Tahoe-LAFS

Decentralized Storage Network

Free and open-source decentralized file store built on a 'principle of least authority' (POLA) security model, providing provider-independent security: files are client-encrypted and erasure-coded (default 3-of-10) before distribution across storage servers, such that no server operator can read or modify user data.

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Details

License

Libre (GPL + Transitive Grace License)

Dev Status 🟢 Active

Dev Status Detail

Released (v1.20.0 latest; actively maintained)

Owner

Tahoe-LAFS Software Foundation (volunteer-maintained open source project); originally started at Allmydata.com

Governing Body Tahoe-LAFS Software Foundation (volunteer-maintained; originally started at Allmydata.com)

Country

USA (origins); globally distributed volunteer contributors

Start Year 2006

Stack

Python

Funding

Volunteer / donations (open source; Fosshost hosting; no commercial backer)

Last Investigated Mar 9, 2026

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This tool in the centre and the things it is directly related to. Each line names the kind of relationship.

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Use Case Domains

Platform Evolution & Sovereignty

Affordances

Self-hostable

Local-first storage

End-to-end encrypted

Decentralized Storage Network Attributes

Origins

Online backup / privacy-preserving cloud storage

Database

Distributed key-value store (erasure-coded shares across storage nodes; ACID-like via lease management)

Query Language

REST/HTTP API; SFTP; FUSE filesystem mount

Data Formats

Any binary files and directories; mutable and immutable file types

Mobile Support

Partial Mobile support (no native mobile app; web interface accessible via mobile)

Web Support

Yes (HTTP web interface via gateway)

Native Apps

N/A (CLI + web API; no dedicated desktop app)

Terms

Self-hosting (deploy own storage grid; federated volunteer grids possible)

Funds

N/A (volunteer project; no known external funding)

Based On

Novel (original architecture; no blockchain; uses Foolscap/HTTPS protocol)

P2P Architecture

Mesh network (client connects to introducer, then to storage nodes; no routing protocol between nodes)

Overlay Network

Store-wide (data limited to configured storage grid)

Content Addressing

Yes (immutable files addressed by content hash embedded in read capability)

Local-First

N/A (client-server model; gateway on local machine or remote)

E2EE

Yes (client-side AES encryption before upload; storage servers never see plaintext)

Byzantine Fault Tolerance

Partial (erasure coding tolerates node failure; cryptographic proofs prevent silent data corruption; no Byzantine consensus protocol)

Signature

Ed25519 (mutable file signatures)

Permissions

Cryptographic Capabilities (read caps, write caps, verify caps — capability-based access control; no ACLs)

Semantic Web Compatibility

N/A

Smart Contract

Protocol Stack Position

Application-layer (built on TCP/IP)

Asset / Value Embedding

None (no token; volunteer or self-hosted model)

Protocol Maturity / Standardization

De Facto Standard (established open-source reference for capability-based decentralized storage; 15+ year history; no formal standards body)

Update Policy

Immutable (for immutable files) / Mutable (versioned) for mutable directories and files (MDMF format)

Storage Proof Mechanism

Merkle audit proof (continuous integrity checks; storage servers audited by requesting random shares; failed audits trigger data repair)

Economic / Incentive Model

Volunteer (no economic incentive model; operators run nodes for altruistic or cooperative reasons; lease-based GC to manage storage)

Retrieval Guarantee

Best-effort (configurable K-of-N erasure coding; 3-of-10 default tolerates 7 node failures; availability depends on operator commitments)

Relationships

How this tool connects to other tools and organizations, from relationships reviewed by the OpenHaven data steward. They describe how projects connect, not how good they are.

Inspired: Keyhive