Storj vs Sia: Decentralized CDN Performance

Cost-effective scaling: Charges a flat $7/TB for data egress (download), which is often 80-90% cheaper than centralized cloud providers. This matters for applications with high, predictable read traffic like video streaming or global content distribution.

Customizable storage logic: Built on the Sia blockchain, allowing for programmable file contracts, complex access controls, and integration with other DeFi or on-chain logic via renterd. This matters for developers building novel dApps that require conditional, trustless data workflows.

Global edge network: 13,000+ nodes in 100+ countries. This provides sub-100ms latency for cached assets, making it a viable alternative to traditional CDNs like Cloudflare for static content delivery.

Simple, usage-based model: $4/TB storage + $7/TB egress. No complex tokenomics or lockups. This matters for enterprise budgeting and is directly comparable to AWS S3, simplifying migration and cost forecasting.

Optimized for static objects: Lacks native compute at the edge for dynamic content transformation (e.g., image resizing, serverless functions). You must handle this logic client-side or with a separate compute layer, adding complexity.

Potential bottleneck: All data passes through Storj-operated gateway services (satellites) for access control and auditing. While storage is decentralized, this creates a centralized trust point and a single vector for potential latency or downtime.

No central gateways: Renters contract directly with hosts via smart contracts on the Sia blockchain. This matters for censorship-resistant applications where avoiding any single point of control is the primary requirement.

Host-driven market: Storage prices are set by a global pool of hosts in a competitive market. For pure, cold storage of large media libraries, costs can be significantly lower than Storj's fixed rate, especially for non-urgent retrieval.

No built-in CDN layer: Retrieving files requires forming contracts and fetching from specific hosts, leading to higher and more variable latency. Delivering web assets globally requires building your own caching layer on top.

Requires Siacoin management: Users must acquire and manage SC tokens for payments, and hosts require collateral. This adds operational overhead compared to credit-card billing, making it less suitable for high-volume, pay-as-you-go web traffic.

Fixed-price model: Storage contracts lock in rates for 90 days, providing cost certainty. This matters for budget forecasting on large, static media libraries where traffic patterns are stable.

Smart contract enforcement: All storage agreements are secured and automated via the Sia blockchain. This matters for auditability and compliance where verifiable proof of data custody is required.

Contract formation overhead: Initiating storage requires blockchain consensus, adding seconds to initial uploads. This matters for real-time or user-generated content where low-latency writes are critical.

No native edge caching: Sia is a storage layer; delivering content at scale requires building or integrating a separate CDN (like Skynet's portal infrastructure). This matters for teams needing a turnkey solution without in-house edge networking expertise.

Built-in CDN: Storj's Tardigrade service includes a global edge cache with over 200 POPs, enabling sub-100ms TTFB for cached assets. This matters for global web applications requiring fast, consistent asset delivery.

Pay-as-you-go pricing: Billed per GB stored and retrieved, with no long-term contracts. This matters for spiky or unpredictable workloads like viral media or event-driven content, optimizing for variable traffic.