# ipfs/kubo

IPFS implementation in Go: a daemon that stores and serves content-addressed data, with a CLI, HTTP Gateway, and RPC API

Repository: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/kubo
Homepage: https://docs.ipfs.tech/how-to/command-line-quick-start/
Language: Go
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: ipfs
Last push: 2026-08-26T22:30:21+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 94/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 84, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4451, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 30, "gap_med": 34.5, "n_releases_24m": 21}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 17114, forks 3164 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:17.681117+00:00)

## What it is
Kubo is the reference Go implementation of IPFS, running a daemon that stores and serves content-addressed data. It ships a CLI, HTTP Gateway, RPC API, and WebUI for node management.

## Use cases
- run an ipfs node on a server
- pin files to ipfs from the command line
- serve a static website over ipfs
- fetch content by cid via an http gateway
- host a private ipfs swarm in docker
- build apps on top of the ipfs rpc api

## When to choose
- you need a full IPFS node with CLI, gateway, and RPC control
- you want the most widely used, interoperable IPFS implementation
- you run headless servers or containers and need IPFS infrastructure

## When to avoid
- you want a point-and-click GUI (use IPFS Desktop instead)
- you need an embedded IPFS SDK in Go or JS (use Boxo or Helia)
- you only need a dedicated gateway without node features (consider Rainbow)

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: p2p, http-server, cli, file-system, object-storage, proxy
- domain: microservices, files, self-hosted, networking
- platform: windows, cli, go, cross-platform
- tags: ipfs, content-addressed, dweb, http-gateway, pinning, linux, macos, docker

## Member repositories
- ipfs/kubo (main) score 94

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:17.681117+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:03:30.143715+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:17.681117+00:00, sha 21e86f142c0b)
  - homepage: https://docs.ipfs.tech/how-to/command-line-quick-start/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.958266+00:00, sha eb99bd2a1a27)
  - site_page: https://docs.ipfs.tech/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.967589+00:00, sha b89d3d0e0e01)
  - site_page: https://docs.ipfs.tech/install (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.969554+00:00, sha 563d207cad62)
  - site_page: https://docs.ipfs.tech/install/run-ipfs-inside-docker (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.971460+00:00, sha a6087a76dbf8)
  - site_page: https://docs.ipfs.tech/install/command-line (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.973311+00:00, sha b55f71570a1d)
  - site_page: https://docs.ipfs.tech/reference/kubo/rpc (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.975354+00:00, sha fb15fec8a297)
  - site_page: https://docs.ipfs.tech/install/ipfs-desktop (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.981286+00:00, sha 461804ceae39)
  - site_page: https://docs.ipfs.tech/install/ipfs-companion (fetched 2026-08-29T08:01:36.983845+00:00, sha 23b3f1f277c5)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.