File Storage · head to head
Panzura vs VAST Data
Panzura
File Storage
Global file system putting one namespace over object storage across sites
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
VAST Data
File Storage
All-flash storage designed to make hard disk tiers unnecessary
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Panzura cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.; 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: Panzura covers Global file system, VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Panzura and VAST Data actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Panzura
- Global file system
- Global file locking
- Local caching filers
- Deduplication
- Immutable snapshots
- Cloud mirroring
- Symphony data services
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.
Panzura
- An architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same Revit models without copy conflictsnot VAST Data
- A media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal SMB sharenot VAST Data
- A manufacturer replacing per-site NAS filers and the backup estate that came with themnot VAST Data
- An organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery positionnot VAST Data
VAST Data
- A GPU training cluster where storage throughput, not compute, is the bottleneck on job completionnot Panzura
- A genomics group holding petabytes of sequencing output that must stay immediately readable rather than archived to tapenot Panzura
- A quantitative finance team running backtests over historical market data that a disk tier cannot serve fast enoughnot Panzura
- An organisation consolidating a fast tier and an archive tier into one system to reduce rack space and power drawnot Panzura
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Panzura
- Cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
- Performance depends entirely on cache hit rates, so a team that works across the whole dataset rather than a hot subset sees latency that a local NAS would not have produced.
- Licence cost is only part of total cost; object storage capacity, per-site filer nodes and egress all sit outside the vendor quote and can exceed it.
- Recovery of a very large dataset is bounded by your internet link and by egress cost, so the practical recovery time after a site loss is often much longer than the snapshot policy implies.
- Encryption keys can be held by the customer, but organisations that accept vendor-managed defaults give up the ability to render the object store unreadable independently, which some regulators now ask about explicitly.
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
Panzura
On request- Panzura CloudFS$undefined/year
- Priced by usable capacity under management
- Filer nodes licensed per site, physical or virtual
- Object storage and cloud egress billed by your cloud provider separately
VAST Data
On request- VAST Data Platform$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 Panzura if
- You need global file system.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Web.
- You also want global file locking.
Choose VAST Data if
- You need disaggregated architecture.
- You work on Linux.
- You also want similarity-based reduction.
Questions people ask
- Is Panzura or VAST Data better?
- Neither clearly leads. Panzura 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, Panzura or VAST Data?
- Panzura starts at On request and VAST Data at On request.
- Does Panzura or VAST Data run on more platforms?
- Panzura runs on Linux, Windows, Web. VAST Data runs on Linux.
- What is Panzura best used for?
- Panzura is most often used for an architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same revit models without copy conflicts, a media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal smb share, a manufacturer replacing per-site nas filers and the backup estate that came with them, an organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery position. Of those, an architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same revit models without copy conflicts and a media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal smb share are not what VAST Data is typically brought in for.
- What can Panzura do that VAST Data cannot?
- Panzura covers Global file system, Global file locking, Local caching filers, Deduplication. VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture, Similarity-based reduction, All-flash single tier, Multi-protocol access.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Panzura: Who holds the encryption keys?
Customer-managed keys are supported. Insist on them if you need the ability to revoke access to the object store independently of the vendor, and confirm the key custody model in writing.
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.
Panzura: What does it actually cost to run?
Model three things: the Panzura subscription, the object storage capacity, and cloud egress. The third is the one that catches buyers out during restores and site bring-ups.
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.
Panzura: Does it replace backup?
Immutable snapshots cover many recovery scenarios, but confirm your retention and compliance requirements before removing an existing backup product.
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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