If you’re looking for the top free tools for using S3-compatible object storage in Kubernetes (K8s), here are some of the best options availble on stack8s.ai Marketplace:
1. MinIO
- Description: MinIO is a high-performance, S3-compatible object storage that runs natively in Kubernetes.
- Features:
- 100% open-source.
- Supports multi-tenant deployments.
- Lightweight and easy to deploy (Helm charts available).
- Uses erasure coding for high availability.
- Link: https://min.io
Installation:
helm repo add minio https://charts.min.io/
helm install minio/minio --generate-name
2. Rook (Ceph with S3 Gateway)
- Description: Rook is a cloud-native storage orchestrator for Kubernetes that enables Ceph-based object storage (S3-compatible).
- Features:
- Works with Ceph, providing object, block, and file storage.
- Deep integration with Kubernetes.
- Highly resilient and scalable.
- Link: https://rook.io
Installation:
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rook/rook/master/deploy/examples/operator.yaml
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rook/rook/master/deploy/examples/cluster.yaml
3. NooBaa (Multi-cloud S3 Gateway)
- Description: NooBaa is a multi-cloud, S3-compatible object storage system optimized for Kubernetes.
- Features:
- Multi-cloud: Can use public cloud storage (AWS, GCP, Azure) as a backend.
- Supports hybrid and edge storage architectures.
- Simple Helm-based deployment.
- Link: https://noobaa.io
Installation:
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/noobaa/noobaa-operator/master/deploy/noobaa.yaml
4. SeaweedFS (Fast and Lightweight S3 Storage)
- Description: SeaweedFS is a highly scalable distributed storage system that supports S3-compatible object storage.
- Features:
- Low latency, optimized for speed.
- Native S3 API compatibility.
- Small metadata overhead.
- Link: https://github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs
Installation:
helm repo add seaweedfs https://seaweedfs.github.io/seaweedfs/helm
helm install seaweedfs seaweedfs/seaweedfs
5. Zenko (Scality's S3-Compatible Storage)
- Description: Zenko is an open-source multi-cloud object storage controller with an S3 API.
- Features:
- Manages object storage across multiple clouds.
- S3 API with metadata synchronization.
- Deploys easily via Kubernetes.
- Link: https://www.zenko.io
Installation:
helm repo add scality https://scality.github.io/zenko/charts
helm install zenko scality/zenko
6. OpenEBS Mayastor (For Object Storage with Block Backend)
- Description: While OpenEBS is mainly a block storage solution, it can be used with an S3 Gateway to provide object storage.
- Features:
- Works well for Kubernetes Stateful workloads.
- Supports multi-node deployments.
- Link: https://openebs.io
Installation:
helm repo add openebs https://openebs.github.io/charts
helm install openebs openebs/openebs
7. JuiceFS (S3-Compatible File System for K8s)
- Description: JuiceFS is a POSIX-compatible file system that can store data in S3-compatible object storage.
- Features:
- Uses S3 as a backend while providing file system capabilities.
- Optimized for big data and AI/ML workloads.
- Link: https://juicefs.com
Installation:
helm repo add juicefs https://juicefs.github.io/juicefs
helm install juicefs juicefs/juicefs
Best Free Kubernetes S3 Object Storage Based on Use Case
| Use Case | Best Free Option |
|---|---|
| Simple, fast S3-compatible storage | MinIO |
| Highly resilient & scalable | Rook (Ceph) |
| Multi-cloud object storage | NooBaa or Zenko |
| Lightweight & fast | SeaweedFS |
| Block storage with S3 integration | OpenEBS Mayastor |
| File storage on S3 backend | JuiceFS |
Comparison Table with CSI Support
| Tool | S3 Compatible | Multi-Cloud | Kubernetes Native | High Performance | Multi-Tenant | Supports CSI? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MinIO | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (S3 only, no native CSI) |
| Rook (Ceph) | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ (Ceph RBD & CephFS) |
| NooBaa | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (No native CSI, only object storage) |
| SeaweedFS | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (CSI driver available) |
| Zenko | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (No native CSI, only S3 API) |
| OpenEBS | ✅ (with Gateway) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (for block storage) |
| JuiceFS | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (CSI driver available) |
CSI Support Explanation
- ✅ (Supports CSI):
- Rook (Ceph): Provides a CSI driver for both block storage (Ceph RBD) and file storage (CephFS).
- SeaweedFS: Offers a CSI driver for mounting as persistent volumes.
- OpenEBS: Primarily for block storage, but some backends can be used with object storage.
- JuiceFS: Offers a CSI driver that allows it to be used as a Kubernetes persistent storage solution.
- ❌ (No CSI support):
- MinIO, NooBaa, and Zenko do not provide a native CSI driver because they are object storage solutions. Instead, they expose S3 APIs, which can be used with applications that support object storage directly.
Best Choice for Kubernetes CSI Storage
| Use Case | Recommended Tool |
|---|---|
| Block storage + S3 gateway | Rook (Ceph) |
| Lightweight & fast CSI storage | SeaweedFS |
| POSIX-compatible + CSI | JuiceFS |
| Kubernetes-native CSI for block storage | OpenEBS |
Final Notes
- If you need an S3-compatible object storage CSI driver, MinIO, NooBaa, and Zenko won't work natively as CSI volumes, but applications can interact with them via S3 API.
- If you need CSI for persistent storage, Rook (Ceph), SeaweedFS, JuiceFS, and OpenEBS are your best choices.
Recommendations
- For most Kubernetes users, MinIO is the best free tool for S3-compatible object storage.
- If you need multi-cloud support, go with NooBaa or Zenko.
- If you need enterprise-scale durability, use Rook with Ceph.
- If you want a fast and lightweight alternative, try SeaweedFS.
Would you like guidance on installing any of these CSI drivers in Kubernetes..contact us below? 😊🚀
