Best Decentralized Storage Services in 2026
Updated
In short: Sia is ranked #1 of 25 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Carbide Network and Peergos. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Aleph Cloud (formerly Aleph.im). The lowest first paid tier on this page is Carbide Network at $0.01/mo.
Choosing decentralized storage means considering how a service organizes its network as well as how you reach and protect files. Compared on network type, IPFS support, and client-side encryption, these entries also include desktop apps and mobile apps. Sia, Carbide Network, and Peergos are among the services shown. Free-plan availability and free storage indicate what is listed at no cost, while paid-from pricing gives another comparison point. Weigh the network and access details against the storage and security features that matter to you, including whether the available apps suit the devices you use.
25 decentralized storage services ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
11 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SiaWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $7.99/mo | 6.8 | |
| 2 | Carbide NetworkWindows · Mac · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $0.01/mo | 6.7 | |
| 3 | PeergosWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | £43/mo | 6.7 | |
| 4 | Aleph Cloud (formerly Aleph.im)Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $1.94/mo | 6.6 | |
| 5 | WalrusWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 6 | 4EVERLANDWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | BNB GreenfieldWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | — | 6.4 | |
| 8 | FilebaseWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $7.50/mo | 6.4 | |
| 9 | PinataWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $20/mo | 6.4 | |
| 10 | StratosWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.9 |
| 11 | ArweaveWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 12 | SwarmWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 13 | FilecoinWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $2.50/mo | 5.6 |
| 14 | 0G StorageWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 15 | ArDriveWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | DeNet StorageWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | IrysWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | NodeX CloudNo platforms listed | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | LighthouseWeb · API | One bar | — | 1 of 6 | $12/mo | 5.2 | |
| 20 | TarloWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | €5/mo | 5.0 |
| 21 | Crust NetworkWeb · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 22 | Datum StorageAndroid · iPhone · API | One bar | — | 2 of 6 | $3.99/mo | 4.9 | |
| 23 | DIV DriveWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 24 | NFT.StorageWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
| 25 | StorjWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Free storage | Network type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sia | 6.8 | Free plan | $7.99/mo | Yes | — | 50 GB | hybrid |
| 2 | Carbide Network | 6.7 | No | $0.01/mo | — | — | — | distributed |
| 3 | Peergos | 6.7 | No | £43/mo | Yes | — | — | distributed |
| 4 | Aleph Cloud (formerly Aleph.im) | 6.6 | Free plan | $1.94/mo | — | — | — | distributed |
| 5 | Walrus | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | No | — | — | distributed |
| 6 | 4EVERLAND | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 0.08 /mo | 6 GB | distributed |
| 7 | BNB Greenfield | 6.4 | No | — | No | — | — | hybrid |
| 8 | Filebase | 6.4 | Free plan | $7.50/mo | Yes | 7.5 /mo | 5 GB | hybrid |
| 9 | Pinata | 6.4 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | 1 GB | distributed |
| 10 | Stratos | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | — | hybrid |
| 11 | Arweave | 5.7 | No | — | — | — | — | blockchain |
| 12 | Swarm | 5.7 | No | — | — | — | — | distributed |
| 13 | Filecoin | 5.6 | No | $2.50/mo | — | 2.5 /mo | — | hybrid |
| 14 | 0G Storage | 5.5 | No | — | — | 11 /mo | — | distributed |
| 15 | ArDrive | 5.4 | No | — | No | — | — | blockchain |
| 16 | DeNet Storage | 5.3 | No | — | No | — | — | blockchain |
| 17 | Irys | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | blockchain |
| 18 | NodeX Cloud | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | distributed |
| 19 | Lighthouse | 5.2 | Free plan | $12/mo | Yes | 12 /mo | 5 GB | distributed |
| 20 | Tarlo | 5.0 | No | €5/mo | No | — | — | distributed |
| 21 | Crust Network | 4.9 | No | — | — | — | — | blockchain |
| 22 | Datum Storage | 4.9 | Free plan | $3.99/mo | No | 3.99 /mo | — | hybrid |
| 23 | DIV Drive | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | — | distributed |
| 24 | NFT.Storage | 4.7 | No | — | No | — | — | distributed |
| 25 | Storj | 4.7 | No | — | No | 7 /mo | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which decentralized storage service is ranked first on Freedom251?
Sia is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 6.8. Carbide Network is second and Peergos third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Carbide Network has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.01/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.