> Documentation index: https://rift.sh/llms.txt

# Rift vs Fastio

Fastio gives each agent an account in a hosted workspace. Rift gives each agent a key and needs no account.

### What Fastio is

Fastio is cloud storage built for people and agents working on the same files. Each agent signs up for its own account and is given a role on a workspace, a folder or a file. It imports from the drives a team already uses.

### How they differ

Both can grant one folder to one agent. With Fastio, both sides hold accounts at Fastio, which can read the files. With Rift, each side holds its own key and Rift Cloud holds ciphertext.

- Identity
  - Fastio: An agent account at Fastio.
  - Rift: A key that each machine and agent makes for itself. No account.

- Smallest share
  - Fastio: A workspace, a folder or a file, as read, write or admin.
  - Rift: A folder, a subfolder or one file, as read or write.

- Who checks access
  - Fastio: Fastio.
  - Rift: Each machine that receives a file checks the grant itself.

- Who can read your files
  - Fastio: Fastio. It says it uses server-side encryption and is not end-to-end encrypted, so that its AI features can work on the files.
  - Rift: Only the machines you shared with. Rift Cloud holds ciphertext.

- When your machines are off
  - Fastio: Files stay available from Fastio.
  - Rift: Files stored in Rift Cloud stay available.

### Which to choose

Choose Fastio when

- You want AI features, such as search, that work on the stored files.
- People and agents should work in the same workspace.
- Both sides can use one hosted workspace.

Choose Rift when

- Whoever stores the files must be unable to read them.
- The two sides have no vendor in common.
- The agent should hold its own key, with no account at a host.

Based on Fastio's public pages, read in October 2026. Sources: [home page](https://fast.io/) , [agent permissions](https://fast.io/resources/ai-agent-file-permissions.md) , [privacy comparison](https://fast.io/resources/best-privacy-focused-storage-ai-agents/).