Tahoe-LAFS
A decentralized storage system that spreads encrypted files across multiple servers you control.
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About Tahoe-LAFS
Tahoe-LAFS, the Least-Authority File Store, distributes your data across several storage servers. If some of those servers fail or are taken over by an attacker, the file store keeps working and your data stays private, because servers only hold encrypted pieces.
It is a long-running free and open project with regular releases, the most recent being v1.20.0 in December 2024, plus weekly public meetings. It suits technical users who want to build fault-tolerant storage out of machines they or their friends run.
Strengths
- Data stays readable even when some servers fail
- Servers cannot read the files they store
- Active project with an established release history
Limitations
- Requires running and maintaining several storage nodes
- Setup is aimed at technically experienced users
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source.
- License
- Open source, license not stated
- Developer
- The Tahoe-LAFS contributors
- Platforms
- Linux, Self-hosted, Command line
- How it runs
- Downloadable app, Self-hosted
- Account
- Not required
- Best suited for
- Technical users building private, fault-tolerant storage across several servers
- Categories
- File sync, Backup tools, Encryption tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Tahoe-LAFS
Compare allSoftware that can replace Tahoe-LAFS for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Garage
Distributed S3-compatible object store built for unreliable hardware.
Garage spreads data across sites as a distributed S3-compatible object store in a single Rust binary, but servers are not described as unable to read stored files.
SeaweedFS
A self-hosted distributed storage system offering S3-compatible object storage and a file system.
SeaweedFS scales across many servers with an S3-compatible API and file system, but it does not offer Tahoe-LAFS's encryption that hides data from storage servers.
Peergos
Self-hostable encrypted storage that hides sharing metadata as well as content.
Peergos is self-hostable encrypted storage that also hides sharing metadata, with a hosted option, though performance is modest and it is a small project.
git-annex
A command-line tool that manages and syncs large files with git without storing their contents in git.
git-annex tracks file content across many drives and special remotes with checksums and encryption, using git rather than a dedicated storage node network.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
IPFS Desktop
A desktop app that runs an IPFS node for sharing files over the peer-to-peer IPFS network.
CryFS
An encrypted filesystem that protects files stored in cloud storage, including their metadata and folder structure.
Syncthing
Keeps folders identical across your own machines, directly between them, with no cloud account in the middle.
RetroShare
A decentralized, encrypted friend-to-friend network for chat, mail, forums, channels and file sharing.
Nextcloud
A file sync and collaboration server you run yourself, with desktop and mobile clients that behave like Dropbox.
