MinIO
S3-compatible object storage you run on your own servers, now sold as MinIO AIStor.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Self-hosted, Linux
Is MinIO free?
Free plan, plus paid plans
- Free plan:
- Single-node deployments
Checked on MinIO's site Nov 8, 2026
Switch from MinIO to
All 5
Amazon S3CompareFree Tier: Up to $200 in credits for new AWS customers
Cloudflare R2CompareStandard storage price: $0.015 per GB-month
- WaWasabi
Starting price: $7.99 per TB/month (pay as you go)
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About MinIO
MinIO is object storage software that speaks the Amazon S3 API, so applications written for S3 can store data on hardware or clouds an organisation controls. For years its server was open source under the AGPLv3 and widely used for self-hosted backups, data lakes, Kubernetes storage and local S3 testing. MinIO, Inc. now focuses on a commercial product, AIStor, aimed at analytics and AI workloads, with erasure coding, replication, encryption, an admin console, S3 Express and Iceberg catalog support. AIStor has a free tier limited to single-node deployments with community support, and paid Enterprise Lite and Enterprise subscriptions for multi-node clusters with vendor support, each with a 60-day trial. The original open-source GitHub repository has been archived, which has led many self-hosters to look at other S3-compatible servers. It runs on Linux servers and in containers and Kubernetes.
Best for: Organisations that need S3-compatible storage on their own hardware, with enterprise support.
MinIO pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from MinIO's own site, with the page it came from.
Pros and cons
What works
- Drop-in S3 API compatibility for existing tools and SDKs
- Runs on-premises, at the edge or in any cloud
- Enterprise features such as replication, encryption and immutability
Why people leave
- Open-source repository is archived and no longer developed
- Free tier is limited to single-node deployments
- Multi-node clusters need a paid subscription
MinIO vs Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2 and Wasabi
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | MinIO | Amazon S3 | Cloudflare R2 | Wasabi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Verified price | — | Up to $200 in credits for new AWS customers | $0.015 per GB-month | $7.99 per TB/month (pay as you go) |
| Free plan | Single-node deployments | Up to $200 in credits for new AWS customers | 10 GB storage per month | No |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No | No | No |
| Platforms | Self-hosted, Linux | Web | Web | Web |
Full MinIO vs Amazon S3 comparisonFull MinIO vs Cloudflare R2 comparison
Top MinIO alternatives
See all 5- 1Amazon S368.8
The original managed object store, for teams that would rather not run storage servers at all.
- 2Cloudflare R264.8
Hosted S3-compatible storage with no egress fees, a simple swap for public-facing data.
- 3WaWasabi61.8
Flat-rate hosted S3-compatible storage with no egress or API request charges.
- 4
Backblaze B259.4Hand off the hardware: a low-cost hosted store that speaks the same S3 API your MinIO clients use.
- 5
Google Cloud Storage57.5Managed object storage on Google Cloud, with no cluster to run, upgrade or repair yourself.
Why people left MinIO
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from MinIO, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
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MinIO: common questions
What is MinIO?
MinIO: S3-compatible object storage you run on your own servers, now sold as MinIO AIStor. Best for organisations that need S3-compatible storage on their own hardware, with enterprise support. Available for Linux, and you can host it yourself.
Is MinIO free?
MinIO has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Single-node deployments (checked on MinIO's own site).
How much does MinIO cost?
MinIO is free with paid plans. Free plan: Single-node deployments; Free trial: 60 days (Enterprise tiers). Checked on MinIO's own site, November 2026.
Does MinIO have a free trial or refund?
Free trial: 60 days (Enterprise tiers). Source: MinIO's own site.
Is MinIO open source?
No, MinIO is not open source.
What platforms does MinIO run on?
MinIO is available for Self-hosted and Linux.
What are the best alternatives to MinIO?
The highest-ranked MinIO alternatives right now are Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2 and Wasabi. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
MinIO vs Amazon S3: what's the difference?
Both MinIO and Amazon S3 are free with paid plans. Only MinIO runs on Linux. Only Amazon S3 runs on Web.