Where each shared storage platform stands, and where it is heading. Scored on what shipped. The overview puts every angle and an overall index in one place; the map below compares any two scores. Click a platform anywhere for its full scorecard.
The Virtualization Storage Ledger scores 26 shared storage for virtualization platforms (25 ranked) on capability, credibility, buyer risk, lock-in and AI, using public release records only (edition 2026-10-16). Top 5 by Ledger Index out of 100: Ceph (67.4), IBM Storage Ceph (66), Nutanix AOS (64.3), Storage Spaces Direct (62.8), OpenShift Data Foundation (62.3). The full table is below; each name links to its scorecard, and the methodology explains every score.
| # | Name | Ledger Index /100 | Capability /100 | Credibility /25 | Commercial risk /25 | Lock-in /25 | AI /20 | Archetype |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ceph (upstream) | 67.4 | 80.5 | 19 | 7 | 3 | Dependable builder | |
| 2 | IBM Storage Ceph (formerly Red Hat Ceph Storage) | 66 | 83 | 17 | 11.5 | 8 | 3 | Dependable builder |
| 3 | Nutanix AOS distributed storage (inside Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure) | 64.3 | 83.5 | 17 | 11.5 | 14.5 | 7.5 | Sharp opportunist |
| 4 | Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct and Azure Local storage | 62.8 | 73.3 | 17.5 | 11.5 | 12 | 7 | Integrated stack |
| 5 | Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation | 62.3 | 73.3 | 16.5 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 4 | Dependable builder |
| 6 | LINBIT LINSTOR with DRBD (LINBIT SDS) | 61.4 | 73.1 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 3 | Dependable builder |
| 7 | Proxmox VE hyper-converged Ceph | 61 | 68.5 | 16.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 3 | Steady upstream tracker |
| 8 | Portworx Enterprise (Portworx by Pure Storage) | 60.8 | 71.3 | 16 | 13.5 | 12 | 5 | Dependable builder |
| 9 | VMware vSAN (inside VMware Cloud Foundation) | 60.7 | 84.3 | 17 | 21 | 15.5 | 6 | Rent extractor with a reference product |
| 10 | DataCore SANsymphony | 59.8 | 76.8 | 15.5 | 14 | 10 | 5 | Dependable builder, slow on dates |
| 11 | NetApp ONTAP Select | 58.3 | 74.8 | 13.5 | 12.5 | 12 | 4.5 | Slow follower, steadily maintained |
| 12 | Lightbits (Lightbits Labs) | 58 | 64.5 | 15.5 | 11.5 | 8.5 | 2 | Dependable builder |
| 13 | croit (Ceph management and support) | 58 | 70.8 | 14.5 | 12 | 7.5 | 3.5 | Dependable builder |
| 14 | SUSE Longhorn (storage of SUSE Virtualization) | 57.9 | 60.3 | 17.5 | 8.5 | 11 | 2 | Dependable builder |
| 15 | StorPool Storage | 56.8 | 65.3 | 15 | 11 | 8.5 | 2 | Dependable builder |
| 16 | Dell PowerFlex | 54.9 | 74.7 | 12.5 | 13 | 15.5 | 5 | Sharp opportunist, thinly documented |
| 17 | SmartX ZBS (SMTX OS) | 53.4 | 71.4 | 13.5 | 14 | 14 | 2 | Dependable builder, low transparency |
| 18 | Open-E JovianDSS | 53.1 | 63.3 | 13 | 10.5 | 7.5 | 2 | Dependable builder for two-node sites |
| 19 | Blockbridge | 52.8 | 64.7 | 12.5 | 12 | 8 | 3 | Dependable builder with a quiet core |
| 20 | simplyblock | 51.3 | 64.5 | 13 | 13 | 9.5 | 3 | Sharp opportunist |
| 21 | Virtuozzo Storage (inside Virtuozzo Infrastructure) | 50.3 | 61.5 | 14 | 15 | 11.5 | 3 | Sharp opportunist in a rebrand year |
| 22 | StarWind Virtual SAN | 49.1 | 57.9 | 13.5 | 14 | 7.5 | 2 | Dependable builder under new ownership |
| 23 | StorMagic SvSAN | 48.6 | 55.2 | 14 | 10.5 | 7.5 | 1 | Sharp opportunist at the edge |
| 24 | Vates XOSTOR for XCP-ng | 47.3 | 44.9 | 16 | 10 | 7.5 | 1.5 | Dependable builder, young product |
| 25 | HPE SimpliVity | 45.6 | 59.6 | 13 | 16 | 15.5 | 2.5 | Integrated stack in transition |
Capability /100. Ten domains scored 0 to 5 against fixed anchors, weighted to 100. The buyer lens changes the weights, not the domain scores. History from 2015 uses the same anchors, so a line rises only when something ships.
Credibility /25. Cadence, roadmap transparency, say-do record, velocity and lifecycle stability, from the 2023 to 2026 release record.
Commercial risk and technical lock-in /25 each. Lower is better, so these axes are drawn reversed. Buyer risk is the two added together, out of 50.
AI leverage /20. Four strands scored per year: AI workload infrastructure, AI platform stack, AI-assisted operations and agent openness. Only GA counts; previews count half a step at most.
Ledger Index /100. A weighted blend of all parts, always shown with them. Before 2023 only capability and AI move; the other parts are held at today's values.
Idea-to-need index. Share of vision-led items among vision, customer and market-window items. 0 means demand-pulled, 1 means thesis-pushed. It is a direction, not a grade.