Permanent.org

What Permanent.org does

Permanent.org, operated by the Permanent Legacy Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural-heritage organization that runs a digital preservation platform for individuals, families, genealogists, photo-organizing professionals, and nonprofit organizations. Users build living archives of personal, family, or community materials, with use cases spanning family-history research, collaborative family archives, client photo organization, end-of-life legacy planning, and institutional preservation of underrepresented community histories. The platform explicitly positions itself against commercial cloud storage by offering long-term preservation guarantees rather than utility-grade file hosting.

The underlying technology is an open-source application built on multi-provider, multi-region, multi-tier commercial cloud storage to deliver triple-redundant copies of every archive. Distinctive product features include Archive Steward assignment, Legacy Contact notification for passing, custom timelines, custom fields, unlisted share links, SFTP bulk upload, and integrations with FamilySearch (auto-generated family-tree archives), Internet Archive (one-click publish to archive.org), TheirStory (oral-history preservation), Collectionaire, and Hyperaudio. Native iOS and Android apps extend the web platform to mobile. A Byte4Byte program provides up to 100GB of free storage and intern stipends to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations, while Legacy Lab runs monthly cohort-based guided archiving courses.

Permanent monetizes primarily through tax-deductible donations and one-time storage fees of $10 per gigabyte, with no recurring subscriptions; the storage fees are pooled into an investment fund whose interest is intended to cover ongoing preservation costs. Legacy Lab operates on a pay-what-you-can donation model with suggested tiers of $20, $40, and $60. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led: a free 1GB tier funnels users from self-serve web and mobile signups, RootsTech conference presence drives genealogy-event acquisition, and the Byte4Byte grant cycle plus referral network (Memory Forward, Vivid-Pix, The Photo Managers, Archival Methods, The Photo Detective, Dig Your Photos!) anchors nonprofit and professional-photo-organizer segments. The six-person team is distributed across Austin, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, and the organization is governed by an advisory board that includes Dean Drako, Stephen Wolfram, Paul Vixie, and Brewster Kahle.

Name

Permanent.org

Legal name

Permanent Legacy Foundation

Website

https://permanent.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Permanent.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit digital preservation platform that lets individuals, families, genealogists, photo managers, and cultural-heritage nonprofits build long-term digital archives on triple-redundant multi-cloud storage via one-time $10/GB fees and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Preservation Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Software Publishers (5132), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Media Archive & Cold Storage Services (MPAHAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cloud Storage Core Services (Object/Block/File Storage as a Service) (HDABAAAK), Media Archiving & Long-Term Preservation Planning (HSAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Digital preservation
• Cloud storage
• Digital archiving
• Family history
• Nonprofit storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. One-Time Storage Fees: Storage fees charged as one-time payment of $10 per gigabyte. These fees are pooled into a shared investment fund where interest covers ongoing storage costs, eliminating recurring fees.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations support Byte4Byte program (storage grants for nonprofits), staff, educational content production, and internship funding.
3. Legacy Lab Program: Pay-what-you-can donation-based four-week guided archiving course with suggested donation tiers ($20, $40, $60). Proceeds support Permanent operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Permanent.org provides a nonprofit digital preservation cloud storage platform that enables individuals, families, and organizations to build, share, and pass on digital archives. Storage is priced at a one-time $10 per gigabyte with no recurring fees, backed by triple-redundant multi-provider, multi-region cloud infrastructure. The offering includes native mobile apps (iOS and Android), SFTP bulk upload, legacy planning features (Archive Steward assignment, Legacy Contact notification), and integrations with FamilySearch, Internet Archive, TheirStory, Hyperaudio, and Collectionaire.

Product overview

Permanent.org is a nonprofit digital preservation platform offering a suite of interconnected archiving tools. The core Permanent.org platform provides the primary storage and archival interface, supplemented by the Legacy Lab cohort-based training program for guided legacy project creation, and the Byte4Byte grant program providing storage and internship support to qualifying nonprofit organizations. Mobile apps for iOS and Android extend platform access to mobile devices. All offerings are built on a mission of preservation-not-profit, with storage priced at a one-time $10/GB with no recurring fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent.org Platform A nonprofit digital preservation cloud storage platform enabling individuals, families, and organizations to build, share, and pass on digital archives. Offers one-time $10/GB storage pricing with no recurring fees, triple-redundant multi-cloud storage, SFTP access for bulk upload and sync, original file preservation without modification, custom metadata, Archive Steward assignment, Legacy Contact notification, and integrations with FamilySearch and Internet Archive.
• Legacy Lab A four-week cohort-based guided archiving course and learning community offered monthly. Participants complete a beginner-friendly legacy project with instructional videos, daily micro lessons, peer support, weekly live calls, and alumni group access. Operates on a pay-what-you-can donation model with suggested tiers ($20 Friend, $40 Supporter, $60 Sponsor).
• Byte4Byte A storage grant program for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations providing up to 100GB of free storage and optional intern support per semester (up to $2,500 in intern stipend). Targets organizations preserving underrepresented communities and narratives, including first-time digitization efforts and disaster relief initiatives. Includes partnerships with organizations such as Art+Feminism (84,000 Wikipedia entries created or improved since 2014).
• Permanent Mobile App (iOS) Native iOS mobile application for Permanent.org, enabling users to manage archives, upload files, and access their digital collections on iOS devices.
• Permanent Mobile App (Android) Native Android mobile application for Permanent.org, enabling users to manage archives, upload files, and access their digital collections on Android devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84,000 Wikipedia entries created or improved by Art+Feminism using the platform

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Internet ArchivecoreTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2021Users can publish files directly to the Internet Archive with one click when publishing from Permanent. This enables permanent public access to selected materials through the world's largest public archive.
• TheirStorycoreTechnology or Integration · 11 March 2021Oral history recording platform integrated with Permanent. Users recording oral histories through TheirStory can automatically preserve them on Permanent, addressing the long-term preservation concerns of oral history projects.
• FamilySearchcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration allows users to auto-generate archives and sync memories for their entire family tree. Users can import FamilySearch Memories directly into Permanent archives.
• The Photo Detective (Maureen Taylor)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner offering genealogy consulting and photo discovery services. Recommended service provider for Permanent users seeking expert help with family history research.
• Archival MethodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvider of archival storage supplies (boxes, binders, portfolios). Permanent users receive 15% discount with code PERMANENT15. Supports physical photo preservation.
• Memory ForwardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigitization and organization service. Offers Permanent Starter Package ($150) that digitizes up to 100 photos and adds them directly to Permanent archives.
• Dig Your Photos!minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDIY print photo organizing kit ($99) for home organization. Affiliate partner providing photo organization tools for Permanent users.
• The Photo ManagersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional photo organizer association. Offers DIY Digital Photo Organizing Workshop ($399) and professional certification. Referral partner for Permanent.
• Vivid-PixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPhoto and document restoration software ($199). Enables users to scan, restore, record, and share physical materials. Referral partner with Permanent discount.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Internet Archive: Nonprofit digital library preserving websites, books, audio, and cultural content. Comparable to Permanent.org as both are mission-driven archival platforms with one-click cross-publishing between them, and both pursue perpetual public access rather than commercial storage.
• Everplans: Digital legacy and end-of-life planning platform helping individuals organize and pass on critical information and assets. Comparable to Permanent.org's legacy-planning use case (Archive Steward, Legacy Contact), though focused on documents rather than media archives.
• FamilySearch: Genealogy and family-history platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Comparable because Permanent.org's core family-historian use case (including FamilySearch integration) directly overlaps with FamilySearch's mission of connecting and preserving family trees and memories.
• StoryCorps: Nonprofit oral-history project recording and archiving interviews with people across the U.S. Comparable to Permanent.org as both preserve personal and community stories, and both serve cultural-heritage missions around underrepresented voices.
• Backblaze: Consumer and business cloud backup and storage provider with simple unlimited/flat-rate pricing. Comparable because Backblaze targets the same need for affordable, simple archival storage with a similar pay-once/forever ethos (e.g., B2 Fireball cold storage).
• Arkivum: Managed digital preservation service for archives, libraries, and research institutions. Comparable to Permanent.org because both target long-term digital preservation with integrity guarantees, though Arkivum focuses on enterprise/institutional customers rather than individuals and families.
• Degoo: Consumer cloud backup service with a freemium model (free tier with paid upgrades). Comparable because Degoo competes for the same individual backup/archive use case at low price points, similar to Permanent's 1GB-free + paid-additional model.
• TheirStory: Oral-history recording platform integrated with Permanent. Comparable because TheirStory addresses the same long-term preservation pain point for oral history projects and shares user workflows with Permanent via direct API integration.

Broad incumbents

• MyHeritage: Commercial family-tree and genealogy platform with photo and story features. Comparable to Permanent.org because both serve family historians preserving memories, but MyHeritage is a wider commercial incumbent with subscription and DNA products.
• Ancestry.com: Largest commercial genealogy platform offering family-tree building, records, and DNA. Comparable to Permanent.org because both serve family historians, but Ancestry is a much broader commercial incumbent focused on records subscription rather than archival storage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/PermanentOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/PermanentDotOrg
• Instagraminstagram.com/permanentdotorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/permanentorg
• Xx.com/permanentorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Permanent.org