Gluster
- Android app
- Not listed
- Free plan
- Yes
- Runs on
- Linux, self-hosted
Summary
Gluster is a free, open-source distributed file system for Linux and self-hosted environments. It combines disk storage from multiple servers into one global namespace. The project describes it as scaling to several petabytes and serving thousands of clients. Gluster is POSIX compatible and can use on-disk filesystems that support extended attributes. Listed capabilities include replication, quotas, geo-replication, snapshots, and bitrot detection; access options include native GlusterFS, NFS, SMB/CIFS, iSCSI, and a Swift REST API. The project describes it as suitable for media streaming, data analysis, and other data- and bandwidth-intensive workloads. Capacity, performance, and availability can be scaled across on-premise, public cloud, and hybrid environments, and the software can be built using common off-the-shelf hardware. Installation resources include source downloads and Ubuntu PPAs. Documentation includes AWS deployment guidance, SSL information, and access-control-list administration. The project directs users seeking design or performance help to consultancies; Red Hat says it does not support community versions.
Who it is for
Gluster may suit Linux and self-hosted teams that need distributed storage for data-intensive workloads. It is also described for on-premise, public-cloud, and hybrid deployments.
What is good
- Free and open source
- POSIX compatible
- Includes replication, quotas, and snapshots
- Supports NFS and SMB access
- Can use common off-the-shelf hardware
What to know first
- Requires Linux or a self-hosted environment
- Red Hat does not support community versions
- Additional design and performance help is directed to consultancies
Verdict
Gluster offers distributed storage with a broad set of data features and deployment options. Teams should note that Red Hat does not support community versions and that the project points to consultancies for additional assistance.
Gluster plans and pricing
All plansCompared on software-defined storage software
- Free plan
- Yesgluster.org
- Deployment model
- hybridgluster.org
- Data replication
- Yesgluster.org
Facts
- Purpose
- Gluster is a scalable, distributed file system that aggregates disk storage from multiple servers into a single global namespace.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Scale
- The project says Gluster scales to several petabytes and handles thousands of clients.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Compatibility
- Gluster is POSIX compatible and can use any on-disk filesystem that supports extended attributes.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Hardware
- Gluster can be built using common off-the-shelf hardware.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Protocols
- The documentation lists NFS and SMB as standard protocols for accessing Gluster.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Data features
- The project lists replication, quotas, geo-replication, snapshots, and bitrot detection among Gluster's capabilities.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Workloads
- The project describes Gluster as suitable for media streaming, data analysis, and other data- and bandwidth-intensive tasks.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The documentation describes scaling capacity, performance, and availability across on-premise, public cloud, and hybrid environments.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The official install page provides source downloads and links to Ubuntu PPAs for Linux packages.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Cloud integration
- The documentation includes a guide for deploying Gluster in AWS.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Security
- Gluster documentation includes an SSL guide and access-control-list administration guidance.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project points users to consultancies for design, performance, and additional support; Red Hat says it does not support community versions.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The project says Gluster is used in production at organizations in media, healthcare, government, education, web 2.0, and financial services.docs.gluster.org · 2 Oct 2026
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Sources
- docs.gluster.org/en/latest/Administrator-Guide/GlusterFS· checked 2 Oct 2026
- gluster.org· checked 2 Oct 2026
- gluster.org/install/· checked 2 Oct 2026
- docs.gluster.org/en/latest/Install-Guide/· checked 2 Oct 2026
- docs.gluster.org/en/latest/· checked 2 Oct 2026
- gluster.org/support/· checked 2 Oct 2026