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JuiceFS

juicefs.com

From $0.02/mo Free plan Open source WindowsmacOSLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Spec score 9.3 #1 of 30 in Software-Defined Storage Software

What it is

JuiceFS is an open-source, cloud-native distributed file system that stores file data in object storage and metadata separately in a metadata engine. It supports POSIX, HDFS, S3, and WebDAV protocols, with storage options including Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, MinIO, Ceph, and HDFS. Documented uses include big data, machine learning, Kubernetes, shared workspaces, and backup. Integrations cover Kubernetes CSI and Hadoop ecosystem components such as Spark, Presto, Hive, Flink, Trino, and StarRocks. JuiceFS offers a self-hosted Community Edition, a managed Cloud Service, and an Enterprise Edition with on-premises, BYOC, and other deployment options. Its downloadable client supports Linux, macOS, and Windows; WSL 2 is recommended for Windows. Encryption in transit and at rest is supported, but at-rest encryption must be enabled when creating a file system and does not cover client-side cached data or file metadata. Community Edition is free; paid plans start at $0.02/mo.

Spec sheet

What it does
JuiceFS is a cloud-oriented distributed POSIX file system that stores file data in object storage and metadata in a separate database.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Product
JuiceFS is an open-source, cloud-native distributed file system with POSIX, HDFS, and S3 protocol support.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Integrations
JuiceFS documents integration with Kubernetes CSI and Hadoop ecosystem components including Spark, Presto, Hive, Flink, Trino, and StarRocks.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Security
JuiceFS supports encryption in transit and at rest; at-rest encryption must be enabled when creating a file system and cannot be enabled later.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Compliance
JuiceFS Cloud Service states that it is SOC 2 compliant.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Support
Community Edition support is through GitHub and Discord, Cloud Service includes professional team online support, and Enterprise support is customizable.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
License
The Community Edition source code is released under Apache License 2.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Founded
2017Read 23 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Company
Juicedata says it was founded in April 2017 and launched JuiceFS Cloud Service in October 2017.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
API and SDKs
The project exposes POSIX/FUSE and S3 Gateway interfaces plus Java/Hadoop and Python SDKs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Architecture
It stores file data in object storage and metadata separately in a metadata engine.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Build requirements
Compiling Unix-like clients requires Go 1.20 or newer and GCC 5.4 or newer; Windows builds also require WinFsp.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Caching
JuiceFS provides local, distributed and multi-level caching options for improving repeated-access performance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Cloud SLA
Cloud Service advertises 99.95% service availability and 99.99999999% data reliability.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Company funding
Crunchbase lists Juicedata Inc. as the legal name, two funding rounds and seed backing led by China Growth Capital, with 11–50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Compression
The client supports LZ4 and Zstandard compression algorithms.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Consistency
Committed file changes are immediately visible across mounted servers according to the documentation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Documentation depth
The documentation site includes introduction, architecture, deployment, benchmarking, administration, security, tutorials, reference, FAQ, development and release-note sections.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Encryption
Documentation describes encryption in transit and client-side encryption at rest, while cached client data is not encrypted by default.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Encryption limitation
Client-side cached data and file metadata are not encrypted by its at-rest encryption feature.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Hadoop SDK support
The Hadoop Java SDK is compatible with Hadoop 2.x and Hadoop 3.x.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
HDFS integration
JuiceFS implements the HDFS API and integrates with Spark, Presto and Hive.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Independent catalog description
Cloud Image Catalogue describes JuiceFS as open-source POSIX-compatible software storing file data in object storage and metadata in a transactional database.Read 15 Oct 2026 · cloudimg.co.uk
Independent packaging
Homebrew lists JuiceFS as a versioned formula described as a cloud-based distributed POSIX file system built on Redis and S3.Read 15 Oct 2026 · formulae.brew.sh
Kubernetes
A CSI Driver supports using JuiceFS as cloud-native Kubernetes storage.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Limit: benchmark variance
A GitHub discussion reported 21.6 small-file writes per second versus 82.30 in the website benchmark until metadata placement and mount parameters were tuned.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: macOS and Windows dependencies
macOS FUSE mounts require macFUSE, while Windows mounts require WinFsp and use drive letters rather than directory mount points.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Limit: read performance
An independent deployment report found JuiceFS reads significantly slower than NAS in one test scenario and required manual directory indexing for very large small-file sets.Read 15 Oct 2026 · dev.to
Limit: small-operation workloads
A Hacker News user reported performance collapsing after hours of many small torrent-like operations on JuiceFS with MinIO or Garage.Read 15 Oct 2026 · news.ycombinator.com
Limit: tuning sensitivity
Official troubleshooting warns that low bandwidth, compaction and client write cache can cause system-wide slowdowns or read hangs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Maker facts
LinkedIn lists Juicedata as privately held, founded in 2017, headquartered in Los Altos, California, with 11–50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Maker founding
Juicedata says it was founded in April 2017 and launched Cloud Service in October 2017.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Managed service limits
The comparison table lists Cloud Service capacity of 100 million files, 10 PB, 100,000 IOPS, and 1,000 clients.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Metadata engines
Community Edition supports Redis, TiKV, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite and other metadata backends.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Operating systems
Official installation documentation covers Linux, macOS and Windows, with Docker, WSL, package-manager and binary options.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Performance guidance
The FAQ gives typical metadata latency of 1–3 ms, first-byte latency of 20–100 ms and sequential throughput from 50MB/s to 2800MiB/s depending on infrastructure.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
POSIX compatibility
The system presents object storage as a mountable file system with POSIX semantics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Praise: deployment and interoperability
A DEV Community production account praised the detailed documentation, easy deployment, CSI support, metadata-engine choice, caching and POSIX compatibility.Read 15 Oct 2026 · dev.to
Praise: I/O performance
The same independent account reported JuiceFS outperforming its tested s3fs and NAS setup, with sequential reads about 200% faster than s3fs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · dev.to
Release news
Cloud release notes list JuiceFS 5.4.3 on September 22, 2026 with directory healing, replication metrics and mount/cache improvements.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
S3 gateway
Its S3 Gateway exposes an S3-compatible interface usable by S3 clients, desktop software and web applications.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Scale
Enterprise Edition is listed for up to 500 billion files, 4EB of data and horizontally scalable metadata throughput up to 10 million IOPS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Self-hosting
Community Edition is self-hosted and can run on public, private or hybrid clouds with user-selected storage and metadata services.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
SOC 2
JuiceFS states that its Cloud Service has achieved SOC 2 compliance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Storage integrations
Supported storage options include Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, MinIO, Ceph, WebDAV, and HDFS.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com
Use cases
The documentation highlights big data, machine learning, Kubernetes, shared workspaces, and data backup as use cases.Read 29 Sep 2026 · juicefs.com

Plans and prices

Community Edition Free Self-hosted · public/private/hybrid cloud · POSIX, HDFS, S3, WebDAV · selectable metadata engine · local client cache Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Cloud Service $0.02 a month $0.02 GiB/month Fully managed · distributed metadata engine · upgraded caching · enterprise management and security Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com
Enterprise Edition Priced on request Volume pricing On-premises/BYOC · starts from 100TB · unlimited capacity and scalability · extreme performance Read 15 Oct 2026 · juicefs.com

Every JuiceFS plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Supports POSIX, HDFS, S3, and WebDAV.
  • Integrates with Kubernetes CSI and Hadoop tools.
  • Community Edition is free.
  • Supports encryption in transit and at rest.

Limits

  • At-rest encryption must be enabled at file-system creation.
  • Cached client data and metadata are not encrypted at rest.
  • Windows use has WSL 2 recommended.

Who it suits

JuiceFS suits teams working with distributed storage for data-heavy uses such as machine learning, big data, Kubernetes, shared workspaces, and backup. Its self-hosted, cloud, and enterprise deployment choices address different operating needs.

JuiceFS in depth

Read the full write-up

JuiceFS is an open-source distributed file system for teams that need shared file access across storage and compute environments. Its mix of protocols, backends and deployment choices is a strength; the at-rest encryption gaps deserve careful review before use with sensitive data.

Overview

JuiceFS separates file contents from filesystem metadata: data resides in object storage, while a separate metadata engine tracks the filesystem. It supports POSIX, HDFS and S3, with WebDAV also among its storage protocols. This architecture suits workloads that need a shared filesystem interface without binding file data to one storage service, though it means metadata and data are separate components to account for in deployment.

Juicedata was founded in 2017 and launched JuiceFS Cloud Service that October. JuiceFS is available as self-hosted software, a managed cloud service and an enterprise offering with multiple deployment options.

Key features

Storage and workload integrations

Supported storage options include Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, MinIO, Ceph, WebDAV and HDFS. Kubernetes CSI integration and connections to Spark, Presto, Hive, Flink, Trino and StarRocks give it reach across container and Hadoop-ecosystem workloads. That breadth is useful for teams sharing data among varied compute tools; it is less compelling if a single storage backend and workload already meet the need.

JuiceFS supports data replication and S3-compatible access, but not erasure coding. The replication option is relevant where copies are part of a resilience strategy; organizations specifically requiring erasure coding should look elsewhere or assess another layer for that requirement.

Security and support

Encryption in transit and at rest are supported, but at-rest encryption must be enabled when creating a filesystem and cannot be turned on afterward. It also does not encrypt client-side cached data or file metadata. These limits matter for sensitive workloads: decide on encryption before provisioning, and do not treat the feature as protection for cached copies or metadata.

Community Edition users rely on GitHub and Discord for support. Cloud Service includes online support from a professional team, while Enterprise support is customizable. JuiceFS Cloud Service states that it is SOC 2 compliant.

Pricing

The pricing model is freemium, with a free plan and a stated paid-from price of $0.02/mo. The Community Edition costs nothing and is self-hosted, with community support through GitHub and Discord. It is the natural starting point for teams able to operate the system themselves, but does not include the professional online support offered by Cloud Service.

Cloud Service uses pay-as-you-go billing and has custom pricing. It is fully managed and lists capacity of 100 million files, 10 PB of data, 100,000 IOPS and 1,000 clients. Those limits make the service a substantial managed option, but teams should check that their workload fits within its stated ceilings.

Enterprise Edition also has custom pricing. It supports on-premises, BYOC and other deployment options, with customizable support; it fits organizations that need deployment flexibility or tailored assistance and can engage for a quote. A free trial is available.

Platforms

The downloadable client supports Linux, macOS and Windows; JuiceFS recommends WSL 2 for Windows use. The broader platform scope also includes API and self-hosted deployments. Teams choosing Windows should account for the WSL 2 recommendation when assessing their client environment.

Who it's for

JuiceFS is a strong candidate for teams working with big data, machine learning, Kubernetes, shared workspaces or data backup, especially when they need POSIX, HDFS or S3 access across several storage services. Self-hosting suits teams prepared to manage the system and its separate metadata engine; Cloud Service is more suitable for those who want fully managed operation. It is a poorer fit when at-rest encryption must cover metadata and client caches, or when erasure coding is a requirement.

Pros and cons

Pros: POSIX, HDFS and S3 protocol support, plus a broad range of storage integrations, can connect varied workloads to shared file data.

Pros: Self-hosted, managed and enterprise deployment choices let teams trade operational control for managed service or customized support.

Cons: At-rest encryption excludes client-side cached data and metadata, and must be enabled at filesystem creation.

Cons: JuiceFS does not support erasure coding, which rules it out for teams that require that capability.

Alternatives

SeaweedFS is another freemium option with a free plan and support through GitHub issues and discussions, public documentation, and no guaranteed response time; consider it if that community-support model suits your needs.

Tahoe-LAFS is a free, self-hosted storage grid with no hosted plan or paid tier stated, making it an option for readers seeking that model.

LucidLink is a paid alternative with a free trial and support for Android, iOS and web as well as desktop platforms; consider it if those platforms matter to your choice.

MooseFS offers a free Community plan with a single active master and single-parity erasure coding; it may suit readers who need that erasure-coding approach.

BeeGFS is another freemium distributed filesystem option.

Hadoop Distributed File System is free, open source and self-hosted; choose it if an Apache Hadoop cluster deployment is what you need.

LizardFS offers paid support plans with prices not listed; consider it if those support packages fit your requirements.

OrangeFS is a free open-source option with commercial and research support services also available.

Browse more Distributed File System Software or Software-Defined Storage Software.

Verdict

Choose JuiceFS if you need a flexible shared filesystem spanning object storage and data-platform workloads, and value the choice between self-hosting and managed service. Its protocol and integration breadth is the main draw; look elsewhere if encrypted metadata and client caches or erasure coding are essential.

Verdict

JuiceFS offers protocol support and storage integrations alongside self-hosted, managed, and enterprise deployment options. Review the at-rest encryption limits before choosing it for data that may be cached client-side or stored as metadata.

Where Specifiction places it

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