Best Software-Defined Storage Software in 2026
Updated
In short: DAOS is ranked #1 of 28 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of OpenEBS and SeaweedFS. The best-ranked option with a free plan is OpenEBS. The lowest first paid tier on this page is SeaweedFS at $1.67/mo.
Choosing software-defined storage means weighing how a platform is deployed against the access and resilience features your stack needs. Ceph, MinIO AIStor, and SeaweedFS head the ranked entries, with MooseFS and OpenEBS next. Compare deployment model, storage protocols, S3-compatible access, and Kubernetes support, then consider replication and erasure coding for protection choices. Maximum nodes offers another point of comparison, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame cost. The ranking order can guide an initial pass, but the listed criteria are more useful for matching a platform to your environment and compatibility requirements.
28 software-defined storage software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DAOS | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 2 | OpenEBS | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | SeaweedFS | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $1.67/mo | Yes | 2 /mo | — | View |
| 4 | Ceph | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 5 |  JuiceFS | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | 0.02 /mo | hybrid | View |
| 6 | MinIO AIStor | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 7 | MooseFS | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | on-premises | View |
| 8 | Longhorn | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 9 |  WEKA Data Platform | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 10 | DataCore SANsymphony | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 11 |  Portworx Enterprise | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 12 | Qumulo Cloud Data Platform | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | hybrid | View |
| 13 |  StorPool Disaster Recovery Engine | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | on-premises | View |
| 14 | VMware Workstation Pro | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 15 |  Gluster | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 16 |  StarWind Virtual SAN | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 17 | LINSTOR | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 18 |  Huawei HiSecEngine USG6800G | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 19 |  Scality RING | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 20 | SUSE Multi-Linux Manager | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 21 |  LizardFS | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | on-premises | View |
| 22 | NetApp ONTAP Select | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | on-premises | View |
| 23 |  Lightbits SDS | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | hybrid | View |
| 24 |  StorMagic SvHCI | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | on-premises | View |
| 25 | Cloudian HyperStore | 4.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which software-defined storage software is ranked first on Inferse?
DAOS is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 7.4. OpenEBS is second and SeaweedFS third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, SeaweedFS has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1.67/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.