There are two ways to purchase permanent storage with ArDrive:

1. ArDrive Turbo: Use a credit or debit card with local currencies

ArDrive Turbo is an upload service that makes it simple to pay for permanent storage. Pay in $USD (with more currencies to be added) to get Credits that can be used to upload data to ArDrive.

Go to the Turbo top up page to add credits. (Link?)

Questions about Turbo? Visit the Turbo FAQ

2. Obtain Arweave Tokens ($AR) through Crypto Exchanges/Swaps

ArDrive is based on the Arweave network and the $AR token is used to pay the global network of operators who secure the network & provide storage.

Obtaining $AR through exchanges can be a cumbersome process. Exchanges may not be registered in your country and signing up can require complying with Know-Your-Customer laws.

Fund Your Wallet

How does pay-per file work?

Pricing is based on the size of each file.  ArDrive checks the size of each file and offer a price for permanent storage in AR, the digital currency associated with the permaweb. 

Many of the files you upload will cost only a tenth or hundredth of a cent. It is not until the size of the file gets to be 1 MB that it may cost a penny. 

NOTE: This is the price, not for one month or one year, but for forever.

How much does it cost?

Rather than pay subscriptions month after month, with ArDrive you only pay once to store your data forever. Most files such as photos, PDFs and Word Docs may only cost a tenth or hundredth of a cent. 

There are a few factors that cause fluctuations in the price, such as the price movement of the AR token but the network adjusts storage costs dynamically to keep costs predictable.

See Price Calculator

Will I be told how much it costs before I upload it to the permaweb?

Yes. Since every transaction could be different, ArDrive calculates the cost of each transaction before uploading to the permaweb. You will be given a chance to accept or reject the cost of the transaction before uploading your data permanently.

You can also use our Price Calculator to see how much it costs to permanently save your data. Learn how much fiat, crypto, data size, or $AR is required to upload to the Permaweb using ArDrive.

Does the price ever fluctuate?

Yes. The price of ArDrive uploads can fluctuate based on the computing power available to the Arweave network at any one time. We anticipate that these fluctuations should even out as the Arweave network increases in scope. See permaweb growth chart

There are a few factors that cause fluctuations in the price, such as the price movement of the AR token, but the network adjusts storage costs dynamically to keep costs predictable. 

So you can be confident that even as the price fluctuates that you are still paying roughly the same amount for permanent storage.