Filen vs Storj (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Filen grades higher than Storj: 3.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Filen grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Filen
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Germany with open source apps
Storj
Distributed S3-compatible object storage priced per terabyte
Which one is for you
Pick Filen if
- Fits if you want every file encrypted on your device, even on the free plan
- Works for Linux users and command-line fans, with .deb, .rpm and AppImage builds, a CLI, SDKs and a documented API
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you'd park files on a free account and forget it, as 3 months without a login wipes them
- Not for you if you were hoping to pay once, since Filen no longer sells lifetime plans
- Not for you if you want a price in dollars, because everything is listed in euros only
- Watch out: WebDAV and S3 access need a server you host through the desktop app or CLI
- Watch out: the free plan is 10 GiB, Starter is sold yearly only, and no ready-made app integrations are listed
Pick Storj if
- Fits if you're a developer who wants S3 storage and is fine with a trial first
- Works for teams that store a lot and read it back rarely
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a drive that syncs, as this is object storage
- Watch out: a $5 monthly minimum applies after the trial and is a floor, not a credit
- Pricey if you read data often: egress is another $7 per TB
- Watch out: Standard bills a 30-day minimum retention, and Object Mount licenses are $29 or $39 a month
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAFilenVery good | 1.8GPAStorjWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro I is €1.99 a month for 200 GiB, and the cheaper quarter of this category starts at $3.99, so Filen comes in under 60% of that. Starter is €11.99 for a whole year of 100 GiB. Encryption is in every plan, not an upsell. Prices are euros only. | C$7 per TB stored and $7 per TB egress, with a $5 monthly minimum, puts it around the category's $6.95 middle before egress. |
| Free plan and trial | B10 GiB free with the encryption and every feature switched on, which one person's documents could sit in for years. It's not photo-library room, and a free account's data is deleted after 3 months without a login, so don't park files and forget them. | CA 30-day trial with 25 GB and no credit card, and no free plan after it. |
| Features | BDevice-side encryption on every plan, folder sync in five modes, the cloud mounted as a drive, public links, version history, phone camera upload, and encrypted notes and chats. Nothing in the listing points at missing storage work. | CS3-compatible storage and a mount tool, but Standard and Advanced are bought through sales and small objects round up to 50 KB. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: install the desktop app, sign in, and your storage appears as a drive in the file explorer with no server to run. Picking between five sync modes is the only decision it asks of you. | DIt needs an S3 setup with keys and tooling, so it's for developers. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with the Linux build as .deb, .rpm and AppImage, plus a documented API and TypeScript, Rust and Go SDKs. No ready-made hook-ups to other apps are listed, but the API covers the A. | CWeb, Mac, Windows and Linux are listed, with no phone apps and no integrations. |
| Best for | encrypted storage with open source apps | developers who want S3 storage priced by the terabyte |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Filen and Storj. How we grade
Price against what you get
Filen starts at about $1.12 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Storj starts at $7 a month and scores 1.7.
Filen scores higher and starts $5.88 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, none scores higher than Filen for less, and 21 score higher than Storj for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Filen is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Filen also covers notes, file sync and file sharing.
- Storj also covers file management.
At a glance
| Filen | Storj | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | €11.99 per year for 100 GiB, or €1.99 per month for 200 GiB | $7 per TB / month stored, plus $7 per TB egress, $5 monthly minimum |
| Free plan | 10 GiB of storage with encryption and every feature included. Data on free accounts is deleted after 3 months without a login. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial with 25 GB of storage, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Filen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | Storj |
| Price read from | filen.io | storj.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Filen
- Prices are listed in euros only; Filen says taxes and transaction fees are included in them.
- Free accounts lose their data after 3 months without a login, following reminder emails.
- Lifetime plans are no longer sold: the pricing FAQ says they were removed for an indefinite period.
- WebDAV and S3 access require a server that the user hosts through the desktop app or CLI, because files are encrypted on the device.
Storj
- A $5 monthly minimum fee applies after the trial; it is a floor, not a usage credit, and USDC payers are exempt.
- Standard bills a 30-day minimum retention and rounds objects under 50 KB up to 50 KB.
- Paid Object Mount licenses are $29 per license per month (500 GB of Storj storage included) or $39 for use with other S3 storage.
- Standard and Advanced are bought through sales contact on the pricing page.
Key features
Filen
- Zero-knowledge encryption by default
- Files are encrypted on the device with AES 256-bit before upload, and Filen states that it cannot access them. Encryption is part of every plan, the free one included.
- Sync and network drive
- Desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux sync folders in five modes, with one-way and two-way among them, and can mount the cloud as a network drive in the file explorer.
- Encrypted sharing
- Files and folders are shared with other Filen users or through public links, and the shared content stays encrypted. Earlier versions of files can be restored from version history.
- Notes and chats
- Encrypted notes support rich text, markdown, checklists and code and can be edited with other users in real time. Encrypted chats carry messages and files between Filen users.
- Open source apps and developer tools
- Filen says all of its apps are open source. Developers get a documented API, TypeScript, Rust and Go SDKs, and a CLI that can run a local WebDAV or S3 server.
- Mobile camera upload
- The iOS and Android apps upload photos and videos from selected albums automatically, with optional compression, and can keep chosen files available offline.
Storj
- Distributed storage
- Data is stored across tens of thousands of locations and designed for 11 nines of durability using erasure coding.
- S3-compatible access
- The pricing page calls it a drop-in replacement for AWS S3 that works with S3-compatible apps; segment and API fees are not charged on new tiers.
- Object Mount
- A desktop client for Mac, Windows and Linux that streams cloud files as if they were local, working with Storj or any S3 storage.
- Regional option
- The Advanced tier keeps data in U.S. SOC 2 Type 2 compliant data centers for buyers who need to control where data lives.
Plans
Filen
Free€0
10 GiB with encryption and every feature included. Data is deleted after 3 months without a login.
Starter€11.99
per year, billed annually
100 GiB of storage, offered on annual billing only.
Pro I€1.99
per month, or €19.99 billed annually
200 GiB with unlimited bandwidth, syncing, network drive, file sharing, and unlimited notes and chats.
Pro II€3.99
per month, or €39.99 billed annually
500 GiB of storage with the same features as Pro I.
Pro III€8.99
per month, or €89.99 billed annually
2 TiB of storage with the same features as Pro I.
Pro X€39.99
per month, or €399.99 billed annually
10 TiB of storage. Plans stack on one account, so two Pro X plans give 20 TiB, with no upper limit.
Storj
Free trial$0
for 30 days
S3-compatible storage with 25 GB for 30 days and 2 free Object Mount licenses. No credit card needed.
Standard$7
per TB / month stored, plus $7 per TB egress
Globally distributed storage. 30-day minimum retention, 50 KB minimum object size and a $5 monthly minimum fee.
Advanced$10
per TB / month stored, plus $7 per TB egress
Storage kept in U.S. SOC 2 Type 2 compliant data centers. $5 monthly minimum fee.
Ways to pay less
Filen
- Annual discount
About 16% lower with annual billing
Annual prices of €19.99, €39.99, €89.99 and €399.99 compare with €23.88, €47.88, €107.88 and €479.88 for twelve monthly payments on Pro I, Pro II, Pro III and Pro X.
Storj
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Filen or Storj?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Filen is cheaper to start with: about $1.12 a month, against $7 a month for Storj. Filen starts at €11.99 per year for 100 GiB, or €1.99 per month for 200 GiB, and Storj starts at $7 per TB / month stored, plus $7 per TB egress, $5 monthly minimum.
Which has a free plan, Filen or Storj?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Filen has a free plan. Storj does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Filen and Storj run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Filen lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.