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Last checked October 29, 2026

Free alternatives to MinIO

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MinIO is the S3-compatible store many stacks ran in a container. The project README now says this repository is no longer maintained. It points people to AIStor Free and AIStor Enterprise. The community edition is source only. MinIO no longer publishes new pre-built community binaries. Old binaries stay online and get no updates. If your compose file still says minio/minio, plan a move.

DevelopersSmall teamsPrice checked

What you pay for MinIO

The community repo is no longer maintained. New community builds are source only. AIStor is the product MinIO points to.

The README on github.com/minio/minio says the repository is no longer maintained. It lists AIStor Free as a standalone edition with a free license, and AIStor Enterprise as the paid distributed edition. The same file says the community edition no longer gets pre-compiled binary releases. You can still compile it, or build a container image yourself. Legacy binaries remain for reference and will not get updates. This page does not state a dollar price for AIStor. The pricing page is a quote form.

MinIO website·Price page

For developers and small teams. Its price on file: The community repo is no longer maintained. New community builds are source only. AIStor is the product MinIO points to. It is in the Object storage group.

How to switch

The closest free app on the checklist is SeaweedFS. Cost and details. Move from MinIO to SeaweedFS.

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A dev box or a real cluster

These scores are from the checklist on this page. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement. We check each app against public docs and price pages.

SeaweedFS is #1 (91). Ceph is #2 (77). Garage is #3 (70).

SeaweedFS

#1 · Closest

7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

You only get part of: object lock and lifecycle rules.

Ceph

#2

7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

What you give up: a single node for a dev stack.

Garage

#3

7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

What you give up: object lock and lifecycle rules. You only get part of: object versioning and a larger cluster.

Where they differ

  • A single node for a dev stack

    Worth 10 points. SeaweedFS does all of it. A single node is a normal way to replace a MinIO container in dev. Ceph does none of it. A container demo exists for learning. It is not a drop-in for a one-service dev compose file. Garage does all of it. A single node can stand in for a local S3 in a dev stack.

  • Object versioning

    Worth 6 points. SeaweedFS does all of it. S3 versioning is part of the gateway. Test the calls your app uses. Ceph does all of it. Bucket versioning is a gateway feature. Test it. Garage does part of it. Check the current docs for the versioning calls you use. Do not assume every MinIO setting copies over.

  • Object lock

    Worth 4 points. SeaweedFS does part of it. Object lock exists in the project. Confirm the mode you need before you depend on it. Ceph does all of it. Object lock is a gateway feature. Confirm the mode you need. Garage does none of it. Do not plan on object lock unless the docs you read say it is there.

  • Lifecycle rules

    Worth 4 points. SeaweedFS does part of it. Some lifecycle behavior exists. Do not assume every MinIO rule copies unchanged. Ceph does all of it. Lifecycle rules are a gateway feature. Garage does none of it. Lifecycle rules are not the reason to pick Garage.

  • A larger cluster

    Worth 4 points. SeaweedFS does all of it. Volume servers are how it grows past one disk. Ceph does all of it. This is what Ceph is for. Garage does part of it. A few nodes is the design. A very large cluster is a different product.

SeaweedFS, Ceph, and Garage do all of these: an s3-compatible api and presigned urls.

RustFS

No score

An object-storage project. Not scored on this checklist yet.

How close is it?

How this works

A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement. #1 is the closest free app that did not pay us. An ad, when one is sold, is marked and sits after #1. Paying does not change the score. Open source means you can use, change, and share the code. Run it yourself means the app can live on a computer you control.

  1. #1 · ClosestOpen sourceNotes on the review

    SeaweedFS

    An S3-compatible store that can start on one machine.

    7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

    You only get part of: object lock and lifecycle rules.

    Last checked October 29, 2026 · License: Apache-2.0

    LinuxRun it yourself
    Cost and detailsHow to switchWebsite
  2. #2Open sourceNotes on the review

    Ceph

    A large-cluster store with an S3 gateway.

    7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

    What you give up: a single node for a dev stack.

    Last checked October 29, 2026 · License: LGPL-2.1 and GPL-2.0

    LinuxRun it yourself
    Cost and detailsWebsite
  3. #3Open sourceNotes on the review

    Garage

    A small S3-compatible store for files you host yourself.

    7 of 7 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.

    What you give up: object lock and lifecycle rules. You only get part of: object versioning and a larger cluster.

    Last checked October 29, 2026 · License: AGPL-3.0

    LinuxRun it yourself
    Cost and detailsWebsite

Feature by feature

Full means it does the whole job. Partial means it does some of it. Missing means it does not. Not checked counts as zero. The number under each feature is how much it counts. A bigger number moves the score more.

Scroll sideways to see every app.

Feature comparison. Full, partial, missing, or not checked.
FeatureSeaweedFS#1 · 917 of 7 checked featuresCeph#2 · 777 of 7 checked featuresGarage#3 · 707 of 7 checked features
An S3-compatible APICounts for 10FullThe project includes an S3 gateway.FullRADOS Gateway is the S3 API.FullThe project is an S3-compatible API.
A single node for a dev stackCounts for 10FullA single node is a normal way to replace a MinIO container in dev.MissingA container demo exists for learning. It is not a drop-in for a one-service dev compose file.FullA single node can stand in for a local S3 in a dev stack.
Object versioningCounts for 6FullS3 versioning is part of the gateway. Test the calls your app uses.FullBucket versioning is a gateway feature. Test it.PartialCheck the current docs for the versioning calls you use. Do not assume every MinIO setting copies over.
Presigned URLsCounts for 6FullPresigned URLs work through the S3 API.FullPresigned URLs are part of the S3 API.FullPresigned URLs are part of the S3 API it aims to serve.
Object lockCounts for 4PartialObject lock exists in the project. Confirm the mode you need before you depend on it.FullObject lock is a gateway feature. Confirm the mode you need.MissingDo not plan on object lock unless the docs you read say it is there.
Lifecycle rulesCounts for 4PartialSome lifecycle behavior exists. Do not assume every MinIO rule copies unchanged.FullLifecycle rules are a gateway feature.MissingLifecycle rules are not the reason to pick Garage.
A larger clusterCounts for 4FullVolume servers are how it grows past one disk.FullThis is what Ceph is for.PartialA few nodes is the design. A very large cluster is a different product.

What it costs

SeaweedFS

Free plan
The software is free. You pay for disk and the computer.
They host it
No hosted price on file.
Run it yourself
Setup: medium. One process can serve S3 for a dev stack. Add volume servers when the disk or the traffic grows.

Ceph

Free plan
The software is free. The cluster needs several machines and someone who will run it.
They host it
No hosted price on file.
Run it yourself
Hard. Plan on several servers, disks, and an operator. Do not use it as the replacement for a single MinIO container.

Garage

Free plan
The software is free to run. You pay for the disk and the computer.
They host it
No hosted price on file.
Run it yourself
Setup: medium. A single node is enough for a dev stack or a small team. Read the docs before you promise every S3 feature.

Did you switch?

If you left MinIO, tell us if it worked and how long it took. Notes stay private until we approve them. Nothing is shown until at least five are approved.

How did it go?

Closest pair

Move from MinIO to SeaweedFS

Stand up SeaweedFS, point one app at the new S3 endpoint, and copy the buckets. The old MinIO container is no longer a maintained image.

Read how to switch

Related alternatives

Object storage alternatives

Switch guides

Free apps in this group

Questions

What happened to the MinIO community edition?
The README says the repository is no longer maintained and that new community builds are source only. Pre-built community binaries are no longer published. Old binaries do not get updates. The page points to AIStor Free and AIStor Enterprise.
What should I use for local development?
SeaweedFS or Garage can replace a single MinIO container. Point your app at the new S3 endpoint and test versioning and presigned URLs before you switch the shared stack. Ceph is the wrong tool for a one-container dev file.
Is the S3 API a perfect match?
No. Bucket calls that your app uses every day are the test. Versioning, object lock, and lifecycle rules are the ones that differ. Try those three before you call it done.