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ipfs-kubo

IPFS is a global, versioned, peer-to-peer filesystem.

  • Cloud
  • Network Services
  • Tools & Utilities
IPFS is a global, versioned, peer-to-peer filesystem. It combines good ideas from previous systems such as Git, BitTorrent, Kademlia, SFS, and the Web. It is like a single BitTorrent swarm, exchan> ⛔⛔NEVER EXPOSE THE RPC API TO THE PUBLIC INTERNET⛔⛔ The API port (by default 5001) provides admin-level access to your Kubo IPFS node. See RPC API v0 docs for more information. https://docs.ipfs.tech/reference/kubo/rpc/

Platform availability

Available on 3 of 6 install platforms

Also on Docker Hub and GitHub

Health score

71/100 Good

Maintained
100last commit 8 days ago
Popular
8517,145 GitHub stars
Easy to install
351 install platform, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
206 GB minimum RAM, runs on ARM
How is this calculated?

A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 6 days ago

GitHub stars
17,145
Open issues
874
Last commit
2026-09-27
Latest release
v0.43.1
Activity
declining

Checked 7 days ago - source: GitHub (ipfs/kubo)

Resources & Compatibility

Minimum requirements: 6 GB RAM, 2 CPU core(s). ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 7 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Create a fresh IPFS node on first run Run `ipfs daemon --init` to start IPFS and create its first-time node configuration; without initialization, the daemon may not have the settings and identity it needs. The OTEL_* variables (environment settings that turn on tracing) in the example are optional, so you can skip them unless you want tracing. source

Fetched 7 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (7)

  • Hyphanet - Hyphanet (former Freenet) is free software which lets you anonymously share files, browse and publish "freesites" (web sites acce…
  • I2P - I2P (Invisible Internet Protocol) is a universal anonymous network layer.
  • Nym - Offers decentralized mixnet routing for network-level privacy, blocks surveillance and metadata leaks via blinded, re-randomizable credenti…
  • OxiCloud - OxiCloud is an ultra-fast, lightweight self-hosted cloud built in Rust.
  • Puter - An advanced, open-source internet operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
  • Pydio - Pydio is the mature alternative to Dropbox and Box.com, to build your own box, on your own servers.
  • ZeroNet - ZeroNet uses cryptography (Bitcoin library) and BitTorrent DHT (centralized trackers) to build a distributed censorship-resistant network.

Checked 4 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

How do I create the initial node configuration for a fresh Kubo node?

Run ipfs daemon --init to start IPFS and create the first-time node configuration. Without initialization, the daemon may not have the settings and identity it needs.

What should I try if Kubo's API won't connect after moving from an older IPFS Docker image?

Clear the old configuration and start fresh with Docker Compose when migrating to the latest Kubo image.

Can a browser extension use Kubo to route web requests through IPFS?

A companion Chrome extension can bridge browsing between Kubo, or any IPFS implementation exposing a compatible API, and traditional web. It routes compatible requests automatically over the IPFS network.

Where should I look if Kubo has trouble providing or retrieving content?

Use the Kubo troubleshooting page in the IPFS docs to debug the issue and find a solution quickly.

Answers sourced from docs.ipfs.tech, github.com, www.reddit.com, www.reddit.com

Community

Collected yesterday - public community threads