Home labs and builders
Your disks, your Places, your stack
Substratum is AT Protocol ownership plus a private IPFS swarm with file system permissions and sharing access. Existing login is free. File Orbit Once when you want operated PDS and Support.
The problem
Lock-in on identity
Proprietary accounts own your login; portable AT Protocol handles stay yours.
Metadata you cannot export
Closed catalogs hide ownership proof. Passport receipts anchor truth on your PDS.
Public IPFS is the wrong swarm
Substratum uses a private swarm authenticated with that login, not open DHT content.
Hidden safety-net costs
Off-site capacity is paid. Once buys operated PDS and Support when you want us to host sign-in.
Self-host first, operated login optional
A fit if you...
Care about AT Protocol ownership, a private IPFS swarm, and file system permissions and sharing access, and may bring your own PDS or run a home Place only.
Not a fit if you...
Want Nextcloud Hub or a Photos/Drive clone with faces and search, or expect safety-net copies without Once or Base.
How it works
- Sign in
Sign in with the account you already have
- Pick places
You pick your safe places
- Safety net
You can add an extra safety net
- Share
You add and share files normally
- See status
You see status, not guesswork
Pricing
Keep copies in homes you trust
Run a home helper on storage you control: up to three places, one-time setup per home.
- Home helper on your storage
- Up to three safe places
- You control the disk
- One-time setup per home
Home copies stay on your disks. Sign in for Once, Base, and packs.
File Orbit Once
Operated File Orbit login: one-time purchase, no subscription required for identity.
- Hosted sign-in at pds.fileorbit.cloud
- Private metadata designed for our PDS (v2)
- Catalog and ownership records we anchor
- Support and export continuity
Requires a File Orbit account (sign up or sign in), then Checkout.
Base membership + safety-net packs
File Orbit Cloud copies in more than one region. Start with 25 GB, then prepaid packs for docs, family libraries, and larger archives. Home copies remain yours.
- 25 GB included: free phone space for trip photos and videos
- 100 GB: back up computer docs and everyday files
- 200 GB: years of family photos and phone backups
- 500 GB to 2 TB: video libraries; stack packs for more
Requires a File Orbit account (sign up or sign in), then Checkout.
Questions families ask
Those keep your stuff mainly on their machines. File Orbit is built so your copies live in homes you trust, with optional extra copies for safety. Not one basket.
No. Only folders or albums you share.
Homes can still sync over the internet. Optional File Orbit safety copies help when home-to-home copying is slow or interrupted.
One person sets up each home once. Everyone else uses familiar ideas: folders, albums, share with family.
Ready to learn more?
Read the getting started guide for household helpers, or dive into the technical specification.