ICPay introduces annual plan for on-chain cloud storage

ICPay has introduced an annual subscription plan for its cloud storage service, offering users a discount for committing to a full year of storage on the Internet Computer blockchain.

The plan provides two months free, equivalent to a discount of about 17 per cent compared with paying monthly, according to ICPay.

The service allows users to deploy and scale S3-compatible cloud storage buckets, combining a familiar storage interface with infrastructure hosted on the Internet Computer. S3 compatibility is designed to make it easier for applications and developers using established cloud storage tools to work with the service.

ICPay says its storage is fully on-chain, using canisters on the Internet Computer network. Users can choose between public access through an edge content delivery network (CDN) or private access, depending on their requirements.

The annual plan also includes automated renewals and is promoted as a low-maintenance option for developers and businesses running decentralised applications. ICPay says the service is designed to provide 365 days of uptime, although the announcement did not provide independent uptime figures or details of service-level guarantees.

The move offers developers an option to pay for storage annually rather than manage monthly subscriptions. However, the practical benefits will depend on storage needs, pricing, performance and the requirements of individual applications.

Decentralised storage services aim to reduce reliance on conventional cloud infrastructure by using blockchain-based networks. Their suitability can vary according to data access needs, costs, network performance and the technical demands of a project.

ICPay is inviting users to explore the annual plan and start using the service through its website at icpay.app.