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File Storage · head to head

Ceph vs Sync.com

Ceph logo

Ceph

File Storage

Open source distributed storage providing object, block and file from one cluster

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sync.com logo

Sync.com

File Storage

Cloud storage, backup and sharing with end-to-end encryption

From
$8/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ceph has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ceph ceph assumes an operator who understands placement groups, CRUSH rules and recovery tuning, so organisations without dedicated storage staff routinely end up with a cluster that works until the first failure and then does not.; Sync.com all Teams plans require a minimum of 3 users
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ceph and Sync.com actually diverge.

Attributes where Ceph and Sync.com differ
AttributeCephSync.com
Starting priceFree$8/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinuxWeb

Identical on both: 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 Ceph

  • RADOS object store
  • RADOS Gateway
  • RBD block devices
  • CephFS
  • CRUSH placement
  • Erasure coded pools

Only in Sync.com

Nothing recorded that Ceph does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Ceph

  • Backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an S3 endpoint all need the same hardwarenot Sync.com
  • Growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity serversnot Sync.com
  • Research and media environments with petabytes of data and staff who can operate storagenot Sync.com
  • Providing an S3 endpoint on premises with multi site replication under your own controlnot Sync.com

Sync.com

  • Sharing patient records between healthcare providers with HIPAA compliancenot Ceph
  • Managing confidential legal documents with encrypted folders and version historynot Ceph
  • Providing secure client portals for financial advisors sharing sensitive datanot Ceph
  • Maintaining GDPR-compliant file storage for European customer datanot Ceph
  • Enabling remote work access to sensitive files without third-party trackingnot Ceph

Where each one falls short

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

Ceph

  • Ceph assumes an operator who understands placement groups, CRUSH rules and recovery tuning, so organisations without dedicated storage staff routinely end up with a cluster that works until the first failure and then does not.
  • Small clusters are inefficient: three way replication means a third of raw capacity is usable, and erasure coding needs enough failure domains to be safe, so the economics only work above a certain size.
  • Recovery and rebalancing generate heavy internal traffic, so a failed disk can degrade client latency across the cluster unless backfill is throttled correctly beforehand.
  • Upgrades must follow a strict daemon order across monitors, managers, OSDs and gateways, and a mistake in that order on a live cluster is difficult to reverse.
  • Because it is self hosted, every byte served to the internet is transit you pay for on your own links, so the free licence does not mean free egress and bandwidth planning becomes your problem rather than the providers.

Sync.com

  • All Teams plans require a minimum of 3 users
  • The advertised low monthly rate (e.g. $4/month for Teams 1TB) is a promotional annual rate described as 50% off; the standard monthly price is $8/month without the promotion
  • Enterprise pricing for 100+ users is custom and requires contacting a dedicated account manager

Pricing, plan by plan

Ceph

Free
  • CephFree
    • Full functionality, no capacity limit
    • Object, block and file interfaces
    • Community support via mailing list and Slack

Sync.com

$8/month
  • Teams 1TB$8/month
    • 1 TB secure storage
    • Advanced sharing
    • Administrator account
  • Teams 2TB$12/month
    • 2 TB secure storage
    • Custom branding
    • Role-based access control
  • Teams 10TB$18/month
    • 10 TB secure storage
    • VIP support
    • 365-day history
  • Sync Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom storage limits
    • Custom branding
    • Role-based access control

Which should you pick?

Choose Ceph if

  • You need rados object store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want rados gateway.
Ceph review

Choose Sync.com if

Nothing in the data separates Sync.com from Ceph on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Sync.com review

Questions people ask

Is Ceph or Sync.com better?
Neither clearly leads. Ceph starts at Free and Sync.com at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ceph or Sync.com?
Ceph has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ceph and $8/month for Sync.com.
Does Ceph or Sync.com run on more platforms?
Ceph runs on Linux. Sync.com runs on Web.
Can I use Ceph for free?
Yes. Ceph has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sync.com starts at $8/month.
What is Ceph best used for?
Ceph is most often used for backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an s3 endpoint all need the same hardware, growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity servers, research and media environments with petabytes of data and staff who can operate storage, providing an s3 endpoint on premises with multi site replication under your own control. Of those, backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an s3 endpoint all need the same hardware and growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity servers are not what Sync.com is typically brought in for.
What can Ceph do that Sync.com cannot?
Ceph covers RADOS object store, RADOS Gateway, RBD block devices, CephFS.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ceph: How many nodes do I need to start?

Three is the practical minimum for a replicated cluster with real fault tolerance, and most production advice starts at five once you account for maintenance windows.

Sync.com: What are the Sync.com team plan price differences?

Sync.com offers three main team tiers: Teams 1TB at $8/month per user (annual), Teams 2TB at $12/month per user (annual), and Teams 10TB at $18/month per user (annual). All require a minimum of 3 users. Higher tiers include enhanced features like custom branding, admin delegation, and longer file history.

Source
Ceph: Is it faster than a SAN?

Not on single stream latency. It wins on aggregate throughput and on growing without a forklift upgrade, which is a different property from raw speed.

Sync.com: Does Sync.com offer a free trial?

Yes, Sync.com offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. All plans also include a full 30-day money-back guarantee.

Source
Ceph: Can I buy support?

Yes. IBM sells IBM Storage Ceph and SUSE and others have offered supported builds; the upstream project itself is free.

Sync.com: What file history retention does Sync.com provide?

Sync.com Teams 1TB includes 180-day file history. Teams 2TB and Teams 10TB offer 365-day history. This history duration applies across all shared files and team folders.

Source
Ceph: Should I use it just for S3?

If object is all you need, a dedicated object store is simpler to run. Ceph earns its complexity when you need block and file as well.

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Related pages

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