SeaweedFS is an open-source distributed storage system for S3-compatible object storage. See 2026 Enterprise pricing per terabyte, features, pros and cons.
Category
Cloud Storage
Pricing
Open source (Apache 2.0 license) free for self-hosting, with a paid per-terabyte Enterprise edition, from Free (open source, or under 25 terabytes for development and testing); Enterprise from 2 US dollars per terabyte per month
Verified
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Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2015
Free PlanAPIOpen SourceFreemiumSelf-Hosted
Overview
SeaweedFS is a fast, open-source distributed storage system created by Chris Lu and released under the Apache License, Version 2.0. It has been publicly maintained since around 2015 and has grown to roughly 32,000 stars on GitHub, reflecting strong developer community adoption.
The project supports S3-compatible object storage, general-purpose file access, and Apache Iceberg table storage, and is architected to handle billions of files with O(1) disk seek performance, meaning file access typically requires only a single disk read regardless of total file count.
Key Features
SeaweedFS separates metadata management from file storage: a lightweight central master tracks only storage volumes, while volume servers manage files and their metadata directly, enabling fast, constant-time file access at massive scale. It supports the S3 API, POSIX FUSE mounts, Hadoop compatibility, WebDAV, encryption, and erasure coding for warm storage.
A separate commercial SeaweedFS Enterprise edition adds advanced data recovery, self-healing storage, customizable erasure coding, and erasure-coding vacuum and repair tooling on top of the open-source core, aimed at organizations that want additional operational safeguards and vendor support.
Pricing
The open-source core of SeaweedFS is free to self-host under the Apache 2.0 license with no licensing fees. SeaweedFS Enterprise is billed as a flat per-terabyte software license running on the customer's own hardware, with no request fees and no egress fees.
Enterprise pricing is 2 US dollars per terabyte per month on a pay-as-you-go monthly plan, or 20 US dollars per terabyte per year on an annual plan, representing roughly a 17 percent discount versus monthly billing. Deployments under 25 terabytes are free for development and testing, and custom pricing with volume discounts is available for deployments exceeding 5 petabytes.
Key Features
S3-compatible object storage — Implements an S3-compatible API so existing S3 tooling and clients can work against a self-hosted SeaweedFS cluster.
O(1) disk seek architecture — File access typically requires only a single disk read operation regardless of how many files are stored in the cluster.
Lightweight master and volume server design — A central master tracks only storage volumes, while volume servers manage individual files and metadata directly, reducing metadata bottlenecks.
POSIX FUSE mount and Hadoop compatibility — Supports mounting as a POSIX filesystem and Hadoop-compatible access for big data workloads.
Erasure coding for warm storage — Customizable erasure coding reduces storage overhead for less frequently accessed data compared to full replication.
Apache Iceberg table support — Supports storing Iceberg tables, extending SeaweedFS into data lake and analytics use cases.
Self-healing storage (Enterprise) — The Enterprise edition adds self-healing capabilities and data recovery tooling for improved operational resilience.
Flat per-terabyte Enterprise licensing — Enterprise pricing is a simple per-terabyte fee with no request or egress charges, since it runs on the customer's own infrastructure.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Free, Apache 2.0 licensed open-source core with no licensing cost for self-hosting
Designed for very high file counts with constant-time (O(1)) disk access performance
S3 API compatibility allows reuse of existing S3 tooling and client libraries
Enterprise pricing has no request fees or egress fees since it runs on customer-owned hardware
Free tier for development and testing under 25 terabytes even for the Enterprise edition
Cons
No publicly disclosed formal company headquarters or employee count for the project's commercial entity
Production use of the Enterprise edition requires a paid per-terabyte license regardless of scale
Self-hosting and operating a distributed storage cluster requires infrastructure and systems expertise
Smaller ecosystem and third-party integrations compared to established cloud object storage providers
Advanced resilience features like self-healing and erasure-coding repair are limited to the paid Enterprise tier
Pricing
Open Source Free N/A
Enterprise Monthly 2 US dollars per terabyte per month Monthly, cancel anytime
Enterprise Yearly 20 US dollars per terabyte per year Annual
Enterprise 5PB Plus Custom quote Contact sales
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SeaweedFS free to use?
Yes. SeaweedFS's open-source core is free to self-host under the Apache License, Version 2.0. A separate paid Enterprise edition adds advanced features for a per-terabyte fee.
Who created SeaweedFS?
SeaweedFS was created by Chris Lu, who has publicly maintained the project since around 2015.
How much does SeaweedFS Enterprise cost?
SeaweedFS Enterprise costs 2 US dollars per terabyte per month on a monthly plan, or 20 US dollars per terabyte per year on an annual plan, which is roughly a 17 percent discount versus monthly billing.
Is SeaweedFS compatible with Amazon S3?
Yes. SeaweedFS implements an S3-compatible API, allowing existing S3 tools and client libraries to work with a self-hosted SeaweedFS cluster.
What license does SeaweedFS use?
SeaweedFS is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
Is SeaweedFS suitable for storing billions of files?
Yes. SeaweedFS's architecture is specifically designed to handle billions of files with O(1) disk seek performance, meaning file access typically requires only one disk read operation.
Is there a free tier for SeaweedFS Enterprise?
Deployments under 25 terabytes are free for development and testing purposes, though production use at any capacity requires a paid Enterprise license.
Does SeaweedFS support data lake workloads?
Yes. SeaweedFS supports Apache Iceberg table storage in addition to S3-compatible object storage and general file access.