File Storage · head to head
IDrive e2 vs Storj
IDrive e2
File Storage
Low cost S3-compatible object storage with egress included up to a multiple of what you store
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Storj
File Storage
S3-compatible object storage distributed in encrypted pieces across independently operated nodes
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: IDrive e2 the included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.; Storj billing includes a per segment charge and every object consumes at least one segment, so a bucket holding millions of small files can cost several times what the four dollar per terabyte headline implies.
- They diverge on capability: IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Storj covers Erasure coded distribution.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IDrive e2 and Storj actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Per terabyte per month), 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 IDrive e2
- S3-compatible endpoints
- Included egress allowance
- Object lock
- Versioning
- Regional endpoints
- Cross region replication
Only in Storj
- Erasure coded distribution
- Client side encryption
- S3-compatible gateway
- Native uplink access
- Object Lock and versioning
- Storj Select
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IDrive e2
- The offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by Veeam, restic or a NAS backup clientnot Storj
- Replacing an S3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requestsnot Storj
- Small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line itemsnot Storj
- Archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delaynot Storj
Storj
- An offsite backup or archive target where the data is large, written once and occasionally restorednot IDrive e2
- Serving large media files internationally without paying hyperscaler egress ratesnot IDrive e2
- Storing data where the objection to AWS, Azure or Google is jurisdiction and concentration rather than costnot IDrive e2
- A second, independent copy of a dataset that already lives in a hyperscaler bucketnot IDrive e2
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IDrive e2
- The included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.
- The region list is short compared with the hyperscalers, so data residency requirements outside the main markets are hard to satisfy and multi region designs have fewer options.
- S3 compatibility covers the common calls but not the long tail, so software that relies on less common features can fail in ways that are hard to diagnose against a provider with thin public documentation.
- Support is organised around a consumer and small business backup product rather than a platform engineering organisation, so escalating a storage layer problem takes longer than it would with a specialist provider.
- IDrive publishes far less about the underlying architecture, durability engineering and incident history than its competitors, so due diligence on the storage layer is largely taking the vendor at its word.
Storj
- Billing includes a per segment charge and every object consumes at least one segment, so a bucket holding millions of small files can cost several times what the four dollar per terabyte headline implies.
- Reconstructing an object requires responses from dozens of independent nodes, so time to first byte is noticeably higher than a centralised bucket and it is a poor fit behind a latency sensitive read path.
- Performance depends on the mix of node operators serving you at that moment rather than on a datacentre you can raise a ticket against, so slow reads are diagnosed statistically rather than fixed.
- The hosted S3 gateway terminates encryption on Storj infrastructure, so using the convenient access path gives up the end to end encryption that is the main architectural argument for the service.
- The S3 gateway is compatible rather than identical, so tools that lean on less common API calls, multipart edge cases or unusual header behaviour need testing before you commit a workload to it.
Pricing, plan by plan
IDrive e2
Free- FreeFree
- 10 GB stored
- S3 API access
- Egress within the included allowance
- Pay as you go$4/month
- Roughly 4 USD per terabyte stored per month
- Egress included up to a multiple of stored data
- No per operation charge on standard usage
Storj
Free- Free trialFree
- 25 GB stored
- 25 GB egress per month
- No card required to start
- Storj$4/month
- 4 USD per terabyte stored per month
- 7 USD per terabyte of egress
- Per segment fee on top of stored volume
Which should you pick?
Choose IDrive e2 if
- You need s3-compatible endpoints.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want included egress allowance.
Choose Storj if
- You need erasure coded distribution.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API, Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want client side encryption.
Questions people ask
- Is IDrive e2 or Storj better?
- Neither clearly leads. IDrive e2 starts at Free and Storj at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, IDrive e2 or Storj?
- IDrive e2 starts at Free and Storj at Free.
- Does IDrive e2 or Storj run on more platforms?
- IDrive e2 runs on Web, API. Storj runs on Web, API, Linux, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use IDrive e2 for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is IDrive e2 best used for?
- IDrive e2 is most often used for the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client, replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests, small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line items, archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delay. Of those, the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client and replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests are not what Storj is typically brought in for.
- What can IDrive e2 do that Storj cannot?
- IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Included egress allowance, Object lock, Versioning. Storj covers Erasure coded distribution, Client side encryption, S3-compatible gateway, Native uplink access.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
IDrive e2: Is the egress genuinely free?
It is included up to an allowance tied to how much you store, not unlimited. Read heavy workloads on a small bucket will exceed it.
Storj: Why is my bill higher than four dollars per terabyte?
Almost always the per segment fee. Objects are split into segments and small files each consume one, so a few million tiny objects generate a segment charge that dwarfs the storage line.
IDrive e2: Does it work with Veeam and restic?
Yes, both treat it as a standard S3 endpoint, and object lock is supported for immutable backup chains.
Storj: Can node operators read my data?
No. Files are encrypted client side and each operator holds only an erasure coded fragment, which is not a readable portion of the file.
IDrive e2: Is there a minimum retention period?
No fixed minimum retention charge on standard storage, which is a real difference from providers that bill ninety days on early deletion.
Storj: Is there a minimum retention period?
No. You are billed for what you store while you store it, unlike several competitors that bill a ninety day minimum whatever you delete.
IDrive e2: How does it compare with Backblaze B2?
The rates are close. B2 is the better documented and more widely integrated service; e2 is cheaper at list and has a different egress allowance model.
Storj: Is it fast enough to serve a website from?
For large files with parallel reads, yes. For many small objects where time to first byte matters, put a CDN in front of it or use something centralised.
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