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Kubo is the original Go implementation of IPFS, a daemon for storing and serving content-addressed data with a CLI, HTTP Gateway and RPC API.

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What is it?

Kubo runs an IPFS node that stores, retrieves and serves data addressed by its content hash rather than by location. Files and directories are represented with UnixFS, and nodes exchange blocks over Bitswap and HTTP, with discovery via LAN mDNS and the WAN Amino DHT.

Beyond the daemon, Kubo ships a command-line interface, a WebUI for node management, an HTTP Gateway supporting both trusted and trustless retrieval, and an HTTP RPC API for controlling the node. It also includes an HTTP Routing V1 client and server for delegated routing, and experimental FUSE mounts that expose /ipfs, /ipns and /mfs as local filesystems.

Kubo is installable from prebuilt binaries, Docker images, community package managers or source built with Go. Public node operators can apply content blocking via a denylist.

Key features

  • 01Runs an IPFS node on LAN (mDNS) and WAN (Amino DHT)
  • 02Command-line interface for adding, reading and managing content
  • 03HTTP Gateway with trusted and trustless retrieval modes
  • 04HTTP RPC API for controlling the daemon
  • 05HTTP Routing V1 client and server for delegated routing
  • 06Experimental FUSE mounts for /ipfs, /ipns and /mfs

Use cases

  • Hosting and distributing files or static sites over IPFS
  • Running a public gateway or pinning node for content availability
  • Building applications that store content-addressed data via the RPC API
  • Experimenting with IPFS protocols and content addressing on a local network

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Kubo (Homebrew on macOS)

    brew install ipfs
  2. 2

    Initialize your node

    ipfs init --profile=unixfs-v1-2025
  3. 3

    Start the daemon

    ipfs daemon

Things to know

  • There is no dedicated maintainer, and the Shipyard team's maintenance work ended on September 30, 2026.
  • The recommended setup needs at least 6 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores, and larger pinsets need more memory.
  • FUSE mounts are experimental.

Topics

#ipfs#peer-to-peer#distributed-storage#content-addressing#go#decentralized#http-gateway

FAQ

What is kubo?
Kubo is the original Go implementation of IPFS, a daemon for storing and serving content-addressed data with a CLI, HTTP Gateway and RPC API. Kubo runs an IPFS node that stores, retrieves and serves data addressed by its content hash rather than by location. Files and directories are represented with UnixFS, and nodes exchange blocks over Bitswap and HTTP, with discovery via LAN mDNS and the WAN Amino DHT.
Is kubo free to use? What license does it have?
kubo is open source under the Other license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is kubo still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to kubo was on Oct 21, 2026.
What can I use kubo for?
Hosting and distributing files or static sites over IPFS Running a public gateway or pinning node for content availability Building applications that store content-addressed data via the RPC API Experimenting with IPFS protocols and content addressing on a local network
How do I install kubo?
Install Kubo (Homebrew on macOS): brew install ipfs Initialize your node: ipfs init --profile=unixfs-v1-2025 Start the daemon: ipfs daemon
Where can I get kubo?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/ipfs/kubo

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