Softwr

File Storage · head to head

Box vs MinIO

Box logo

Box

File Storage

Cloud content management for the enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MinIO logo

MinIO

File Storage

S3-compatible object storage server you run yourself, now under AGPL with a stripped community edition

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Box pricing not disclosed for Personal Pro, Business Plus, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus tiers; MinIO the AGPL v3 licence applies copyleft over network use, so embedding MinIO in a product or hosted service obliges you to release your own source or buy a commercial licence, and legal review has removed it from several vendor stacks for this reason alone.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Box and MinIO actually diverge.

Attributes where Box and MinIO differ
AttributeBoxMinIO
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Docker

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Box

Nothing recorded that MinIO does not also cover.

Only in MinIO

  • S3 API implementation
  • Erasure coding
  • Single binary deployment
  • Bucket replication
  • Object locking and versioning
  • Identity provider integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Box

  • Enterprise cloud file storage and collaborationnot MinIO
  • Document management with AI capabilitiesnot MinIO
  • API integration for business automationnot MinIO

MinIO

  • Providing an S3 endpoint inside an air gapped or regulated network where a cloud bucket is not permittednot Box
  • Backing a Kubernetes platform with object storage that lives on the same hardware as the clusternot Box
  • Standing up S3 semantics in CI so tests exercise the same API path as productionnot Box
  • Fronting local disk shelves with an S3 interface so applications only ever learn one storage APInot Box

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Box

  • Pricing not disclosed for Personal Pro, Business Plus, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus tiers
  • Enterprise Advanced requires quote and minimum purchase commitments
  • File upload limits vary from 250 MB to 500 GB across tiers
  • Business plan requires minimum 3 users

MinIO

  • The AGPL v3 licence applies copyleft over network use, so embedding MinIO in a product or hosted service obliges you to release your own source or buy a commercial licence, and legal review has removed it from several vendor stacks for this reason alone.
  • The community edition console was reduced in 2025 to an object browser, so user, policy, bucket and configuration management now happen through the mc command line client or through the paid product, which is a real operational regression for teams that trained staff on the UI.
  • The vendor has changed the terms of the free edition twice, so planning long lived infrastructure around the community build carries the risk that the next change removes something you depend on.
  • Erasure coded deployments cannot be grown by adding single drives; capacity is added in server pools, so expansion is a hardware purchase in units rather than an incremental one.
  • Commercial pricing is capacity based and aimed at large deployments, so a team that outgrows the community edition faces an enterprise sized quote rather than a graduated upgrade path.

Pricing, plan by plan

Box

Free
  • IndividualFree
    • 10 GB storage
    • 250 MB file upload limit
    • 1 file version
  • Business$5/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • 5 GB file upload
    • 25 file versions
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • 50 GB file upload
    • 1,000 AI Units per month
  • Enterprise Plus$null/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • 150 GB file upload
    • 2,000 AI Units per month

MinIO

Free
  • Community (AGPL v3)Free
    • Full server functionality
    • Erasure coding and replication
    • Object browser only in the web console
  • AIStor$undefined/year
    • Commercial licence removing AGPL obligations
    • Full management console
    • Vendor support with response commitments

Which should you pick?

Choose Box if

  • You want to start without paying.
Box review

Choose MinIO if

  • You need s3 api implementation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Docker.
  • You also want erasure coding.
MinIO review

Questions people ask

Is Box or MinIO better?
Neither clearly leads. Box starts at Free and MinIO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Box or MinIO?
Box starts at Free and MinIO at Free.
Does Box or MinIO run on more platforms?
Box runs on Web. MinIO runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Docker.
Can I use Box for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Box best used for?
Box is most often used for enterprise cloud file storage and collaboration, document management with ai capabilities, api integration for business automation. Of those, enterprise cloud file storage and collaboration and document management with ai capabilities are not what MinIO is typically brought in for.
What can Box do that MinIO cannot?
MinIO covers S3 API implementation, Erasure coding, Single binary deployment, Bucket replication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Box: What is the starting price for Box Business plan?

Business plan starts at $5 per user per month with unlimited storage, 5 GB file uploads, and Box AI included.

Source
MinIO: Can I still use MinIO for free?

Yes, the AGPL v3 server remains available and functional. What changed is the console, which no longer manages users, policies or configuration in the community build.

Box: Does the free plan support file sharing?

Yes, Individual free plan includes 10 GB storage, 250 MB file uploads, and 5 Box Sign signature requests per month.

Source
MinIO: Does AGPL affect me if I only use it internally?

Internal use without offering the software over a network to third parties generally does not trigger the source obligation, but if MinIO forms part of a service you offer to others, it does. Take advice rather than a forum answer.

Box: What are the file upload limits by tier?

File upload limits are 250 MB (Individual), 5 GB (Business), 50 GB (Enterprise), 150 GB (Enterprise Plus), and 500 GB (Enterprise Advanced).

Source
MinIO: What replaced the community console features?

The mc client and the server admin API. Third party UIs exist but they are not maintained by MinIO.

Box: How is AI priced in Box?

Business plan includes Box AI at no extra cost; Enterprise tiers include 1,000-20,000 AI Units per month depending on plan level.

Source
MinIO: Is it suitable as a Veeam or restic backup target?

Yes, object locking and versioning work and both tools treat it as standard S3. Immutability depends on configuring the lock policy at bucket creation.

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