Storj

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Storj

A curated collection of the 5 best self hosted alternatives to Storj.

Distributed, end-to-end encrypted cloud object storage service providing S3-compatible APIs. Uses a decentralized network of storage nodes to store and retrieve objects; suitable for backup, media, and application storage with client-side encryption.

Alternatives List

#1
MinIO

MinIO

MinIO is a high-performance, S3-compatible object storage server for building private cloud storage, data lakes, and scalable storage backends for applications.

MinIO screenshot

MinIO is a high-performance object storage server that implements an Amazon S3-compatible API for storing and retrieving unstructured data such as backups, media, logs, and datasets. It is commonly used as a building block for private cloud storage, data lakes, and cloud-native applications.

Key Features

  • S3-compatible API for broad client and tooling compatibility
  • Bucket/object operations with an embedded web-based console for administration and browsing
  • Designed for high throughput and scalability for data-intensive workloads
  • Supports container and Kubernetes-based deployments (for example via Helm charts or an operator)

Use Cases

  • Private S3-compatible object storage for applications and internal platforms
  • Storage backend for backups, archives, and large binary assets
  • Object storage layer for analytics and data engineering pipelines

Limitations and Considerations

  • The community edition is distributed as source code only; pre-compiled legacy binaries are not maintained
  • The repository is in maintenance mode and is not accepting new changes

MinIO fits well when you need an S3-compatible object store under your control with strong performance characteristics. It is especially useful as an infrastructure component for modern, cloud-native stacks that expect S3 semantics.

59.8kstars
6.9kforks
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#2
SeaweedFS

SeaweedFS

SeaweedFS is a fast distributed storage system providing blob, file, and S3-compatible object storage with optional filer, replication, and erasure coding.

SeaweedFS screenshot

SeaweedFS is a distributed storage system designed to store and serve billions of files efficiently. It combines a high-performance volume layer for blobs with an optional filer layer that adds directories, POSIX-like semantics, and multiple access protocols.

Key Features

  • Blob/volume store optimized for fast access with low per-file metadata overhead
  • Optional Filer service for directories and file metadata backed by pluggable metadata stores
  • S3-compatible object store via built-in S3 API and S3 gateway
  • Horizontal scale-out by adding volume servers without automatic rebalancing unless triggered
  • Replication with rack and data-center awareness, plus cross-cluster (xDC) replication options
  • Erasure coding for warm data to reduce storage cost while maintaining availability
  • Tiered storage and cloud tiering for extending capacity and optimizing cost
  • Multiple access methods including HTTP and WebDAV, plus POSIX FUSE mount
  • Kubernetes support via CSI driver and operator ecosystem
  • Encryption support (e.g., AES-GCM) for stored data in supported configurations

Use Cases

  • S3-compatible object storage for applications, backups, and artifacts
  • Distributed file storage with directory semantics and mountable access for teams and services
  • Data lake style storage for big data tools that need Hadoop-compatible access patterns

Limitations and Considerations

  • The Filer’s capabilities depend on the chosen metadata backend; availability and performance characteristics vary by backend.
  • Some advanced capabilities (e.g., certain erasure coding customizations) may differ between community and enterprise offerings.

SeaweedFS fits organizations that need scalable storage across blobs, files, and object APIs while keeping operational complexity relatively low. It is particularly useful when you want one system that can serve as both a fast local store and a tiered store that can extend into the cloud.

29.6kstars
2.7kforks
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#3
Garage

Garage

Garage is a lightweight, S3-compatible distributed object storage service built for small-to-medium self-hosted, geo-distributed deployments with strong resilience.

Garage screenshot

Garage is an S3-compatible distributed object storage service designed for small-to-medium self-hosted deployments, including clusters spread across multiple physical locations. It focuses on resilience to network and machine failures while remaining lightweight and operator-friendly.

Key Features

  • S3-compatible object storage API for buckets and objects
  • Geo-distributed design to replicate data across multiple sites and remain available during outages
  • Lightweight, self-contained single binary designed to be easy to deploy and operate
  • Built to tolerate network latency, intermittent connectivity, and disk or node failures
  • Designed to run on modest and heterogeneous hardware (including x86_64 and ARM)

Use Cases

  • Self-hosted S3 storage backend for backups, applications, and CI artifacts
  • Multi-site object storage for small organizations or community infrastructure
  • Edge or non-datacenter deployments where reliability over the public Internet matters

Limitations and Considerations

  • Intended for small-to-medium scale deployments; it is not primarily aimed at hyperscale or tightly coupled datacenter environments
  • Reliable operation depends on meeting basic network and storage requirements across nodes

Garage is a practical choice when you want an S3-compatible object store that can be deployed across multiple locations with minimal operational overhead. It is built around real-world constraints and aims to stay robust even when parts of the cluster become unreachable.

2.5kstars
99forks
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#4
Zenko CloudServer

Zenko CloudServer

Open-source Node.js server implementing the Amazon S3 API, enabling local S3 emulation and a unified object storage interface across multiple backends and clouds.

Zenko CloudServer screenshot

Zenko CloudServer is an open-source, Amazon S3-compatible object storage server written in Node.js. It can be used to emulate S3 locally for development and testing, or as a single S3 API front-end that routes data to different storage backends on-premises or in public clouds.

Key Features

  • Implements the Amazon S3 API for S3-compatible applications and tools
  • Multiple backend options, including filesystem-based storage and in-memory storage
  • Multi-backend routing to store objects in different locations based on configuration and request metadata
  • Designed for development workflows such as local S3 emulation and CI testing
  • Part of the broader Zenko multi-cloud data management ecosystem

Use Cases

  • Local S3-compatible storage for application development and integration testing
  • CI pipelines that require an AWS S3-like endpoint without external dependencies
  • Unified S3 access layer in front of multiple storage targets (on-prem and cloud)

Limitations and Considerations

  • Some advanced AWS S3 behaviors may differ depending on configured backends and deployment choices
  • The in-memory backend is intended for testing and does not provide persistence

Zenko CloudServer is a practical choice when you need an S3-compatible endpoint you control, either to mimic AWS S3 locally or to abstract multiple storage backends behind a single S3 API. It fits well in developer environments and in architectures that benefit from flexible object storage backends.

1.9kstars
254forks
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#5
Garage

Garage

Garage is a lightweight, operator-friendly, S3-compatible distributed object storage system designed for small-to-medium self-hosted clusters across multiple sites.

Garage screenshot

Garage is an S3-compatible distributed object storage service designed for small-to-medium self-hosted deployments. It is built to run reliably across multiple physical locations, keeping data replicated and the service available even when some nodes or network links are unreachable.

Key Features

  • S3-compatible object storage API for applications and backups
  • Distributed, multi-site replication to tolerate node and connectivity failures
  • Lightweight, self-contained single binary with low system requirements
  • Designed for heterogeneous hardware and Internet-scale links (no dedicated backbone required)
  • Operator-friendly focus with production use since 2020 by the Deuxfleurs team

Use Cases

  • Self-hosted S3 storage backend for apps, CI artifacts, and object storage gateways
  • Offsite replication across multiple homes/servers for resilient backups
  • Small-to-medium storage clusters built from mixed or second-hand machines

Limitations and Considerations

  • Focuses on S3-style object storage rather than POSIX/NFS file serving
  • Multi-site deployments depend on reasonable latency and bandwidth between nodes

Garage is a practical option when you want an S3 object store that remains available across unreliable networks and multiple locations. Its emphasis on simplicity and resilience makes it well-suited for homelabs and small operators building reliable storage without datacenter assumptions.

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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running