Slate (Filecoin) vs ArDrive (Arweave): Storage dApp & UX

Pay-as-you-go model: Storage costs are dynamic and typically lower for active data, priced per GiB/month (~$0.0015/GiB). This matters for applications with variable or temporary data like NFT metadata, social media caches, or application logs where permanent archival is not required.

Deal-based persistence: Data is stored via time-limited deals with individual storage providers. This requires active management for renewals or a Filecoin Plus reputation layer for higher assurance. This matters for projects that cannot risk data lapses without a dedicated maintenance layer.

One-time, perpetual payment: Pay a single, upfront fee for 200+ years of guaranteed storage based on Arweave's endowment model. This matters for permanent archives, critical DAO documents, or foundational NFT assets where data persistence must be absolute and maintenance-free.

Capital-intensive for large datasets: The one-time fee, while cost-effective long-term, requires significant upfront capital for terabytes of data. This matters for bootstrapping applications with massive, untested user-generated content where pay-as-you-go scaling is financially preferable.

Dynamic Web3 Apps & Cost-Optimized Workloads

• Social dApps (Farcaster, Lens Protocol) caching media.
• Rollup data availability layers or temporary state snapshots.
• Projects needing to integrate with the broader Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM) ecosystem for DeFi or compute.

Permanent Archival & Foundational Assets

• Immutable legal records or academic research.
• Profile Picture (PFP) NFT collections storing art on-chain via Arweave.
• Protocol documentation, version histories, or other "write-once, read-forever" data primitives.

Leverages Filecoin's competitive storage market: Storage costs are dynamic and often lower than centralized alternatives, with deals typically priced at ~$0.0000002/GB/month. This matters for archiving large datasets or cost-sensitive applications where long-term, verifiable storage is needed without a permanent price commitment.

Built on the open Textile/ThreadsDB stack: Offers a composable, MIT-licensed codebase for developers. This matters for teams wanting to fork, customize, or integrate the dApp into their own workflows or build on top of its social graph and data layer.

Requires active deal management: Storage deals on Filecoin have set durations (e.g., 1 year) and must be manually or programmatically renewed. This matters for set-and-forget use cases or non-technical users who prefer a truly permanent, "pay once" model without lifecycle management.

Built on Arweave's endowment model: Uploads are stored for a minimum of 200 years with a single, upfront fee. This matters for NFT metadata, permanent archives, and foundational data where guaranteed, hassle-free permanence is the primary requirement.

Streamlined, intuitive interface: Offers a familiar, drag-and-drop, folder-based experience akin to Google Drive. This matters for broad user adoption, onboarding non-crypto natives, and daily file management where simplicity reduces friction.

Permanence has a price premium: The single, upfront fee for permanent storage can be significantly higher than initial costs on Filecoin for large volumes. This matters for applications storing petabytes of data or where the value of permanence doesn't justify the initial capital outlay.

Leverages Arweave's endowment model: Pay once, store forever with ~200 years of guaranteed funding. This matters for NFT metadata, legal documents, and historical archives where data integrity for centuries is non-negotiable. No recurring fees or renewal anxiety.

Simple, predictable pricing and single transaction finality. Uploads are confirmed on-chain via Arweave's Proof of Access consensus. This matters for dApps requiring instant, verifiable availability, like decentralized social media (Permaswap, ArGo) or permanent web hosting.

Higher upfront cost for large, static datasets. The one-time fee, while economical long-term, can be prohibitive for petabyte-scale cold storage or data with uncertain longevity needs. Not ideal for frequently modified data.

Leverages Filecoin's competitive storage market for lower $/GB/TiB rates, ideal for large-scale backups, scientific datasets, and active archives. Choose from multiple storage providers with configurable redundancy and duration (e.g., 1-5 year deals).

Supports Filecoin's deal-making and retrieval markets. This matters for data lifecycle management and computational storage use cases, where data can be provably stored, retrieved, and processed by FVM smart contracts (e.g., Bacalhau, Lighthouse).

Requires active management of storage deals and renewals. The UX involves selecting providers, managing collateral, and monitoring deal health. This adds overhead compared to 'set-and-forget' permanence. Best for teams with devops resources.