Which file management system should I use for blockchain app development?

Every blockchain app development project is unique which means there’s no “one size fits all” solution when it comes to choosing a file management system. File management systems are used to organize the distributed structure of blockchains.

Before you start looking for a file management system, ask yourself these questions to help you find the best one for your needs:

• What type of blockchain app will you be building?
• How many users are expected to use your application?
• What budget is allowed for this project?

This article will give you an overview of your options so you can choose the best one for your needs.

Let’s get started!

FileCoin

For many developers, cloud storage has been an essential component of their workflows. The problem is that the costs of storing data in the cloud have skyrocketed. In 2015, Google charged 55 cents per gigabyte for a single machine’s worth of data. By comparison, Amazon charges $0.009 per GB to store data on its S3 servers, which are available for regions around the world.

The good news is that blockchain technology can help reduce these costs and make online storage more reliable, secure and more efficient than ever before.

Filecoin and its peer-to-peer network are designed to solve this challenge by forming a decentralized network that offers secure cloud storage at dramatically lower prices than today’s methods. This allows developers to maintain peace of mind as they build web and mobile applications without having to worry about data loss or other bugs caused by server outages or underperforming infrastructure — not to mention all the costs associated with managing such things in real time.

Sia

If you do decide to use Sia, there are some tradeoffs that you should be aware of. The first is that Sia requires you to either have a small amount of money on number one or the ability to transact cryptocurrency. If you need to store files but don’t have access to cryptocurrency, this may not be the right option. In addition, if you’re storing a large number of small files — less than 1 MB each — then Sia will not be an ideal option because it won’t efficiently make use of your storage space and because it will cost more in transaction fees when writing those smaller files.

Storj

Blockchain technology is a fascinating development, and it’s no wonder that the topic has captured the imagination of developers and entrepreneurs. In this day and age, techies everywhere are searching for ways to add value to the planet. Blockchain is one way to do that and is gaining popularity. Storj is an excellent file sharing service that utilizes blockchain technology to encrypt files, distribute them across multiple nodes in a decentralized way, ensure their integrity, and track usage. With Storj you can also pay your collaborators with cryptocurrency.

Swarm

Swarm is a decentralized storage system for Ethereum (not unlike the IPFS project). It consists of nodes that hold the actual data, and clients (nodes) that can retrieve this data.

Final Words

Selecting the right file management system is critical to the success of your blockchain app. Unlike centralized apps, most blockchain apps’ main purpose is to verify and log information, which makes a high-volume, secure method of storing that data essential. By asking yourself the right questions when making your decision, you can get a handle on what features you need your file management system to have in order to host data generated by your application.

The online world is filled with thousands of solutions. Companies will try to sell you every “file management system” that exists. But sometimes it’s really hard to figure out which one is best for your specific needs. So, you must connect with blockchain development experts to develop the perfect solution.