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Sia
sia.tech
What it is
Sia offers encrypted, decentralized cloud storage through a consumer app and tools for developers building storage into applications. Files are encrypted on the user’s device before upload, and Sia says nobody else can read them. The app describes files as redundantly held across independent hosts worldwide, with parallel downloads from multiple hosts. Sia describes its peer-to-peer network as having no central access point or single point of failure. Consumer plans list 50 GB on Free, 500 GB for $7.99 a month on Plus, 5 TB for $14.99 a month on Pro, and 10 TB for $19.99 a month on Unlimited; Unlimited lists 4.99 USD/TB-mo over its included capacity. Separately, the network page lists median prices of $3.53/TB/month for storage at 3X redundancy, $0.03/TB for upload, and $2.25/TB for download. Developers can use storage SDKs for Rust, Go, Python, and JavaScript, or the S3-compatible s3d gateway with rclone, Cyberduck, Nextcloud, and Duplicati. The SDK can connect to an indexer hosted by the user.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Sia is a decentralized peer-to-peer cloud-storage network in which files are encrypted, fragmented and distributed among independent hosts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.sia.tech
- Integrations
- The S3-compatible s3d gateway is described as working with rclone, Cyberduck, Nextcloud, Duplicati, and any S3 client.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.tech
- Support
- The documentation directs users to Discord help channels and [email protected] for assistance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.sia.tech
- Founded
- 2013Read 23 Sep 2026 · sia.tech
- Availability
- The app says files are redundantly stored across independent hosts worldwide and can be downloaded in parallel from multiple hosts.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.storage
- Client-side encryption
- Sia Storage encrypts files on the user device before upload, so storage providers cannot read them.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.storage
- Company address
- Google Play identifies The Sia Foundation, Inc. at 75 N Main St Ste 6016, Randolph, Massachusetts, United States.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Company name
- The Sia Storage site identifies The Sia Storage Company.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.storage
- Company origin
- Sia was conceived at HackMIT in 2013 and its mainnet launched in 2015.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.tech
- Company type
- LinkedIn lists The Sia Foundation as a Boston-based nonprofit software-development organization with 11–50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Decentralized design
- The network operates without a central access point or gatekeeper, according to Sia.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.tech
- Desktop downloads
- Sia provides Windows, macOS and Linux desktop and terminal downloads for hostd, renterd and walletd.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.tech
- Developer SDKs
- First-party SDKs are offered for Rust, Go, Python, Dart and JavaScript, with JavaScript support for Node and browsers and Dart support for Flutter.Read 15 Oct 2026 · devs.sia.storage
- Documentation
- Sia publishes setup guides, API documentation, SDK references, configuration details and Docker instructions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.sia.tech
- Erasure coding
- The storage app splits data into 30 shards and says any 10 shards can reconstruct it.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- File organization
- The mobile app supports folders, tags, favorites, search and file-type filtering.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- File versioning
- The app records updated file versions and lets users browse prior versions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Foundation formation
- The Sia Foundation says it was created in 2020 to support the network, protocol and ecosystem.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.tech
- Licence
- Public Sia Foundation repositories including renterd, hostd, s3d and the storage app are marked MIT licensed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: Apple reviewer
- An early reviewer said uploads from the device were slow in the first release.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Limit: Google Play reviewer
- The store listing includes a complaint that the app used too much local storage and sometimes missed files.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Multi-device sync
- Encrypted libraries can synchronize across devices through an indexer.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Network design
- Sia describes its storage network as peer-to-peer, with no central access point or single point of failure.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.tech
- Network durability
- Sia says each object is spread across independent providers and remains recoverable if up to 20 of 30 providers go offline.Read 15 Oct 2026 · devs.sia.storage
- Network pricing
- The network page lists median prices of $3.53/TB/month for storage at 3X redundancy, $0.03/TB for upload, and $2.25/TB for download.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.tech
- No infrastructure requirement
- The SDK is designed to connect directly to the network without application buckets or a per-app backend.Read 15 Oct 2026 · devs.sia.storage
- Notable news: mobile launch
- A March 17, 2026 post said the Sia Storage mobile app was being prepared for a May hard launch and had shipped seven releases during February.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.tech
- Notable news: SDKs
- Sia's blog reported on October 5, 2026 that new SDKs had progressed from a 5 TB upload taking 162 hours in 2018 to a 5.37 TB upload completing in 8.15 hours in its comparison.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.tech
- On-device encryption
- Files are encrypted on the user’s device before upload, and the site says nobody else can read them.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.storage
- Open source
- Sia describes itself as an open-source project supported by the nonprofit Sia Foundation and community donations.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.tech
- Photo backup
- The app can archive and automatically back up a phone photo library in the background.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Praise: Apple reviewer
- One reviewer described the interface as easy to use, fast and safe.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Praise: Google Play reviewers
- Reviewers repeatedly praised privacy, ease of use, reliability, speed and affordable pricing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Public API
- The renterd API is documented as an OpenAPI service with authentication and storage operations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · api.sia.tech
- Rating on Apple App Store
- 5.0 out of 5 from 8 ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Rating on Google Play
- 5.0 out of 5 from 90 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- S3 integration
- S3d provides an S3-compatible interface usable with Rclone, Cyberduck and other S3 clients.Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.storage
- Security model
- The developer documentation says keys remain on the user device and indexers and providers never receive plaintext data or metadata.Read 15 Oct 2026 · devs.sia.storage
- Self-hosting
- Applications can use a hosted, third-party or self-hosted Sia indexer.Read 15 Oct 2026 · devs.sia.storage
- Storage SDKs
- The Sia Storage SDKs are listed for Rust, Go, Python, and JavaScript.Read 29 Sep 2026 · sia.tech
- System requirements
- The official renterd Docker guide recommends a quad-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, a 256 GB SSD, Docker and stable open network access.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Who it serves
- Sia says its storage network is for users storing data and developers building applications on Sia.Read 29 Sep 2026 · docs.sia.tech
Plans and prices
Free Free 50 GB · 3 apps · 500 Mbps Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.storage
Plus $7.99 a month $7.99/mo 500 GB · 3 apps · 500 Mbps Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.storage
Pro $14.99 a month $14.99/mo 5 TB · 5 apps · 1 Gbps Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.storage
Unlimited $19.99 a month $19.99/mo 10 TB + $4.99/TB-mo over · 100 apps · 5 Gbps Read 15 Oct 2026 · sia.storage
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Files are encrypted on the user’s device before upload.
- Consumer plans include 50 GB free storage.
- SDKs are listed for Rust, Go, Python, and JavaScript.
- The SDK can connect to a user-hosted indexer.
Limits
- Free plan includes 50 GB of storage.
- Unlimited lists 4.99 USD/TB-mo over included capacity.
- Network storage, upload, and download rates are listed separately.
Who it suits
Sia serves people storing data and developers building applications on its storage network. The listed SDKs and S3-compatible gateway offer options for development and connected storage tools.
Sia in depth
Read the full write-up
Overview
Sia combines a consumer cloud-storage app with tools for developers building storage into applications. It is most compelling for privacy-minded users and developers who want a decentralized storage network; consumer plans are easier to compare, while network use requires separate usage-cost calculations.
Files are encrypted on the user’s device before upload, and Sia says nobody else can read them. The app describes redundant storage across independent hosts worldwide, with downloads available in parallel from multiple hosts. That distributed design is a meaningful alternative to relying on one central access point, though the consumer plan quotas and network rates serve different needs.
Sia’s project dates to 2013. It describes itself as open source and supported by the nonprofit Sia Foundation and community donations; the Sia Storage site identifies The Sia Storage Company. Support is through Discord’s help channel or [email protected].
Key features
Encryption before upload: Files are encrypted on the user’s device, which makes Sia a fit for users who want storage hosts unable to read their files, according to Sia.
Distributed storage and retrieval: Redundant storage across independent hosts and parallel downloads are designed to spread storage and retrieval across the network rather than rely on one access point.
Developer SDKs: SDKs for Rust, Go, Python, and JavaScript give developers several language options for building storage into applications.
S3-compatible gateway: The s3d gateway works with rclone, Cyberduck, Nextcloud, Duplicati, and other S3 clients, making it relevant to teams that already use those tools.
Self-hosting flexibility: The SDK can connect to any indexer, including one the user hosts, for developers who want to manage that part of the setup themselves.
Open network model: Sia describes its network as peer-to-peer with no central access point or single point of failure. It also supports IPFS and identifies its network type as hybrid.
Pricing
The consumer plans set storage, app-count, and speed limits. The free tier is a useful way to start, but its 50 GB cap makes it a constrained long-term option for larger libraries.
PlanPriceIncludedBest fitFreefree50 GB storage, 3 apps, 500 MbpsTrying the consumer service or storing a modest amount.Plus$7.99 a month500 GB storage, 3 apps, 500 MbpsUsers who need more capacity without changing the free tier’s app or speed allowance.Pro$14.99 a month5 TB storage, 5 apps, 1 GbpsUsers needing substantially more space and higher listed speed.Unlimited$19.99 a month10 TB storage, $4.99/TB-mo over, 100 apps, 5 GbpsLarge libraries or many apps, with extra storage priced per TB-month beyond the included capacity.These consumer allowances should not be confused with Sia network pricing. The network page gives median rates of $3.53/TB/month for storage at 3X redundancy, $0.03/TB for upload, and $2.25/TB for download. Those usage-based rates are more relevant to developers estimating storage and transfer costs than to someone choosing a fixed consumer tier.
Platforms
Sia supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and web, as well as API and self-hosted use. Desktop and mobile apps are available. That breadth accommodates both ordinary device use and developer or self-managed deployments.
Who it's for
Sia is a strong candidate for people who value device-side encryption and distributed storage, and for developers who want SDKs, S3-compatible access, or the option to use their own indexer. Users with a smaller storage need can start free; those with larger needs should compare the consumer quota tiers against network storage and transfer charges. It is less suitable for someone who wants to treat the consumer plan price as the whole cost of developer-network use.
Pros and cons
Pro: Privacy-oriented storage. Files are encrypted before upload, and Sia says other parties cannot read them.
Pro: Multiple routes for developers. Four SDK languages, an S3-compatible gateway, and self-hosted indexer support provide flexibility for application builders.
Pro: Clear consumer capacity tiers. The plans progress from 50 GB free to 10 TB, with app-count and speed allowances also stated.
Con: Consumer and network pricing are separate. Developers need to account for storage, upload, and download rates rather than assume the consumer tiers cover network use.
Con: The free tier is capped at 50 GB. It can serve as a starting point, but larger storage needs require a paid plan or another approach.
Alternatives
For a wider comparison, see Decentralized Storage Services. Choose Peergos if fully open-source server code and reproducible builds are priorities; it has no free plan and supports self-hosting. Carbide Network is another option, with Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and API support and plans that describe provider earnings and per-GB billing. Consider Stratos for a freemium service with a similarly broad mix of mobile, desktop, web, API, and self-hosted platforms.
Aleph Cloud (formerly Aleph.im) is worth comparing if you want API and web access alongside a free static-website tier with IPFS distribution and basic bandwidth. Walrus has a free launch-period plan and was created by Mysten Labs, the team behind Sui. Filecoin may suit buyers looking for a listed $2.50 a month starting rate for Filecoin Onchain Cloud, with a minimum of two copies. Arweave is another paid option with broad platform support. Swarm is a paid alternative whose maker describes its code as open source and its network as open and permissionless.
Verdict
Choose Sia if you want device-encrypted storage backed by a distributed network, or if you are a developer who can use its SDKs, gateway, and network pricing. The main reason to look elsewhere is the split between consumer quotas and usage-based network costs: those evaluating application storage need to estimate transfer as well as capacity.
Verdict
Sia pairs consumer storage plans with developer tools and network-level pricing. Distinguish the consumer plan allowances from the separate network rates when evaluating expected storage and transfer needs.
Where Specifiction places it
- Decentralized Storage Services#4 of 258.8
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