Tusky vs Load Cloud: Storage dApps for Devs and Casuals

In our comparison of Load vs Walrus, we compared the base network metrics around price, storage terms, consensus and scale.

We touched on the app layer without going in-depth, but both Load S3 and Walrus have comparable user-facing storage apps, serving similar use cases with a few key differences.

Today we’re comparing Load Cloud against Tusky.

Both apps are Dropbox-like interfaces for decentralized storage. Rather than making users wrestle with SDKs and CLIs, these UIs provide a familiar way to store files, organize folders, and manage access. They also let developers manage API keys to make storage programmable.

In these ways, Tusky and Load Cloud are the same – let’s look at what makes them different.

Overview

• Quick comparison
• Architecture and base layers
• Storage terms and permanence
• Authentication and access control
• Monetization
• Developer integration
• Encryption and privacy
• Data integrity and provenance
• Pricing
• Performance and bandwidth
• Use cases
• Making a choice

Quick Comparison

Tusky

Load Cloud

Architecture and Base Layers

Tusky: Walrus + Sui

Tusky is built on Walrus, a decentralized storage network adjacent to Sui. Data is stored across 125 Walrus storage nodes using Red Stuff encoding (a custom erasure coding protocol with 4.5x replication overhead).

Walrus operates with Byzantine Fault Tolerance - all nodes participate in global consensus to maintain shared state. Storage must be prepaid in epochs (minimum 2 weeks, maximum approximately 2 years). After the prepaid period expires, data is deleted unless manually renewed. There’s no protocol-level mechanism for automatic renewal.

(Read the full Walrus vs Load comparison here)

Tusky abstracts this complexity behind a Google Drive-like interface. Users sign in with a Sui wallet or social account (Google, Twitch), create encrypted vaults or public folders, and share data via magic links. The platform provides 1 GB free storage to start.

Load Cloud: S3 in the front, Arweave in the back

Load Cloud is built on Load S3, an S3-compatible temporary storage layer with native integration to Arweave for permanent storage. The underlying infrastructure uses HyperBEAM nodes with custom S3 devices, currently operated by a small number of storage providers with plans to expand into a decentralized marketplace.

Data in Load Cloud is stored as ANS-104 DataItems - cryptographically signed containers that prove both content integrity and authorship. These DataItems can transition between three states: temporal (stored temporarily in S3), void (deleted), or permanent (committed to Arweave). Read more about xANS-104 here.

Load Cloud provides a web interface, HTTP API, and full AWS S3 SDK compatibility. Users create accounts via email (which generates an exportable EVM wallet behind the scenes), create private buckets with access control, and can publish data to Arweave with a single click. Load Cloud offers up to 100 GB/month free through its partner program, plus free Arweave transactions under 100KB via Turbo integration.

Storage Terms and Permanence

Tusky/Walrus: Tusky prices storage on a subscription model, retaining data as long as the plan is renewed. On Walrus, all storage is temporary with a maximum term of 2 years. Users prepay for storage in epochs measured in WAL tokens. When the term expires, data is deleted.

Load Cloud/Arweave: Temporary storage in Load S3 follows standard S3 pricing strategies set by storage providers. More importantly, users can commit any DataItem to Arweave for permanent storage with a one-time payment of approximately $9.70/GB. Once on Arweave, data persists forever through the endowment model - no renewals or expiration.

Here your time horizon and use case matter. Tusky works well for personal files with known lifespans (project files, temporary shares, time-limited content). Load Cloud works for both temporary hot cache and permanent archives where renewal overhead is unacceptable (legal records, NFT metadata, research datasets).

Authentication and Access Control

Tusky

Tusky offers two sign-in methods: Sui wallet connection or social login via Google/Twitch. This lowers the barrier for non-crypto users while maintaining wallet-based ownership for those who want it.

Access control operates at the vault level. Users can create encrypted private vaults or public folders, then generate magic links for sharing. These links can grant view-only or upload permissions and can be scoped to specific vaults.

Load Cloud

Load Cloud uses email-based authentication, which generates an exportable EVM wallet behind the scenes. Authentication uses email or API keys, and access control operates at the bucket level using load_acc keys.

Access control operates at multiple levels:

• Bucket-level: Private buckets with allowlists of load_acc keys that can read/write
• File-level: Per-file sharing via expirable presigned URLs (max 30 days), paywalled links (x402 protocol), or permanent public links via Arweave
• Organizational: load_acc keys can be shared within teams for collaborative bucket access

Tusky’s vault model is simpler for individual users; Load Cloud’s system is built for developer teams managing infrastructure.

Monetization

Tusky does not currently support monetization features.

Load Cloud enables creators and developers to paywall their content using x402 payment gates or publish directly to Arweave’s permaweb. This makes it useful for developers, creators, enterprises, and institutions who need both storage flexibility and the ability to monetize their data.

Developer Integration

Tusky

Tusky provides:

• TypeScript SDK
• HTTP API

The integration model is straightforward for JavaScript developers, with an SDK that handles creating vaults and uploading files. However, it’s Tusky-specific - there’s no compatibility with existing cloud tools out-of-the-box.

Load Cloud

Load Cloud is designed as a drop-in replacement for AWS S3, offering full SDK compatibility that allows developers to migrate existing applications with minimal code changes. Load Cloud supports the standard AWS S3 CLI, HTTP API, and Turbo SDK.

Example S3 SDK usage:

import { S3Client } from "@aws-sdk/client-s3";


const endpoint = "https://api.load.network/s3"; // LS3 HyperBEAM cluster 
const accessKeyId = "load_acc_YOUR_LCP_ACCESS_KEY"; // get yours from cloud.load.network
const secretAccessKey = ""; 

// Initialize the S3 client
const s3Client = new S3Client({
  region: "us-east-1",
  endpoint,
  credentials: {
    accessKeyId,
    secretAccessKey,
  },
  forcePathStyle: true, // required
});

The HTTP API supports operations like uploading private DataItems, generating presigned URLs, and committing offchain data to Arweave:

# Upload private data  
echo -n "hello private world" | curl -X POST \
  https://load-s3-agent.load.network/upload/private \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $load_acc_api_key" \
  -H "x-bucket-name: $bucket_name" \
  -H "x-dataitem-name: $object_name" \
  -F "file=@-;type=text/plain"

For teams migrating from AWS S3 or other cloud storage, Load Cloud requires minimal code changes. For teams building Sui-native applications, Tusky is architecturally aligned.

Encryption and Privacy

Tusky emphasizes end-to-end encryption for private vaults. All data inside encrypted vaults is encrypted client-side before upload, and Tusky doesn’t have access to decryption keys. Users control keys entirely. Public vaults are also supported for non-sensitive data.

Load Cloud uses server-side encryption by default with optional client-side encryption for users who need additional security control. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest (server-side), but the storage provider has access to unencrypted data.

For stronger privacy, users can encrypt data client-side before uploading, then use Load S3’s access control to limit bucket access. This adds encryption/decryption overhead but provides end-to-end encryption guarantees similar to Tusky.

The trade-off: Tusky’s approach is more private by default but less flexible (encrypted data can’t be processed server-side). Load Cloud’s approach is more flexible (support for server-side operations, streaming, etc.) but requires trust in the storage provider for unencrypted data.

Data Integrity and Provenance

Tusky/Walrus provides data integrity through Red Stuff encoding and BFT consensus. All 125 storage nodes must agree on the data set, and cryptographic proofs ensure nodes are actually storing data. Up to 1/3 of nodes can fail or act maliciously without data loss.

However, Walrus blobs don’t include authorship information beyond the Sui address that registered them. The blob itself is content-addressed but not cryptographically signed by the creator.

Load Cloud/Arweave stores all data as ANS-104 DataItems with cryptographic signatures. Each DataItem includes:

• Data payload
• Owner’s public key
• Metadata tags
• Cryptographic signature (Ethereum secp256k1, Solana Ed25519, or Arweave RSA-PSS)

The DataItem ID is derived from the signature, creating a persistent identifier that proves both content integrity and authorship. This provenance remains intact whether the DataItem is stored temporarily in Load S3 or permanently on Arweave.

If a bucket’s access keys are compromised, you can cryptographically verify which objects were uploaded by legitimate users versus attackers. Walrus doesn’t provide this level of provenance granularity.

Pricing

Tusky operates on a SaaS subscription model at $0.10 per GB per month with 1 GB free, and discounts for annual plans.

Load Cloud pricing is $0.015 per GB per month for temporary storage - about 85% cheaper than Tusky. The free tier offers up to 100 GB per month through the partner program, plus free Arweave transactions under 100KB via Turbo integration.

Permanent storage via Arweave costs ~$9.70/GB as a one-time payment. No renewals, no expiration.

Load S3 is competitive with traditional cloud storage for temporary data, with Arweave as an option for true permanence.

Performance and Bandwidth

Tusky/Walrus: Network-wide bandwidth is approximately 18 MB/s per client, limited by consensus overhead and Sui blockchain coordination.

Load Cloud/Load S3: Each storage provider operates independently at up to 1 Gbps - roughly 55x faster than Tusky’s network-level limits. Content delivery is handled through 650+ AR.IO gateways and the HyperBEAM hybrid gateway for global distribution.

For high-throughput applications or real-time data feeds, Load S3’s architecture has clear advantages. For typical personal file storage, both platforms provide adequate performance.

Use Cases

When Tusky Makes Sense:

• Personal file storage with Google Drive-like UX
• NFT asset storage on Sui
• Encrypted private vaults with client-side encryption
• Content with known lifespans under 2 years
• Applications already built on Sui requiring tight integration
• Users who prefer social login over managing wallets

When Load Cloud Makes Sense:

• Developer infrastructure requiring S3 API compatibility
• Applications needing permanent storage without renewal overhead
• Projects migrating from AWS S3 or similar cloud storage
• Creators monetizing data (x402 integration)
• Temporary hot cache with optional permanence upgrades
• High-throughput data ingestion (1 Gbps+ per provider)
• Multichain applications (data can be signed with ETH/SOL/AR keys)
• ANS-104 flexibility for lighter Arweave onboarding

Making a choice

Tusky and Load Cloud represent two distinct philosophies for web3 storage.

Tusky prioritizes consumer UX with built-in encryption, social login, and a simple vault model. It’s tightly integrated with Sui and Walrus, making it ideal for Sui ecosystem applications and users who want Google Drive-like simplicity.

Load Cloud prioritizes developer infrastructure with S3 compatibility, ANS-104 provenance, and optional Arweave permanence. It’s ecosystem-agnostic (works with EVM, Solana, Arweave) is significantly cheaper for temporary storage, and has a permanent storage option.

For sharing vault access and Sui-adjacency, Tusky is the better choice. For developer teams, permanent archives, or applications requiring S3 compatibility, Load Cloud is more practical.

Try Load Cloud for free and apply for the 100GB/mo partner program