Report · Node sizing · client docs read 2 November 2026
The archive-node sizes that Geth, Erigon, Reth and Nethermind publish, with the date of each figure. Also the disk type each one asks for, and where hard-drive storage fits.
Quick answer
How much disk space does an Ethereum archive node need?
An Ethereum archive node needs about 2 TB with Geth's path-based archive, 2.8 TB or more with Reth (June 2025 figure) and 4 TB with Erigon (October 2026). Nethermind's 14 TB figure dates from July 2023, growing about 60 GB a week. All four need SSD. Basalthold storage servers keep backups and history, crypto only, no KYC.
Figures as each client publishes them, with the date the figure refers to. Mainnet, execution client only.
| Client | Archive size | Date of the figure | Disk the client asks for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geth, path-based archive (v1.16.0 and later) | About 2 TB; about 6.5 TB with full flat states kept beside historical trie data | Docs edited 24 February 2026 | State history can sit on a hard drive (--datadir.ancient) |
| Geth, hash-based archive | Can exceed 20 TB | Docs edited 24 February 2026 | — |
| Erigon (docs v3.8) | 4 TB recommended disk; RAM 32 GB required, 64 GB recommended | Disk use measured 17 September 2026 | High-end NVMe SSD; avoid hard drives |
| Reth (docs v2.9.0) | At least 2.8 TB; RAM 16 GB or more | 23 June 2025, block 22,700,000 | TLC NVMe; static files may go on SATA SSD or HDD (--datadir.static-files) |
| Nethermind (docs 2.2.0) | At least 14 TB, growing about 60 GB a week; RAM 128 GB | July 2023 | SSD required; at least 10,000 IOPS |
Read on 2 November 2026 from geth.ethereum.org, docs.erigon.tech, reth.rs and docs.nethermind.io. Consensus-client storage is extra.
Because they store old state in different ways. A hash-based Geth archive keeps every historical trie node, which is why it can pass 20 TB.
Geth's path-based archive, added in v1.16.0, keeps reverse state diffs instead. Each diff holds the previous values of the accounts and storage changed in one block. Diffs suit the "freezer", Geth's ancient store outside the main key-value database, so the whole node stays near 2 TB. In v1.16 this mode cannot serve historical eth_getProof; v1.17 can, when history.trienode is set.
Erigon and Reth also use compact flat storage, at 4 TB and 2.8 TB. Nethermind's 14 TB figure dates from July 2023 and is the oldest in the table.
Pick the client before you buy the disk: the same chain needs 2 TB in one and 14 TB or more in another.
Only Nethermind publishes a rate: about 60 GB a week as of July 2023. That is about 3.1 TB a year.
If that rate held, 14 TB in July 2023 would be about 24 TB by November 2026. That is our arithmetic, not a Nethermind figure, and the client has changed since. The other clients give no growth rate.
Sync time is the other cost. Geth says a path-based archive node takes around 2 weeks to synchronize. A lost database means those 2 weeks again, unless you kept a copy.
Not the live database. Erigon tells operators to use high-end NVMe SSDs and avoid hard drives. Nethermind calls SSDs essential and asks for at least 10,000 IOPS. A 20 TB Seagate Exos X20 delivers 168 random reads per second, about 60 times too few.
Two clients split the data. Geth's --datadir.ancient places the state history on a cheaper device, such as a hard drive. Reth's --datadir.static-files does the same for its static files. The live database stays on NVMe.
The drive comparison behind these numbers is on HDD or SSD.
As the backup and history store, not as the node. The SSDs on a hold carry the system (2 × 480 GB SSD for the system, mirrored on Hold 100), which is smaller than any live archive database above.
A backup beats a resync. Restoring a 2 TB Geth datadir over a full 1 Gbit/s port takes about 4.4 hours; a 4 TB Erigon datadir, about 8.9 hours. A fresh Geth archive sync takes around 2 weeks.
Keep several dated copies, so a corrupted database does not overwrite your only good one. Four copies of a 4 TB Erigon datadir need 16 TB before compression. Four 10 TB drives in RAIDZ2 keep 20 TB usable, the layout of Hold 40 (4 × 10 TB HDD). The layouts are compared on RAID 6 or RAID 10.
Node operators often pay in crypto already. Of 23 storage-server sellers Basalthold checked on 2 November 2026, 16 accepted crypto, and 3 asked for no ID at all. Other crypto-paid storage is compared on storage you can pay for with crypto.
Size the hold for the number of dated copies you keep. Terms and cities are on the price list.
24 TB raw · 6 cores
$110.99
$99.89 / month
$299.67 for 3 months
$88.79 / month
$532.75 for 6 months
$77.69 / month
$932.31 for 1 year
3 months $299.67 (−10%)6 months $532.75 (−20%)1 year $932.31 (−30%)
40 TB raw · 6 cores
$201.09
$180.98 / month
$542.94 for 3 months
$160.87 / month
$965.23 for 6 months
$140.76 / month
$1,689.15 for 1 year
3 months $542.94 (−10%)6 months $965.23 (−20%)1 year $1,689.15 (−30%)
100 TB raw · 10 cores
$377.05
$339.34 / month
$1,018.03 for 3 months
$301.64 / month
$1,809.84 for 6 months
$263.94 / month
$3,167.22 for 1 year
3 months $1,018.03 (−10%)6 months $1,809.84 (−20%)1 year $3,167.22 (−30%)
Most TB per dollar
160 TB raw · 16 cores
$561.39
$505.25 / month
$1,515.75 for 3 months
$449.11 / month
$2,694.67 for 6 months
$392.97 / month
$4,715.67 for 1 year
3 months $1,515.75 (−10%)6 months $2,694.67 (−20%)1 year $4,715.67 (−30%)
In every plan: Blank data drives · Encryption keys stay yours · Dedicated IPv4 · No logs · No KYC · No setup fee
Reth asks for at least 1.2 TB and Erigon recommends 2 TB for its default full mode. Nethermind asks for at least 2 TB, as of October 2024. Each wants NVMe or SSD.
Not the live database: holds carry hard drives for data and the system on SSD (2 × 480 GB SSD for the system, mirrored on Hold 100). Use a hold for datadir backups, dated snapshots and history files.
Around 2 weeks for a path-based archive node, according to the Geth documentation edited on 24 February 2026. Restoring a 2 TB backup at 1 Gbit/s takes about 4.4 hours.
Erigon requires 32 GB and recommends 64 GB. Reth lists 16 GB or more. Nethermind lists 128 GB for a mainnet archive node.
Yes. Basalthold takes BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, from a top-up of $25. No KYC: no ID, no selfie, no documents, no card and no phone number, at any point. Setup takes 72 hours at the most after your payment is confirmed.
Keep dated copies of your node
Hold 40: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 cores / 12 threads), 64 GB DDR4, 4 × 10 TB hard drives (40 TB raw) plus 512 GB NVMe for the system, 1 Gbit/s port with 60 TB of traffic per 30 days, 1 IPv4 and an IPv6 /64, for $201.09/30 days. Crypto, no KYC.
24 TB from $110.99/30 days · no KYC
Choose a hold