Best Distributed File System Software in 2026
Updated
In short: LucidLink is ranked #1 of 29 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Ceph and SeaweedFS. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Ceph. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Google Cloud Filestore at $0.01/mo.
Distributed file systems organize file storage across multiple nodes, and their access and deployment details can help you compare options. JuiceFS, SeaweedFS, and Quobyte lead the ranking, followed by Gluster and MooseFS. Compared on are data replication, encryption at rest, file access protocols, deployment model, and multi-site support. Maximum nodes provides another scale-related detail. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Review the listed protocols, deployment approaches, and replication options against the environment and node or site requirements you need to account for.
29 distributed file system software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 LucidLink iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0$7/mo
- 2 Ceph No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free
- 3 SeaweedFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$1.67/mo
- 4 BeeGFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free
- 5 Hadoop Distributed File System No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: self_hostedData replication: YesMulti-site support: Yes
- 6 JuiceFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: hybridData replication: Yes
- 7 MooseFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Data replication: Yes
- 8 OpenAFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free Deployment model: self_hostedData replication: YesMulti-site support: Yes
- 9 Gluster No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free Deployment model: hybridData replication: Yes
- 10 Quobyte No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 11 XtreemFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 12 GekkoFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9Free Deployment model: self_hostedData replication: Yes
- 13 Lustre No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Deployment model: self_hostedData replication: No
- 14 Panzura CloudFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Deployment model: hybrid
- 15 Google Cloud Filestore No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6$0.01/mo
- 16 WEKA Data Platform No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6
- 17 Dell APEX AIOps Incident Management No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Deployment model: hybridData replication: YesMulti-site support: Yes
- 18 Huawei HiSecEngine USG6800G No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5
- 19 ObjectiveFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5$99/mo Deployment model: hybrid
- 20 Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4
- 21 Qumulo Cloud Data Platform No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4
- 22 Gfarm No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedData replication: YesMulti-site support: Yes
- 23 Nasuni File Data Platform No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: hybrid
- 24 PanFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: hybridData replication: Yes
- 25 OrangeFS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment model: self_hosted
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which distributed file system software is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
LucidLink is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 7.0. Ceph is second and SeaweedFS third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Google Cloud Filestore has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.01/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.