Hackaday

Consumer data storage options are shrinking and becoming more expensive. HDDs and NAND Flash prices have surged partly due to AI datacenter demand, while optical media is dying as manufacturers like Pioneer and Sony exit the market. The piece compares cost-per-GB across DVDs (~6 cents/GB), SSDs, HDDs, and LTO tapes, finding optical media still the cheapest option for cold storage despite its uncertain future. Cloud storage is dismissed due to recurring costs and reliability concerns. The author raises the question of what durable, affordable, offline storage solutions remain for users with large local data needs.

With Affordable Storage Options Dwindling, Where To Store Our Data?