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File Storage · head to head

Cloudian vs VAST Data

Cloudian logo

Cloudian

File Storage

S3-compatible on-premises object storage with object lock immutability

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VAST Data logo

VAST Data

File Storage

All-flash storage designed to make hard disk tiers unnecessary

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cloudian you operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.; VAST Data data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • They diverge on capability: Cloudian covers S3 API compatibility, VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudian and VAST Data actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudian and VAST Data differ
AttributeCloudianVAST Data

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Linux), 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 Cloudian

  • S3 API compatibility
  • Object Lock
  • Erasure coding
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Hybrid tiering
  • HyperStore appliances

Only in VAST Data

  • Disaggregated architecture
  • Similarity-based reduction
  • All-flash single tier
  • Multi-protocol access
  • Wide erasure coding
  • GPU-oriented throughput
  • Snapshots and replication

What people use each for

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

Cloudian

  • A backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backupsnot VAST Data
  • An organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenablenot VAST Data
  • A university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storagenot VAST Data
  • A media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud feesnot VAST Data

VAST Data

  • A GPU training cluster where storage throughput, not compute, is the bottleneck on job completionnot Cloudian
  • A genomics group holding petabytes of sequencing output that must stay immediately readable rather than archived to tapenot Cloudian
  • A quantitative finance team running backtests over historical market data that a disk tier cannot serve fast enoughnot Cloudian
  • An organisation consolidating a fast tier and an archive tier into one system to reduce rack space and power drawnot Cloudian

Where each one falls short

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

Cloudian

  • You operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.
  • Per-terabyte licensing plus servers means high upfront cost, and the crossover point against public cloud only arrives at meaningful scale, typically hundreds of terabytes and up.
  • S3 compatibility is high but not identical to Amazon, so occasional applications depending on newer or less common S3 features need testing rather than assumption.
  • Small deployments need a minimum node count for erasure coding to be meaningful, which sets a practical floor on entry cost regardless of how little data you have.
  • Performance is object storage performance, so it is not a substitute for block or high-throughput file storage and buyers occasionally deploy it for the wrong workload.

VAST Data

  • Data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • There is a minimum viable cluster size, so the entry cost is high and the platform is not sensible for a small footprint however attractive the architecture is.
  • Pricing is quoted against effective capacity after reduction, which means the price you signed depends on an assumption about your own data that only becomes measurable after deployment.
  • The platform has expanded into database and data catalogue functions, which broadens the roadmap but means buyers evaluating it as a file system must be careful not to be sold an adjacent product they will not use.
  • As a relatively young vendor in a market of long-lived incumbents, buyers with ten year retention requirements should press on long term support commitments and hardware availability rather than assume them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudian

On request
  • Cloudian HyperStore$undefined/year
    • Licensed per usable terabyte, subscription or perpetual
    • Software-only on your hardware or as Cloudian appliances
    • No egress or API request charges

VAST Data

On request
  • VAST Data Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced per usable capacity after data reduction
    • Hardware and software sold together or via certified partners
    • Subscription and capital purchase options

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudian if

  • You need s3 api compatibility.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want object lock.
Cloudian review

Choose VAST Data if

  • You need disaggregated architecture.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want similarity-based reduction.
VAST Data review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudian or VAST Data better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudian starts at On request and VAST Data at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudian or VAST Data?
Cloudian starts at On request and VAST Data at On request.
Does Cloudian or VAST Data run on more platforms?
Both run on Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Cloudian best used for?
Cloudian is most often used for a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups, an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable, a university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storage, a media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud fees. Of those, a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups and an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable are not what VAST Data is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudian do that VAST Data cannot?
Cloudian covers S3 API compatibility, Object Lock, Erasure coding, Multi-tenancy. VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture, Similarity-based reduction, All-flash single tier, Multi-protocol access.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudian: Does object lock really stop ransomware deleting backups?

Within the retention period, yes, provided the lock is set in compliance mode. That is precisely why it is the common answer to backup-targeting ransomware.

VAST Data: Do we still need an archive tier?

That is the central claim, and it holds when your data reduces well. Run a reduction assessment on your actual dataset before accepting the economics.

Cloudian: Are there egress charges?

No. That is the central cost argument against public cloud object storage, and it only becomes visible when you have to restore at volume.

VAST Data: How is capacity priced?

On usable capacity after data reduction, quoted rather than published. That makes the reduction ratio assumption the most important number in the contract.

Cloudian: Can we use our own servers?

Yes, HyperStore is software-defined and runs on qualified commodity hardware, or you can buy Cloudian appliances if you would rather not certify your own.

VAST Data: Is it suitable for a small deployment?

No. There is a minimum cluster size and the entry cost reflects it. Small footprints are better served elsewhere.

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