The top 7 decentralized cloud storage platforms (2025 Edition)

Decentralized cloud storage is forever changing how we handle digital data. Here’s a comparison of the best decentralized and blockchain…

Apillon

Sep 21, 2023 • 8 min read

Decentralized cloud storage is forever changing how we handle digital data. Here’s a comparison of the best decentralized and blockchain cloud storage providers.

This article was initially published in 2023 and updated for 2025 to reflect the latest in decentralized cloud storage solutions. Since pricing in the blockchain space can change quickly, we recommend checking current rates directly with each provider to ensure accuracy.

· The benefits of decentralized cloud storage
· The 7 top decentralized and blockchain cloud storage providers
∘ Filecoin
∘ Arweave
∘ Sia
∘ Storj
∘ BitTorrent File System
∘ IPFS
∘ Apillon

You know what they say — in the digital age, data is the new gold. If it was oil that was dubbed black gold in the late 19th century, it was now data that was described as the world’s newest most precious resource back in 2017 by the Economist.

Precious resources should be stored in the most secure and efficient way possible. For over a decade, the go-to choice for web users and enterprises has been centralized cloud storage providers — think AWS S3, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Apple iCloud. But these robust storage options aren’t without their pain points.

In recent years, new efficient and cost-effective solutions have been emerging to address the weaknesses of traditional storage providers. Decentralized cloud storage providers offer a distributed, faster, more secure, and oftentimes cheaper alternative to centralized cloud storage options.

But how do you know which one best suits your needs?

Why do we even need decentralized cloud storage?

There’s no arguing that centralized cloud solutions like AWS S3 come with their own set of advantages: ease of use, convenience, and scalability are all essential criteria to consider when choosing a cloud storage provider.

While centralized clouds might have been the best option in the past, specific pain points and risks were revealed with the onset of data leak scandals and other exploitations.

But where are the weak points that expose centralized clouds to these incidents?

Centralized cloud storage means that all data is stored on a single off-site server or just a handful of servers. In the case of AWS S3, data is stored in Amazon’s proprietary siloes.

Exposed to a single point of failure, centralized servers are prone to censorship, hacking attacks, data leaks, and other security and privacy risks.

Furthermore, centralized cloud storage providers usually have a high storage cost and slow data transmission speed.

The benefits of decentralized cloud storage

Decentralized cloud storage addresses these pain points by implementing a decentralized, peer-to-peer network of servers (often called nodes) rather than relying on a single server.

A decentralized data storage system offers you the following advantages:

No single point of failure

When data is distributed across a decentralized network, it becomes permanently accessible. If one node in the network goes down, data is still stored on all the others.

Improved security

With encryption and hashing technology, data is fragmented and distributed across multiple nodes, making it impossible for an unauthorized centralized authority to access or tamper with it.

Resistance to censorship

With no centralized server storing all data in one place, the chances of censorship occurring in a decentralized cloud storage system are pretty much zero.

Better data privacy and control

Aligning with the Web3 principles of data ownership and privacy, users have control over their data. They can decide how their data is stored, who has access to it, and under what conditions it can be shared.

Cost efficiency

While it depends on the provider, decentralized cloud storage is often more cost-effective than traditional options. Users can even earn rewards or tokens by sharing their excess storage space, lowering their storage costs.

Data integrity

If cryptographic hashing is used, users can verify that their data has not been tampered with or corrupted, ensuring data integrity.

A comparison of the 7 top decentralized and blockchain cloud storage providers

Here is a comparison of the top 7 decentralized cloud storage companies in 2023, with the additions of the 2025 updates. It’s up to you to decide which is best for your needs.

Filecoin

Filecoin is a decentralized cloud storage platform that leverages blockchain technology to offer secure and reliable storage solutions.

Filecoin leverages a unique proof-of-storage consensus mechanism to ensure data integrity and security, making stored data resistant to manipulation. The nodes in the Filecoin network can even compete to provide storage space, creating a marketplace for storage services.

With its commitment to decentralization, security, and data protection, Filecoin has gained recognition as a leading player in the decentralized storage ecosystem.

It’s also one of the cheapest decentralized cloud storage providers out there, offering 1TB at as low as $0.19 per month. It’s important to note that the price can fluctuate due to market conditions.

☝️ 2025 update:

Feature update: Filecoin’s Virtual Machine (FVM) is now live, enabling smart contracts on the network, significantly expanding its Web3 capabilities.

Pricing: The competitive pricing remains with 1TB still averaging around $0.19 per month; however, due to market fluctuations and network demand, always verify current rates before committing.

Arweave

At Arweave, they want you to imagine their blockchain cloud storage services like Bitcoin, but for data: Arweave is a permanent and decentralized web inside an open ledger.

A blockchain-based decentralized storage platform known for its permanent storage capabilities, Arweave uses a unique blockchain architecture, its own ecosystem, and a technology stack to ensure that data stored on its network is immutable and cannot be deleted or modified.

Arweave originally offered what was presented as 1TB from $2.19 per month in a subscription-like format; however, its model is based on a one-time fee for permanent storage.

☝️ 2025 update:

Feature update: With the release of Arweave 2.6, network performance and gateway decentralization have improved along with enhancements to the ArDrive interface.

Pricing: Arweave now follows a one-time payment model. For reference, platforms like ArDrive estimate permanent storage at roughly $25 per GB (subject to AR token price volatility). In other words, the cost for 1TB of permanent storage would convert to around $10,000 depending on current token prices. You can check it here on Arweave fees calculator.

Sia

What sets Sia apart is its innovative smart contract system, which ensures that users are charged only for the storage they actively use, promoting cost efficiency.

Sia’s reputation system is another noteworthy feature, motivating nodes to maintain high levels of uptime and reliability, further bolstering data accessibility. Furthermore, Sia benefits from an engaged and active community of developers and contributors who are dedicated to continually updating and enhancing the platform.

Sia offers 1TB of storage from $2 per month.

☝️ 2025 update:

Feature update: Sia’s core storage service continues to operate, though its decentralized content delivery network, Skynet, was officially discontinued in late 2023.

Pricing: The cost remains highly competitive with approximately $2 per TB per month. Users should be aware that actual costs may vary with network demand and usage specifics.

Storj

Similarly to Sia, Storj is a decentralized cloud storage provider that’s known for its innovative smart contract framework, which guarantees that users are charged exclusively for the storage and bandwidth they actively use. Storj also promotes security through its bug bounty program, actively encouraging security researchers to uncover and report any potential vulnerabilities.

Founded in 2014, Storj has solidified its reputation as a secure and dependable option and managed to forge partnerships with prominent names, including Microsoft and Seagate.

Storj offers 1TB of storage from $4 per month.

☝️ 2025 update:

Feature update: Storj continues serving enterprise clients while breaking out costs into storage fees and egress (data retrieval) charges.

Pricing: For basic storage, the historical figure of around $4 per TB per month still applies, though overall costs may increase depending on data retrieval rates.

BitTorrent File System

We’ve all heard of BitTorrent but not everybody knows they actually offer a wide range of services, BitTorrent File System.

BTFS is a scalable decentralized storage system designed to lower storage expenses, enhance fault tolerance, and eliminate censorship. As BTFS already boasts a substantial user node base exceeding 100 million users, it’s a powerful player in the decentralized storage arena. This innovative storage protocol operates on the TRON blockchain.

BTFS offers 1TB of storage from $2.24 per month.

☝️ 2025 update:

Feature update: BTFS remains a key component of the TRON ecosystem, with ongoing efforts to integrate further with BitTorrent Chain (BTTC) to expand its capabilities.

Pricing: The pricing is still around $2.24 per TB per month, though, as always, users should review the latest figures due to potential shifts in network incentives.

IPFS

While it doesn’t leverage blockchain technology, the InterPlanetary File System is a decentralized protocol that stores and shares files in a decentralized system. IPFS leverages a unique approach where files are stored across a network of nodes with a content-addressable system. This means that files are addressed by their content rather than their location.

A decentralized alternative to HTTP, IPFS uses end-to-end encryption to protect user data.

As IPFS is not a decentralized cloud storage provider but a decentralized protocol, the prices vary depending on providers offering IPFS file storage and file-sharing services.

☝️ 2025 update:

Feature update: IPFS remains a foundational technology for many decentralized storage providers — platforms like Crust, Fleek, and Pinata continue to build on this protocol.

Pricing: Since IPFS is a protocol, there isn’t a uniform price; instead, customers choose from various service providers whose pricing models vary.

Apillon

Leveraging the power of Polkadot parachains, Apillon is a one-stop shop development platform that offers various Web3 services, including decentralized storage, for builders of Web3 projects and dapps.

Apillon’s blockchain cloud storage uses IPFS and Crust Network, a parachain of the Polkadot blockchain. By combining both the IPFS protocol and blockchain technology, Apillon provides very efficient and secure decentralized cloud storage for developers as well as enterprises.

Currently, the Apillon platform offers decentralized cloud storage free of charge.

☝️ 2025 update:

Feature update: Apillon continues to offer free decentralized storage for its developer community and maintain strong integrations with Crust Network, soon adding CESS as another decentralized storage option.

Pricing: New users receive 1200 free credits, which enables 3 GB of storage and 60 GB of monthly bandwidth.

Get free decentralized cloud storage on the Apillon platform

If you want to try out decentralized and blockchain cloud storage for free, head over to the Apillon platform and start storing your files in a secure, reliable, and fast way.

🔎Learn more about the Apillon Web3 Storage service and how IPFS and Crust Network in the backend help us deliver a seamless storage experience.👇

Or, as we like to say, waste no time and jump right into Apillon’s blockchain cloud storage.

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⧓ About Apillon

The Apillon platform serves as a unified gateway to the Web3 services provided by linked Polkadot parachains. Following the multi-chain vision, Apillon powers the transition of developers to Web3, simplifying its adoption in the real economy, and expanding its versatility as the ecosystem grows. With Apillon, Web3 services are within reach for every developer, regardless of their background and experience with blockchain technology.