JuiceFS vs OpenAFS
JuiceFS
juicefs.comOpenAFS
openafs.orgSide by side
| Figure | JuiceFS | OpenAFS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.02/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Distributed File System Software | 9.1 (#2) | 7.7 (#15) |
| Caching | JuiceFS provides local, distributed and multi-level caching options for improving repeated-access performance. | The client Cache Manager stores files in local disk or memory cache to reduce repeated network requests. |
| Founded | 2017 | 2000 |
| License | The Community Edition source code is released under Apache License 2.0. | The project states that OpenAFS is distributed under the IBM Public License. |
| 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. | AFS clients and servers mutually authenticate, and server processes encrypt particularly sensitive information sent to clients. |
| Support | Community Edition support is through GitHub and Discord, Cloud Service includes professional team online support, and Enterprise support is customizable. | The project wiki points users to mailing lists, an IRC channel, and a page listing individuals and companies offering support or consulting. |
| 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. | OpenAFS is an open-source implementation of the AFS distributed filesystem for accessing network files as if they were local. |
Plans
JuiceFS
- Community EditionFree
- Cloud Service$0.02 a month
- Enterprise EditionPriced on request
In their own words
JuiceFS
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.
OpenAFS
OpenAFS is a free, open-source implementation of the AFS distributed filesystem for accessing network files as though they were local. Location transparency lets users keep the same pathname when administrators move files between machines. AFS supports federated sharing and read-only replication across file servers, while the client Cache Manager keeps files in disk or memory cache to reduce repeated network requests. Kerberos authentication uses tokens for authenticated status, and directory access control lists define user and group permissions. Clients and servers mutually authenticate, with server processes encrypting particularly sensitive information sent to clients. However, commands in the fs, pts, and vos suites do not encrypt data before transmission. OpenAFS supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted deployment, with AFS access plus NFS and SMB/CIFS options listed. The project lists version 1.8.16.1 as a June 2026 UNIX/Linux maintenance release and distributes it under the IBM Public License. Administrators assign each AFS volume a size limit or quota.