JuiceFS
What it is
JuiceFS is an open-source distributed file system that separates file data in object storage from metadata held in a metadata engine. It supports POSIX, HDFS, S3, and WebDAV protocols, with storage options including Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, MinIO, Ceph, and HDFS. Documented uses include big data, machine learning, Kubernetes, shared workspaces, and backup. It integrates with Kubernetes CSI and Hadoop ecosystem tools such as Spark, Presto, Hive, Flink, Trino, and StarRocks. JuiceFS offers a self-hosted Community Edition, a managed Cloud Service, and an Enterprise Edition with deployment options including on-premises and BYOC. The client supports Linux, macOS, and Windows; WSL 2 is recommended for Windows. Encryption is available in transit and at rest, but at-rest encryption must be enabled when creating a file system and does not cover cached client data or file metadata. The Community Edition is free, and paid service starts at $0.02/mo.
For and against
For
- Supports POSIX, HDFS, S3, and WebDAV protocols
- Integrates with Kubernetes CSI and Hadoop tools
- Supports encryption in transit and at rest
- Community Edition is free
Against
- At-rest encryption cannot be enabled after file-system creation
- At-rest encryption excludes cached data and file metadata
- Windows use recommends WSL 2
The verdict
JuiceFS combines distributed file storage with separate metadata management and supports a range of storage backends and integrations. Choose a deployment option with its encryption limits and platform guidance in mind.
Who it suits
JuiceFS may suit teams handling big data, machine learning, Kubernetes workloads, shared workspaces, or backups. It offers both self-hosted and managed service options.
Plans and prices
Community Edition
Self-hosted · public/private/hybrid cloud · POSIX, HDFS, S3, WebDAV · selectable metadata engine
Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Cloud Service
Fully managed · distributed metadata engine · upgraded caching · enterprise management and security
Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Enterprise Edition
On-premises/BYOC · starts from 100TB · unlimited capacity and scalability · extreme performance
Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
On the record
- API and SDKs
- The project exposes POSIX/FUSE and S3 Gateway interfaces plus Java/Hadoop and Python SDKs.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Architecture
- It stores file data in object storage and metadata separately in a metadata engine.juicefs.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Build requirements
- Compiling Unix-like clients requires Go 1.20 or newer and GCC 5.4 or newer; Windows builds also require WinFsp.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Caching
- JuiceFS provides local, distributed and multi-level caching options for improving repeated-access performance.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Cloud SLA
- Cloud Service advertises 99.95% service availability and 99.99999999% data reliability.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company
- Juicedata says it was founded in April 2017 and launched JuiceFS Cloud Service in October 2017.juicefs.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Company funding
- Crunchbase lists Juicedata Inc. as the legal name, two funding rounds and seed backing led by China Growth Capital, with 11–50 employees.crunchbase.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- JuiceFS Cloud Service states that it is SOC 2 compliant.juicefs.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Compression
- The client supports LZ4 and Zstandard compression algorithms.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Consistency
- Committed file changes are immediately visible across mounted servers according to the documentation.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The documentation site includes introduction, architecture, deployment, benchmarking, administration, security, tutorials, reference, FAQ, development and release-note sections.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Encryption
- Documentation describes encryption in transit and client-side encryption at rest, while cached client data is not encrypted by default.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Encryption limitation
- Client-side cached data and file metadata are not encrypted by its at-rest encryption feature.juicefs.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Hadoop SDK support
- The Hadoop Java SDK is compatible with Hadoop 2.x and Hadoop 3.x.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- HDFS integration
- JuiceFS implements the HDFS API and integrates with Spark, Presto and Hive.juicefs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Independent catalog description
- Cloud Image Catalogue describes JuiceFS as open-source POSIX-compatible software storing file data in object storage and metadata in a transactional database.cloudimg.co.uk · read 15 Oct 2026
- Independent packaging
- Homebrew lists JuiceFS as a versioned formula described as a cloud-based distributed POSIX file system built on Redis and S3.formulae.brew.sh · read 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- JuiceFS documents integration with Kubernetes CSI and Hadoop ecosystem components including Spark, Presto, Hive, Flink, Trino, and StarRocks.juicefs.com · read 29 Sep 2026
