Garage

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.