mergerfs

Mergerfs

mergerfs is an open source union file system for Linux, allowing you to combine multiple directories into a single virtual filesystem. It supports permissions, CoW, Directories, Extended attributes, etc.
mergerfs image
linux filesystem unionfs fuse

Mergingfs: Open Source Union File System

Mergingfs is an open source union file system for Linux, allowing you to combine multiple directories into a single virtual filesystem. It supports permissions, CoW, Directories, Extended attributes, etc.

What is Mergerfs?

mergerfs is an open source union filesystem for Linux that allows you to combine multiple directories into a single virtual filesystem. It is implemented as a FUSE filesystem module.

Some key features and benefits of mergerfs include:

  • Combines multiple directories and presents them as a single directory structure
  • Supports permissions, copy-on-write (CoW), extended attributes, etc.
  • Efficiently pools disks and simplifies storage
  • Implements policies to determine which files reside on which filesystems
  • Can be configured for redundancy, speed, capacity utilization, etc.
  • Works on most Linux distributions and is implemented in C++/Python
  • Lightweight and high-performance for large numbers of files
  • Open source with an active community behind its development

mergerfs is commonly used to pool storage devices like hard disks, cloud drives, and network storage into unified filesystems without needing to migrate data. It has a wide range of use cases from personal NAS solutions to enterprise storage platforms.

Mergerfs Features

Features

  1. Unites multiple drives into a single virtual filesystem
  2. Supports permissions, copy-on-write, directories, extended attributes
  3. Works with a variety of filesystems including ext, xfs, btrfs
  4. Can set policies to control file placement and balancing

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Simple way to pool drives of different sizes/types

Good performance for many workloads

Lots of flexibility in configuration

Actively maintained open source project

Cons

Can have overhead vs native filesystems

Some applications may not work seamlessly

No built-in redundancy like RAID

Requires some knowledge to configure properly


The Best Mergerfs Alternatives

Top File Management and Union File Systems and other similar apps like Mergerfs

Here are some alternatives to Mergerfs:

Suggest an alternative ❐

StableBit DrivePool icon

StableBit DrivePool

StableBit DrivePool is a software solution designed for Windows that allows users to easily pool multiple hard drives of varying sizes and types into one large logical volume. Some key features of DrivePool include:Combines disks of different sizes and types into a single large volume for easier storage managementProvides data...
StableBit DrivePool image
Greyhole icon

Greyhole

Greyhole is an open source software-based storage solution that provides data redundancy and protection against disk failures. It works by combining multiple hard drives of any size into a single storage pool while retaining the native format of each drive.The key benefit of Greyhole is its disk failure resilience. When...
Greyhole image
Mhddfs icon

Mhddfs

mhddfs is an open-source virtual file system for Linux that combines multiple physical drives (hard drives, solid state drives, USB drives etc.) into a single virtual drive with increased capacity and performance.Some key features of mhddfs:Combines multiple drives of any size and interface (SATA, USB etc.) into a single large...
Mhddfs image
Btrfs icon

Btrfs

btrfs (B-tree file system, pronounced "butter F S") is an open-source copy-on-write file system for Linux aimed at implementing advanced features while also focusing on fault tolerance, repair, and easy administration. It has been under active development since 2007.Some key features and capabilities provided by btrfs include:Snapshots and rollbacks -...
Btrfs image
PoolHD icon

PoolHD

PoolHD is an open-source web application designed for monitoring and managing storage pools and disks. It works by connecting to the underlying storage mechanisms like ZFS, Btrfs, Linux MD-RAID to provide insights into disk health, usage statistics, performance data and more.Some key features of PoolHD include:Web-based dashboard showing health overview...