ArDrive

What ArDrive is

ArDrive stores files, websites and apps on Arweave, a blockchain network. Its web app lets you create drives, upload content and sort it into folders; developers can also manage drives through an open-source command-line interface, APIs and SDKs. The service accepts common documents, photos, video, audio, zipped folders, static sites and apps. Uploads are charged once per file rather than through a subscription or account storage quota. Files smaller than 100 KB can be uploaded free, and the storage plan has no storage cap. The cost of a paid upload depends on file size and live Turbo rates; payment can be made by credit or debit card through Turbo or with AR tokens.

Drives can be public or private. Public-drive files are visible to anyone after upload; private-drive files are encrypted on your device and accessible to you and people who have a key. ArDrive says uploaded files remain available on Arweave even if its service stops operating. Confirmed uploads cannot be deleted by you, ArDrive or anyone else. You can also host a static site or app from a drive and point an ArNS domain to its folder to create a human-readable link. ArDrive is built by Permanent Data Solutions, Inc., and began in 2020.

Who it suits

ArDrive suits people who want to store files, sites or apps on Arweave, with a choice between public access and device-encrypted private drives. Developers can use its CLI, APIs and SDKs for scripted uploads, downloads and drive management, while site publishers can host static content from a drive.

Limits

Uploads under 100 KB are free; paid uploads are charged once per file, with cost based on file size and live Turbo rates. For ArDrive version 2.22.0 and above, web and CLI uploads are listed up to 2 GiB, while Turbo uploads in Safari and Firefox are limited to 500 MiB. Confirmed uploads cannot be deleted.

Getting started

1. Open the ArDrive website or use its API.
2. Create a drive in the web app.
3. Choose public or private drive organization for your files.
4. Upload files, folders, a site or an app.
5. Pay for uploads by card through Turbo or with AR tokens; uploads under 100 KB are free.
6. Use the open-source CLI, APIs or SDKs for scripted management.

Verdict

Choose ArDrive if you want permanent Arweave storage with one-time file payments, no account storage quota and options for private or public drives. Look elsewhere if you need to remove confirmed uploads later, since they cannot be deleted.