LizardFS vs SeaweedFS

LizardFS is an on-premises distributed file system that combines storage from several servers into a single namespace. Data is kept in multiple replicas across available servers, and new servers can be added without downtime; chunks move automatically to balance disk use. Erasure coding divides data into parts and parity stripes, with the maker stating that it can save up to 70% of storage capacity depending on configuration. Snapshots copy metadata while sharing data chunks until a file changes. Georeplication can copy data between data centers and lets administrators choose where data is stored. Administrators can set read and write bandwidth limits and apply soft or hard quotas for file counts and total size. Deleted files go to an administrator-visible trash bin for restoration or permanent deletion. Storage is installed on Linux, with Windows and macOS clients for cluster access. LizardFS supports NFS 3.x, NFS 4.0, and pNFS, and the maker describes using it with Elasticsearch and Logstash. Pricing is available on request; support packages include weekday or 24/7 assistance depending on tier.

SeaweedFS is a distributed storage system that serves S3 objects, Iceberg tables, and POSIX files from one cluster. It supports S3, POSIX mounts, HDFS-compatible access, an Iceberg REST catalog, and WebDAV. Its built-in Iceberg catalog supports queries with Spark, Trino, Dremio, and DuckDB. The product describes scaling from gigabytes to petabytes and supporting billions of files. Development and testing under 25 TB are free, but production deployments require a paid license regardless of size. Monthly capacity licensing is $2 a month, based on used storage including replication or erasure-coding overhead; yearly licensing is $20 a year. Enterprise features include deleted-file recovery within a configurable retention window, point-in-time restoration, repair of missing or corrupted erasure-coding shards, and OIDC sign-in with role mapping. The free 25 TB trial limits deleted-file recovery retention to one hour. Enterprise support is optional and priced separately from capacity licensing. Community support is free and has no guaranteed response time. SeaweedFS is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with API access and self-hosted deployment.