MooseFS
Warsaw, Poland
What it is
MooseFS is distributed storage software that combines data held on multiple servers into one resource. It can be mounted as a POSIX filesystem, used as a block device or accessed through the C API. Reads and writes run in parallel across chunkservers, and adding chunkservers increases capacity and bandwidth. Data chunks are replicated across chunkservers, with missing copies recreated after disk or node loss. Community is free forever under GPLv2 and provides one active master with single-parity erasure coding. Personal is for non-commercial use and is free up to 20 TiB of used raw space; usage above that threshold costs €9, paid once for each additional TiB and includes the full Pro feature set. Pro includes synchronized master failover and support for clusters spanning locations. MooseFS 5 adds cluster-wide authentication. Official packages are offered for Linux distributions, FreeBSD, Raspberry Pi OS and macOS; macOS requires macFUSE and targets macOS 12 or later. The native Windows client is included with Pro. Commercial Enterprise pricing is tailored to the deployment and available by quote.
For and against
For
- Adds capacity and bandwidth by adding chunkservers
- Recreates missing copies after disk or node loss
- Personal includes the full Pro feature set
- Pro includes synchronized master failover
Against
- Community provides a single active master
- Personal is limited to non-commercial use
- Enterprise pricing requires a quote
- Windows client is included with Pro
The verdict
MooseFS offers several access methods and distributes storage across chunkservers, with replication and recovery features. Choose a plan with its usage terms, master configuration and platform requirements in mind.
Who it suits
Community is described as suited to development, evaluation and smaller deployments. Personal is intended for individual developers, researchers and home-lab use; commercial users can request Enterprise pricing.
Plans and prices
Community
GPLv2 open source · single active master · single-parity erasure coding
Read 30 Sep 2026 · moosefs.com
Personal
Non-commercial use · free up to 20 TiB used raw space · full Pro feature set
Read 30 Sep 2026 · moosefs.com
Enterprise
Commercial use · 24/7 support · dedicated releases
Read 30 Sep 2026 · moosefs.com
On the record
- Access
- The system can be mounted as a POSIX filesystem, used as a block device, or accessed through the C API.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Company
- MooseFS is developed and maintained by Saglabs SA, an engineering company headquartered in Warsaw, Poland.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Fault tolerance
- MooseFS replicates chunks across different chunkservers and automatically recreates missing copies after disk or node loss.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Multi-location
- Pro supports clusters spanning locations, with per-location storage policies intended to keep data near where it is used.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Parallel I/O
- Reads and writes run in parallel against multiple chunkservers, and adding chunkservers adds capacity and bandwidth.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Product
- MooseFS is distributed storage software that spreads data across multiple servers while presenting it as one resource.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Pro failover
- Pro runs synchronized master servers so a follower can take over automatically if the leader fails.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Quote response
- The company says quote enquiries usually receive a written email reply within one or two working days.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Security
- MooseFS 5 adds cluster-wide authentication that gates data access through the master and prevents storage-layer bypass of export permissions.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- Commercial Pro includes 24/7 support from the developers, while Community support is community-driven discussion and documentation.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Supported systems
- Official binary packages are offered for Linux distributions, FreeBSD, Raspberry Pi OS, and macOS; macOS packages require macFUSE and target macOS 12 or later.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Target users
- The maker describes Community as suitable for development, evaluation, and smaller deployments, and Personal as intended for individual developers, researchers, and home-lab use.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Windows client
- The native Windows client is included with Pro.moosefs.com · read 30 Sep 2026
