3 Open Source alternatives to Amazon S3 in 2026
We compare 3 self-hostable tools you can deploy on your own server in minutes, with license, tech stack and a ready-to-copy docker-compose.
Quick comparison
Sorted by featured first, then GitHub stars as a tiebreaker — the same rule we use across the whole site.
Detailed profile of each alternative
S3-compatible object storage, self-hosted.
Distributed, S3-compatible object storage, an alternative to Amazon S3.
Distributed storage for millions of files, an alternative to Amazon S3.
How much does Amazon S3 cost, and how much can you save?
Amazon S3 charges a recurring monthly fee. Self-hosting the alternative, you only pay for the server — usually a few dollars a month.
Calculate your exact savings in the SaaS Audit →Already know which one you want?
Add MinIO to the Stack Builder and generate a ready-to-deploy docker-compose.yml, alone or alongside the rest of your stack.
Build my stackFrequently asked questions
Do I need Docker to self-host a Amazon S3 alternative?
Yes, for all 3: each one has a ready-to-copy docker-compose.yml. You just need Docker installed on your server.
How much RAM do I need at minimum?
The lightest option on this list is MinIO, which runs on as little as 256MB of RAM — enough for a cheap VPS.
Are they all 100% free, or are there paid features like on Amazon S3?
2 out of 3 are 100% FOSS. The rest are Open-Core: the core is free and self-hostable, but some advanced feature may stay paid — we call it out on each tool's page.