# How much disk space does an Ethereum archive node need?

> Ethereum archive node disk size per client: Geth about 2 TB, Reth 2.8 TB, Erigon 4 TB, Nethermind 14 TB+, with dates. Backup storage: no KYC, crypto.

- URL: https://basalthold.com/ethereum-archive-node-disk-size/
- Last updated: 2026-11-02
- Publisher: Basalthold (https://basalthold.com)

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.

## How big is an archive node in each client?

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.

## Why do the four clients differ so much?

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.**

## How fast does an archive node grow?

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.

## Can an archive node run on hard drives?

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](https://basalthold.com/hdd-vs-ssd-storage-server/ "HDD or SSD for a rented storage server").

## Where does a storage server fit in a node setup?

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](https://basalthold.com/raid-6-vs-raid-10/ "RAID 6 or RAID 10 for a rented storage server").

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](https://basalthold.com/cloud-storage-pay-with-crypto/ "Which cloud storage or backup space accepts crypto").

## Which hold stores node backups?

Size the hold for the number of dated copies you keep. Terms and cities are on [the price list](https://basalthold.com/pricing/ "Basalthold storage server prices for 30 days, 3, 6 and 12 months").

| Plan | Quantity | 30 days | 3 months | 6 months | 1 year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hold 24 | 24 TB raw · 6 cores | $110.99 | $299.67 (−10%) | $532.75 (−20%) | $932.31 (−30%) |
| Hold 40 | 40 TB raw · 6 cores | $201.09 | $542.94 (−10%) | $965.23 (−20%) | $1,689.15 (−30%) |
| Hold 100 | 100 TB raw · 10 cores | $377.05 | $1,018.03 (−10%) | $1,809.84 (−20%) | $3,167.22 (−30%) |
| Hold 160 | 160 TB raw · 16 cores | $561.39 | $1,515.75 (−10%) | $2,694.67 (−20%) | $4,715.67 (−30%) |

In every plan: Blank data drives · Encryption keys stay yours · Dedicated IPv4 · No logs · No KYC · No setup fee

**Before you pay**

- Minimum top-up $1. Top up once in crypto, then buy any plan from your balance.
- Credit on your balance does not expire and renews any of your servers. When a top-up is only made to reach the minimum, the unspent part comes back on request within 30 days of payment, in USDT or USDC. The rest of a balance is not paid out unless the law requires it.
- Credited once your payment is checked on the blockchain. Typical network confirmation time: BTC ≈ 20 min · USDT TRC-20 ≈ 1 min · USDT ERC-20 ≈ 5 min · USDC ERC-20 ≈ 5 min · ETH ≈ 5 min · SOL ≈ 1 min · LTC ≈ 15 min · XMR ≈ 20 min

## What else do node operators ask about disk size?

### How big is an Ethereum full node, not archive?

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.

### Can I run an archive node on a Basalthold hold?

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.

### How long does a Geth archive node take to sync?

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.

### How much RAM does an archive node need?

Erigon requires 32 GB and recommends 64 GB. Reth lists 16 GB or more. Nethermind lists 128 GB for a mainnet archive node.

### Can I pay for node storage with crypto and no KYC?

Yes. Basalthold takes BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, XMR, from a top-up of $1. No KYC: no ID, no selfie, no documents, no card and no phone number, at any point. Setup takes minutes from the moment your payment is confirmed, and never more than an hour.

**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. [Rent Hold 40 in Amsterdam](https://basalthold.com/app/checkout/?plan=hold-40&location=nl-ams&lang=en) · [Rent Hold 100 in Bucharest](https://basalthold.com/app/checkout/?plan=hold-100&location=ro-buh&lang=en)

## Sources

1. [Geth: Archive node](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/fundamentals/archive) — go-ethereum (edited 2026-02-24, read 2026-11-02)
2. [Erigon: Hardware requirements](https://docs.erigon.tech/get-started/hardware-requirements) — Erigon (updated 2026-10-20, read 2026-11-02)
3. [Reth: System requirements](https://reth.rs/run/system-requirements) — Reth (Paradigm) (figures as of 2025-06-23, read 2026-11-02)
4. [Nethermind: System requirements](https://docs.nethermind.io/get-started/system-requirements) — Nethermind (updated 2026-10-27, read 2026-11-02)
5. [Exos X20 data sheet (DS2080-2111US)](https://www.seagate.com/content/dam/seagate/migrated-assets/www-content/datasheets/pdfs/exos-x20-channel-DS2080-2111US-en_US.pdf) — Seagate Technology (November 2021, read 2026-11-02)

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Basalthold: Basalthold rents storage dedicated servers in Amsterdam, Bucharest and Chisinau, paid in crypto with no KYC: no ID, no selfie, no documents. Each server is a whole physical machine with 24 TB to 160 TB of hard drives for one customer, delivered with blank data drives and root access, for backups, archives, file sync and self-hosted object storage. On 2 November 2026, prices ran from $110.99 per 30 days for 24 TB to $561.39 for 160 TB ($3.50 per raw TB). It is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama, keeps no logs and never asks for your encryption keys.