Peergos began in 2013 as a side project among a group of friends, including co-founder Ian Preston, and has grown into an open-source, peer-to-peer encrypted global filesystem and application protocol. It is fully free and open source, with clients licensed under GPL and the server under AGPL.
Built on top of IPFS for decentralized data storage and routing, Peergos encrypts all data client-side before it ever leaves a user's device, and has been security audited by Cure53, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative to mainstream cloud storage and social platforms.
Key Features
Peergos encrypts files client-side in independently encrypted 5MiB chunks using TweetNaCl, and goes further than typical encrypted storage tools by hiding metadata such as filenames, file sizes, directory structure, and social-graph information from the server.
Beyond file storage, Peergos includes a secure messenger, an encrypted email client and bridge, and a private social networking layer that lets users follow or friend each other without exposing their friendship graph.
Pricing
Peergos has no subscription pricing since it is a volunteer-driven open-source project rather than a commercial company. Users can try it through a free public beta hosted at peergos.net.
Alternatively, users and organizations can self-host their own Peergos instance using local disk storage or S3-compatible object storage, in which case the only cost is their own infrastructure.
Key Features
Client-side encryption — All files are encrypted on the user's device before ever reaching the server, using TweetNaCl in 5MiB chunks.
Metadata protection — Filenames, file sizes, directory structure, and social graph are hidden from the server, not just file contents.
IPFS-based storage — Uses the InterPlanetary File System for decentralized data storage, routing, and retrieval.
Secure messenger — Built-in encrypted messaging between Peergos users.
Encrypted email client and bridge — Send and receive encrypted email through Peergos.
Private social networking — Follow or friend other users without exposing the friendship graph publicly.
Fine-grained access control — Securely share specific files or folders with chosen contacts.
Self-hosting support — Run your own Peergos server with local disk or S3-compatible storage.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Strong, audited (Cure53) end-to-end encryption of both data and metadata
Fully open source under GPL/AGPL licenses
Combines file storage, messaging, email, and social networking in one privacy-first platform
Self-hosting option gives full control over infrastructure
Free public beta available for users who do not want to self-host
Cons
Smaller community and ecosystem compared to mainstream cloud storage providers
Self-hosting requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance
Feature set and polish are less mature than commercial alternatives like Dropbox or Tresorit
Limited mobile app maturity compared to established competitors
Pricing
Public Beta / Self-Hosted (Open Source) Free N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peergos free?
Yes, Peergos is free and open source; the public beta is free to use, and self-hosting only costs your own infrastructure.
What encryption does Peergos use?
Peergos encrypts data client-side with TweetNaCl before upload, and also protects metadata like filenames and directory structure.
What is Peergos built on?
Peergos uses IPFS for decentralized storage, routing, and retrieval of encrypted data.
Can I self-host Peergos?
Yes, Peergos can be self-hosted using local disk storage or S3-compatible object storage.
Does Peergos have social networking features?
Yes, it includes a private social layer for following or friending other users without exposing the friend graph.
Has Peergos been security audited?
Yes, the project has been audited by the security firm Cure53.
When did Peergos start?
Peergos began as a side project in 2013.
What license does Peergos use?
Peergos clients are licensed under GPL and the server under AGPL.