01Open-source SDS platforms
Ceph
An open-source, software-defined storage platform that provides object, block and file storage from a single cluster.
Best for: The reference open-source unified SDS.
Visit Ceph →Software-Defined Storage (SDS)
Open-source and commercial software that turns commodity servers into scalable storage: block, file and object platforms, parallel file systems, hyperconverged and virtual SANs, and Kubernetes storage.
22solutions
5Categories
5FAQs answered
02Open-source SDS platforms
GlusterFS
An open-source scale-out network file system. Red Hat's commercial Gluster Storage product has reached end of life.
Best for: Scale-out file storage on commodity servers.
Visit GlusterFS →03Open-source SDS platforms
LINBIT (LINSTOR and DRBD)
Open-source software for replicated block storage, including DRBD and the LINSTOR storage manager.
Best for: Replicated block storage for clusters.
Visit LINBIT (LINSTOR and DRBD) →04Open-source SDS platforms
MinIO
A high-performance, S3-compatible object storage server you can run on your own hardware.
Best for: Self-hosted S3-compatible storage.
Visit MinIO →05Open-source SDS platforms
OpenStack Cinder
The block storage service of OpenStack, which provides volumes to virtual machines.
Best for: Block storage for OpenStack clouds.
Visit OpenStack Cinder →06Distributed & parallel file systems
Lustre
An open-source parallel file system widely used in high-performance computing.
Best for: HPC and large-scale throughput.
Visit Lustre →07Distributed & parallel file systems
BeeGFS
A parallel cluster file system designed for performance and easy management.
Best for: HPC and AI workloads.
Visit BeeGFS →08Distributed & parallel file systems
WEKA
A software-defined parallel file system aimed at AI, machine learning and high-performance workloads.
Best for: AI and GPU workloads.
Visit WEKA →09Hyperconverged & virtual SAN
VMware vSAN
VMware's software-defined storage that pools local drives across vSphere hosts.
Best for: VMware hyperconverged clusters.
Visit VMware vSAN →10Hyperconverged & virtual SAN
Nutanix
A hyperconverged infrastructure platform with built-in software-defined storage.
Best for: Hyperconverged clusters.
Visit Nutanix →11Hyperconverged & virtual SAN
Windows Server Storage Spaces Direct
Microsoft's software-defined storage that pools local drives across servers.
Best for: Windows and Hyper-V clusters.
Visit Windows Server Storage Spaces Direct →12Hyperconverged & virtual SAN
StarWind Virtual SAN
Software that turns server storage into a shared, highly available virtual SAN.
Best for: Small and edge clusters.
Visit StarWind Virtual SAN →13Hyperconverged & virtual SAN
DataCore SANsymphony
Software-defined block storage that pools and virtualises storage.
Best for: Heterogeneous storage pooling.
Visit DataCore SANsymphony →14Object & scale-out platforms
Cloudian
S3-compatible object storage software and appliances for on-premises and hybrid use.
Best for: S3-compatible object storage.
Visit Cloudian →15Object & scale-out platforms
Scality
Software-defined file and object storage that scales across commodity servers.
Best for: Large-scale object and file storage.
Visit Scality →16Object & scale-out platforms
VAST Data
A data platform that offers file, object and database services on one architecture.
Best for: AI and analytics at scale.
Visit VAST Data →17Kubernetes storage
Rook
A cloud-native storage orchestrator that runs Ceph and other storage systems on Kubernetes.
Best for: Ceph on Kubernetes.
Visit Rook →18Kubernetes storage
OpenEBS
Open-source container-attached storage for Kubernetes.
Best for: Simple local and replicated volumes.
Visit OpenEBS →19Kubernetes storage
Longhorn
A distributed block storage system for Kubernetes, hosted by the CNCF.
Best for: Lightweight Kubernetes block storage.
Visit Longhorn →20Kubernetes storage
SUSE Rancher storage
SUSE's storage offering for Kubernetes, based on Longhorn.
Best for: Supported Kubernetes storage.
Visit SUSE Rancher storage →21Hyperconverged & virtual SAN
NetApp ONTAP Select
NetApp's software-defined ONTAP that runs on commodity servers under a hypervisor.
Best for: ONTAP on your own hardware.
Visit NetApp ONTAP Select →22Hyperconverged & virtual SAN
StorMagic SvSAN
A virtual SAN for small clusters, popular at the edge and in remote offices.
Best for: Two-node edge clusters.
Visit StorMagic SvSAN →Choosing the right approach
Match your requirement to a starting point, then compare vendors.
| One platform for block, file and object | Ceph |
|---|---|
| S3-compatible storage you host | MinIO, Cloudian or Scality |
| HPC and AI file performance | Lustre, BeeGFS or WEKA |
| Pool drives in a hypervisor cluster | vSAN, Nutanix or Storage Spaces Direct |
| Volumes for Kubernetes | Rook, OpenEBS or Longhorn |
| Compare commercial vendors | The Software-Defined Storage Products directory on this site |
Related pages on PeterIndia.net
Neighbouring directories and hubs.
IT StorageThe storage hub.File Storage SolutionsScale-out file and object.Cloud-Native Storage SolutionsStorage for Kubernetes.Storage Area Networks (SAN)Shared block storage.Network Attached Storage (NAS)File storage.RAIDRedundancy and striping.Hyperconverged InfrastructureCompute and storage together.Object Storage SolutionsObject storage compared.Block Storage SolutionsBlock volumes.Other Storage SolutionsTape, archive and specialty.AI Storage SolutionsStorage built for AI.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers.
What is software-defined storage?
SDS separates storage services from the underlying hardware. Software pools drives from commodity servers and provides block, file or object storage with features such as replication and snapshots.
How is SDS different from a traditional array?
A traditional array couples proprietary hardware and software. SDS runs on standard servers, scales by adding nodes and can be mixed across hardware generations.
What are the trade-offs?
SDS can lower cost and avoid lock-in, but you take on design, tuning and operations. Performance and resilience depend on the network, drives and software configuration.
SDS or hyperconverged infrastructure?
Hyperconverged infrastructure bundles compute, storage and networking in the same nodes using SDS. Standalone SDS can also run on dedicated storage servers.
Where do I find commercial SDS products?
The Software-Defined Storage Products directory on this site compares vendors such as Cloudian, DataCore, Nutanix, Scality and Everpure.
Descriptions summarise each vendor's or project's own positioning, checked on 5 October 2026. Product names and offerings change often, so confirm details on the linked site before deciding.