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Overview

Tigris is a globally distributed S3-compatible object storage service that allows you to store and access any amount of data for a wide range of use cases. Tigris automatically and intelligently distributes your data close to the users, and removes the need for you to worry about the complexities of data replication, and caching.

How to use Tigris​

Most teams adopt Tigris by configuring existing AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage SDKs with Tigris access keys and a Tigris endpoint. In many cases, applications can switch to Tigris with no code changes beyond configuration.

Tigris also offers native Storage SDKs that provide direct access to Tigris-specific features like client uploads and bucket forks and snapshots. For AI-assisted development, the Tigris MCP server lets AI coding agents interact with your Tigris buckets directly.

What Tigris stores​

Tigris stores objects—such as application assets, model weights, media files, and ML artifacts—that are consumed by databases, analytics systems, vector search engines, and AI pipelines. Tigris focuses on durable object storage and does not currently provide databases or query engines. However, Tigris can replace a traditional CDN for many use cases due to its automatic global replication.

When to choose Tigris​

You're building AI and data-intensive workloads that span clouds or providers. If you train on GPU neoclouds, run inference across multiple providers, or want to avoid lock-in to a single cloud, Tigris gives you a single, globally replicated object store. Data is stored and replicated close to where it's accessed, reducing latency and eliminating egress fees when data moves between clouds.

You need a shared data layer for AI systems. Tigris is commonly used to store model weights, checkpoints, embedding files, feature data stored as objects, and training datasets that are consumed by external training frameworks, inference services, vector databases, and analytics systems. Because Tigris does not charge egress fees, large datasets can be reused freely across environments.

You want isolated environments for agents and experiments. Bucket forks let AI agents, experiments, and evaluation runs work against isolated copies of the same underlying data without collisions. Even very large datasets can be forked instantly, making it practical to run parallel experiments at scale.

You care about predictable costs for data-heavy workloads. With no egress fees, Tigris lets you move and reuse data without surprise bills. This is especially valuable for AI training, batch processing, analytics, and media workloads where data movement dominates cost.

You're migrating from another S3-compatible provider. Shadow buckets keep your existing storage and Tigris synchronized, enabling zero-downtime migration. Applications can switch over gradually, often with only configuration changes.

Typical use cases include:

  • Storage for machine learning models and datasets
  • Storage for real-time applications and AI-powered services
  • Web content and media (images, video, static assets)
  • Storage for IoT applications and globally distributed data ingestion
  • Data analytics, big data, and batch processing
  • Backups and archives

Features of Tigris​

Global Low-Latency Access​

Tigris automatically distributes your data close to users worldwide. Access your buckets from any region using a single global endpoint—Tigris handles data placement and replication automatically based on access patterns.

When users access data from a new region, Tigris creates a durable copy in that region. As access patterns persist, data is automatically relocated to where it's most frequently accessed. No configuration required.

See Regions and Architecture for more details.

S3-Compatible API​

Tigris supports the majority of the AWS S3 API that developers commonly use, enabling broad interoperability with S3-compatible tooling. See the S3 API Compatibility section for more details. We also have language specific guides on how to use the AWS S3 SDKs with Tigris.

Zero Egress Fees​

Tigris does not charge for data transfer in or out. This makes Tigris well-suited for multi-cloud architectures and AI/ML workloads where data is frequently moved between environments. See Pricing for details.

Bucket Forks and Snapshots​

Fork buckets like code. Create instant, copy-on-write clones for AI agents or experimentation. Agents get isolated copies to prevent collisions, and petabyte-scale datasets can be forked instantly. See Bucket Forks and Snapshots for details.

Zero-Downtime Migration​

Shadow Buckets enable seamless migration from existing S3-compatible storage. Configure a shadow bucket to automatically sync reads and writes between your old and new storage, eliminating risky hard cutover migrations. See Migration for details.

Strong Consistency​

By default, Tigris offers read-after-write consistency within the same region and eventual consistency globally. For use cases where objects can be modified from any region, Tigris provides a global strong consistency option. See Consistency for more details.

Flexible Storage Tiers​

Tigris offers storage tiers to optimize costs based on access patterns. The standard tier provides high durability and performance for frequently accessed data, while infrequent access and archive tiers offer lower-cost storage for less frequently accessed data. See Storage Tiers for details.

Security and Compliance​

Tigris is SOC 2 Type II compliant with encryption at rest and in transit. Fine-grained IAM policies let you control access to buckets and objects. See Authentication and Authorization for details.

Last updated on by Katie Schilling