Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ethereum Name Service VS IPFS

Compare Ethereum Name Service VS IPFS and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Ethereum Name Service logo Ethereum Name Service

Like DNS, but for Ethereum wallet addresses

IPFS logo IPFS

IPFS is the permanent web. A new peer-to-peer hypermedia protocol.
  • Ethereum Name Service Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12
  • IPFS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-06-25

Ethereum Name Service features and specs

  • Simplified Addressing
    ENS allows users to replace long and complex Ethereum addresses with easy-to-remember domain names, making transactions and interactions more user-friendly.
  • Interoperability
    ENS domains can be used across multiple dApps and wallets within the Ethereum ecosystem, enhancing usability and reducing friction for users.
  • Decentralization
    ENS is built on Ethereum's decentralized blockchain, ensuring that the service is secure, censorship-resistant, and operates without a single point of failure.
  • Multi-Currency Support
    ENS can be used not only for Ethereum but also for other cryptocurrencies, making it versatile for various blockchain-based services.
  • NFT Integration
    ENS names themselves are considered NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), allowing for greater functionality such as the ability to trade, sell, and transfer domain ownership.

Possible disadvantages of Ethereum Name Service

  • Cost
    Registering and maintaining an ENS domain can be relatively costly compared to traditional domain services, especially considering gas fees on the Ethereum network.
  • Complexity
    For new users, understanding and using ENS can be complex, especially if they are not already familiar with blockchain technology and Ethereum basics.
  • Scalability Issues
    As it relies on the Ethereum network, ENS is subject to the scalability issues and transaction delays that currently affect Ethereum.
  • Namespace Conflicts
    With multiple people vying for popular or generic names, there can be disputes over ownership, leading to potential legal and logistical challenges.
  • Security Risks
    Although ENS is built to be secure, it is still susceptible to phishing or other social engineering attacks whereby users might inadvertently send funds to a malicious address masquerading as a legitimate ENS name.

IPFS features and specs

  • Decentralization
    IPFS operates on a peer-to-peer network, reducing dependency on central servers and improving resilience and fault tolerance.
  • Content Addressing
    Resources in IPFS are accessed through content hashes, ensuring data integrity and authenticity by directly referencing content, not its location.
  • Improved Load Distribution
    By distributing data across multiple nodes, IPFS can balance load, which can improve availability and access speed.
  • Offline Access
    Data stored in IPFS can be accessed offline if the content is already cached locally, enabling persistent availability.
  • Resistance to Censorship
    Decentralization makes it harder to censor content since there is no single point of failure that can be targeted.
  • Reduced Bandwidth Usage
    IPFS can save bandwidth by referencing previously downloaded content from local networks or peers rather than fetching it from remote servers.
  • Historical Versioning
    IPFS can keep track of historical versions of content, allowing for content versioning and retrieval of past data states.

Possible disadvantages of IPFS

  • Complexity
    Implementing and managing an IPFS network can be complex, requiring understanding of peer-to-peer networking and content addressing.
  • Initial Content Distribution
    Uploading content to IPFS and ensuring it gets distributed across the network can require significant initial effort and time.
  • Storage Redundancy
    Data is stored redundantly across multiple nodes, which can lead to increased storage requirements compared to traditional centralized storage.
  • Persistence
    Unless explicitly pinned, content might not persist indefinitely on IPFS, potentially leading to loss of data that's not sufficiently replicated.
  • Scalability of Pinning Services
    To ensure data persistence and availability, pinning services might be required, which can incur additional costs and complexity as the network scales.
  • Legal and Compliance Issues
    Decentralized storage can complicate legal compliance and content moderation, as it's harder to control and regulate distributed data.
  • Performance Variability
    Access speeds can vary based on the availability and performance of peers in the network, leading to inconsistent user experiences.
  • Energy Consumption
    Maintaining a large, distributed network of nodes can lead to higher energy consumption compared to centralized infrastructure.

Ethereum Name Service videos

Send Cryptocurrencies EASILY with ENS NFTs! Ethereum Name Service Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Buy your ENS domain before it's too late! (What is Ethereum Name Service?)
  • Review - What is ENS? Ethereum Name Service Lookup System

IPFS videos

Why IPFS? - Juan Benet

More videos:

  • Review - Ether-1 Project Review - Decentralized Web Hosting - IPFS Protocol - DAPPS
  • Review - Best Decentralised Storage Systems : ARWEAVE vs IPFS FILECOIN
  • Review - Why IPFS Is SO Important! (Simple Explanation)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ethereum Name Service and IPFS)
Crypto
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Storage
0 0%
100% 100
Cryptocurrencies
100 100%
0% 0
File Sharing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, IPFS should be more popular than Ethereum Name Service. It has been mentiond 289 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ethereum Name Service mentions (192)

  • It is no longer safe to move our governments and societies to US clouds
    ENS[1] and Box[2] come to mind. The crypto people have been contemplating this for a long time. [1]: https://ens.domains/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Itch.io Taken Down by Funko
    It's federated, not decentralized. For decentralized you need something like https://ens.domains/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • How do I pay the publisher of a web page?
    I know this forum hates crypto but this is very doable with ENS. You can both point to content via an ENS domain and also link to a wallet address. https://ens.domains/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • How to Become a Registrar
    Have you looked into ENS (https://ens.domains) ? It's everything namecoin wanted to be and more. Also probably the only real usecase for NFTs besides pure collecting and speculation. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Don't trust, verify: Indexing ENS Domains with Subsquid
    While creating these tutorials, I choose Ethereum Name Service as an example, because it's a famous project, and quite frankly, also because I take these changes to study some subjects I am interested in (sue me! 😛). - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
View more

IPFS mentions (289)

  • Showcase Your Achievements Securely with CertiFolio 🚀
    IPFS (optional: if you want to run your own IPFS node). - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Decentralized media Made easy
    When I click on https://synapsemedia.io/ I get redirected to a link like https://ipfs.io/ipns/synapsemedia.io (to use ipfs.io instead of my local node). Source: about 2 years ago
  • 4EVERLAND’s IPFS Pinning Service: 4EVER Pin
    You may already be aware that the Interplanetary File System or IPFS is a distributed storage network where computers from all over the world form nodes to share data. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How to host an encrypted page
    In case of you don't trust them, it gets harder. Especially if you need to have it hosted without any trace to yourself. I'd probably pay a service to store my data on ipfs. You can pay with crypto. But I'm this case there's the question, how will you be able to access it. My thought would be to have a [tails][tails] USB with the necessary software. Source: about 2 years ago
  • anti-discord rule
    Https://ipfs.io is the only acceptable file host. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ethereum Name Service and IPFS, you can also consider the following products

Handshake.org - Decentralized certificate authority and naming

FileCoin - Filecoin is a data storage network and electronic currency based on Bitcoin.

DeFi Pulse - Track key metrics of top decentralized finance tools

Dropbox - Online Sync and File Sharing

Unlock - Monetize your content with a few lines of code

Google Drive - Access and sync your files anywhere