IPFS seeks to address problems with the current web and existing data representation / routing / transfer protocols like HTTP including:
- Verifiability
- Resilience
- Centralization
- Performance
- Link rot
- Data sovereignty and ownership
- Off-chain storage
- Local-first software
- Vendor lock-in
In this guide, you'll learn about each of the problems that IPFS solves.
This guide is part 2 of a 3-part introduction to the basic concepts of IPFS. The third part, How IPFS Works, covers the different subsystems that IPFS is composed of and how each one functions.
# Verifiability
IPFS uses cryptographic hashes to verify the authenticity and integrity of files, making it difficult for malicious actors to tamper with or delete files.
# Resilience
IPFS has no single point of failure, and users do not need to trust each other. In other words, the failure of a single or even multiple nodes in the network does not affect the functioning of the entire network, and an IPFS node can fetch data from the network as long as at least one other node in the network has that data, regardless of its location.
# Centralization
IPFS is an open, distributed and participatory network that reduces data silos from centralized servers, making IPFS more resilient than traditional systems. No single entity or person controls, manages or owns IPFS; rather, it is a community-maintained project with multiple implementations of the protocol, multiple tools and apps leveraging that protocol, and multiple users and organizations contributing to its design and development.
# Performance
IPFS provides faster access to data by enabling it to be replicated to and retrieved from multiple locations, and allowing users to access data from the nearest location using content addressing instead of location-based addressing. In other words, because data can be addressed based on its contents, a node on the network can fetch that data from any other node in the network that has the data; thus, performance issues like latency are reduced.
# Link rot
IPFS eliminates the problem of link rot by allowing data to be addressed by its content, rather than by its location. So, in other words, content in IPFS is still reachable regardless of its location, and does not depend on specific servers being available.
# Data sovereignty
IPFS protects data sovereignty by enabling users to store and access data directly on a decentralized network of nodes, rather than centralized, third-party servers. This eliminates the need for intermediaries to control and manage data, giving users full control and ownership over their data.
# Off-chain storage
IPFS enables verifiable off-chain storage by creating a link between blockchain state and content-addressed published to IPFS. This works by storing a Content IDentifier (CID) (explained in How IPFS works) in a smart contract.
# Local-first software
IPFS benefits local-first software by providing a performant, decentralized, peer-to-peer data addressing, routing, and transfer protocol that prioritizes data storage and processing on individual devices. With IPFS, data can be stored, verified and processed locally, and then synchronized and shared with other IPFS nodes when a network connection is available.
# Vendor lock-in
IPFS prevents vendor lock-in , as users have sovereignty over their data and infrastructure. This is enabled by content-addressing, which decouples the data from a single location or infrastructure provider. Unlike traditional cloud vendors, IPFS enables you to change data storage locations without changing things like APIs and data management. In addition, because IPFS is open-source, community-maintained and modular, users are not obligated to use a particular subsystem (described in How IPFS works). Instead, users can customize IPFS for their preferred technologies, needs and values.
# Further reading
FAQs
IPFS eliminates the problem of link rot by allowing data to be addressed by its content, rather than by its location. So, in other words, content in IPFS is still reachable regardless of its location, and does not depend on specific servers being available.
What problems does IPFS solve? ›
IPFS locates the nodes storing the corresponding blocks and downloads them. This decentralized approach means that content can be served faster and more reliably, as it does not rely on a single point of failure.
What is the downside of IPFS? ›
Drawbacks of IPFS: Availability Issues: Problem: If a file isn't popular or frequently accessed on IPFS, fewer nodes (computers in the network) might store it. This can make it difficult to access that file when needed.
What does IPFS do? ›
In contrast to traditional location-based protocols like HTTP and HTTPS, IPFS uses content-based addressing to provide a decentralized alternative for distributing the World Wide Web. IPFS is used in decentralized applications and content archiving.
Is IPFS any good? ›
IPFS works perfectly well, though, for hosting file(s) yourself without the risk of getting your network link saturated if popularity of the file(s) increases a lot. As an auto-scaling CDN, it works great, though with poor performance for rarely accessed files.
What are the benefits of IPFS? ›
IPFS provides faster access to data by enabling it to be replicated to and retrieved from multiple locations, and allowing users to access data from the nearest location using content addressing instead of location-based addressing .
Is IPFS the future? ›
By leveraging IPFS, you can create more secure, efficient, and decentralized blockchain applications that pave the way for a digital future where control is distributed, and access is democratized. The era of IPFS has arrived, bringing with it the promise of a more open, secure, and efficient digital world.
Can IPFS be ddosed? ›
Moreover, the decentralized nature of IPFS reduces the risk of DDoS attacks. Traditional servers can be overwhelmed with traffic, making them susceptible to such attacks.
How long will IPFS last? ›
Storage on the IPFS network is as permanent as you want it to be. Unlike a blockchain, in which every piece of data is permanent by default (whether you want it to be or not), files on the IPFS network are stored as long as they are pinned.
Who are the competitors of IPFS? ›
Filter your search
- Arweave. Decentralized Storage Tools. ...
- Storj. Decentralized Storage Tools. ...
- Pinata. Growth CustomersDecentralized Storage Tools. ...
- Orbit DB. Decentralized Storage Tools. ...
- Aleph.im. Decentralized Storage Tools. ...
- Swarm. Free CustomersDecentralized Storage Tools. ...
- Chainsafe. ...
- Filebase.
IPFS stands for Interplanetary File System, a decentralized peer-to-peer file sharing system. Different from the common Internet scheme (HTTP/HTTPS), IPFS is an Internet protocol (or system) that allows people to access content without the need for a centralized server.
What companies use IPFS? ›
The benefits of IPFS services are revolutionizing the current technology sector, causing large companies to implement it in their processes. Netflix, Opera or Chrome are some companies that rely on this technology.
Why IPFS is used in blockchain? ›
IPFS assures us that the data included in this network are unique (they are uniquely identified by an identifier) and are protected against modifications, making this data immutable.
What are the disadvantages of IPFS? ›
IPFS has limitations in terms of storage. The blockchain becomes swollen with data, requiring a significant amount of storage space without serving immediate use. Additionally, the cost of running blockchain nodes increases as more data needs to be processed, exchanged, and stored [2] [3].
How does IPFS make money? ›
IPFS and Filecoin
Under Filecoin's incentive structure, clients pay to store data at specific levels of redundancy and availability, and storage providers earn payments and rewards by continuously storing data and cryptographically proving it.
How safe is IPFS? ›
IPFS uses transport-encryption but not content encryption. This means that your data is secure when being sent from one IPFS node to another. However, anyone can download and view that data if they have the CID.
What are the use cases of IPFS? ›
5 IPFS Use Cases You Haven't Thought Of Yet
- Distributed Package Management. Package managers, like NPM, are typically stored and managed in a centralized manner. ...
- Hosting Software Containers. ...
- Decentralized eCommerce websites. ...
- Decentralized Operating Systems. ...
- Decentralized Peer Reviews of Academic Research Papers.
Why use IPFS for NFT? ›
Using IPFS URIs inside your metadata to link to images and other media helps preserve the integrity of your NFT data! IPFS links can't be tampered with or altered to point to different data after they've been created.
Is IPFS blocked in China? ›
In China, IPFS is unusable because of the GFW. What does GFW do: Block all default bootstrap nodes.