NEXT3 volume snapshots are stored locally on a NEXT3-snapshot-enabled volume and can be accessed at local speeds. NEXT3 was developed by CTERA to add flexible snapshots to EXT3, along with easy transition from and to EXT3.

NEXT3 snapshots are faster to access locally than cloud snapshots, regardless of the number of stored snapshots. Furthermore, you can configure cloud storage gateway to automatically take NEXT3 snapshots and retain them according to a specified retention policy. On the downside, NEXT3 snapshots are stored on site, and so are vulnerable to disasters.