Carbide Network vs Pinata
Carbide Network
carbide.networkPinata
pinata.cloudSide by side
| Figure | Carbide Network | Pinata |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.01/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Decentralized Storage Services | 9.1 (#3) | 7.3 (#21) |
| Integrations | The developer docs describe settlement through Solana programs and USDC payments, and state that the discovery service can be self-hosted. | The homepage documents a TypeScript SDK installed with npm i pinata and shows an example using the PinataSDK. |
| Product | Carbide describes itself as a decentralized storage network that connects users’ files with a global network of providers. | Pinata provides file uploads and retrieval using IPFS storage and also offers hosting and management for Pinata Agents. |
| Support | The developer docs identify Telegram as the fastest way to reach a contributor and GitHub issues as an option for tracked work. | The pricing page lists email support for the free plan and describes enterprise support as top-priority 1:1 support. |
Plans
Carbide Network
- Home providerFree
- Personal storageFree
- Professional providerFree
- Enterprise provider$0.01 a month
Pinata
- Picnic$20 a month
- Fiesta$100 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- FreePrice not published
In their own words
Carbide Network
Carbide Network is a distributed storage service that links users’ files with independent providers. Its personal offering covers photos, documents and backups, with photo and video auto-sync, an encrypted vault, expiring share links and up to 10x redundancy. Files are encrypted on the user’s device with AES-256-GCM; the service describes its design as zero-knowledge. Encrypted chunks are spread among providers, and users choose between 1 and 10 copies. Users manage their private encryption keys, and Carbide says lost keys cannot be recovered. Business tools include role-based team workspaces, audit logs, retention policies and geographic redundancy across 30+ regions. Developers get API-first, S3-compatible storage, a versioned API and a Swift SDK. The service lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps, as well as API access. Personal storage is billed at $0.002/GB. The network is provided without warranties, and performance depends on the combined behavior of independent participants.
Pinata
Pinata is a web and API platform for uploading, retrieving, storing, and managing files with IPFS. Its private IPFS storage API handles file storage, retrieval, and management, while dedicated gateways provide access to pinned content. A content delivery network includes image optimization for serving websites globally. Developers can add file handling through Pinata SDKs, command-line tools, and APIs; the service documents a TypeScript SDK installed with npm. Pinata also offers hosting and management for Pinata Agents and analytics intended to inform usage and resource decisions. The free plan includes 1GB storage, 500 files, 10GB bandwidth, and 10K requests. Picnic costs $20 a month, and Fiesta costs $100 a month, with larger listed limits. Plan features include gateway access controls, MIME-type protections, threat monitoring, billing protections, and upload protections. Free-plan support is listed as email support.