Difference between IPFS and Filecoin? [closed]

Question

They both seems to store files in a decentralized network. So what's the difference between them in terms of data structure and algorithms they use? And also what's the difference between them in terms of use cases?

If I store a file in IPFS or Filecoin, will it remain there forever or it may get lost?

Grussing

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is not about programming. You should try to ask this on bitcoin.stackexchange.com – Wend

If no node is hosting the content, then the content is lost, even though the link (CID) may still exist. – Statutory

@vadim kotov surely that site would also close it as off topic as it’s not about bitcoin. What’s funny is right now this is closed as not about programming but 6 years from now when platforms are built on these tech just as today we build on tech like AWS, questions like this will be common place here. I don’t think a question about “what’s the difference between AWS and Firebase” would get closed here... why “difference between IPFS and FIL”? – Southing

Answer 1

IPFS does storage and content-based addressing. Filecoin is just a way to incentivize people to store IPFS content.

So it's not really easy to tell the difference because they are not comparable. Filecoin just works on top of IPFS.

Andante

Does there exist a public decentralized ipfs network that people can use to store data? Or is that what Filecoin is trying to accomplish? – Sporozoite

The question is closed so I can’t add a new answer but IIRC IPFS is not permanent as your data may simply get dropped over time, FIL allows you to pay to keep its permanence through a decentralized bidding system with built in checks to ensure the data is still on each node you paid for as those nodes wish to continue to operate and/or mine – Southing

It is also worth adding, to my great surprise, that Filecoins IPFS network does not co-exist with vanilla IPFS network. I think it's because Filecoin you pay to view or host. – Reverend