A single vial.
More data than a warehouse.
Synthetic DNA encodes petabytes in milligrams. Zero energy at rest. Stable for millennia. The archive medium your current strategy can't compete with.
// Input your current storage volume
DNA equivalent
≈ 1.00 standard cryovials
Current HDD equivalent
≈ 0 server racks · 0 watts continuous
DNA Archive
1.00 mg
Fits in your hand
0 watts · 2,000+ yr half-life
HDD Equivalent
0 drives
0W continuous · Replace every 3–5 years
Density ratio
106×
denser than best-in-class magnetic tape
4.7 PB
Total data encoded to date
across all client archives
3
Hyperscale cloud partnerships
active as of Q1 2026
99.9%
Retrieval fidelity
across petabyte-scale tests
$45/GB
Current synthesis cost
Helix v4 · down from $12.4M in 2012
2,000+
Year projected half-life
anhydrous storage at −20°C
0 W
Energy at rest
no power required for cold archive
Trusted by pharmaceutical, archival, and cloud infrastructure teams
We win four columns.
We lose two honestly.
DNA storage isn't a replacement for your entire stack — yet. Click any row to see the methodology and citations behind every number.
| Axis | DNA Storage◈ | Magnetic Tape | HDD | SSD | Optical | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Density GB per gram | 1,000,000,000 | ~50 | ~100 | ~200 | ~0.5 | DNA wins |
Half-Life years (estimated) | >2,000 | 10–30 | 3–5 | 5–10 | 100–1,000 | DNA wins |
Energy at Rest kWh per TB per year | 0 | 0.02 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0 | Tie |
Write Speed MB/s (current) | 0.004 | 400 | 250 | 7,000 | 0.01 | Tape leads |
Read Speed MB/s (current) | 0.1 | 400 | 200 | 6,500 | 0.05 | Tape leads |
Cost per GB Today USD (2026) | $45 | $0.005 | $0.02 | $0.08 | $0.15 | Tape leads |
Projected Cost per GB USD (2035) | $0.80 | $0.003 | $0.008 | $0.02 | $0.10 | DNA wins |
Click any row to expand methodology and peer-reviewed citations · Last updated Feb 2026
14 years of proof.
The curve only bends one way.
Scroll to trace the density trajectory from Church 2012 to Helix today.
First DNA Encoding
Harvard / Church Lab
Church et al. encode 700 TB/g theoretical capacity — the first proof that DNA could store digital information at meaningful scale.
Density achieved
700 TB/g
Goldman Encoding
EMBL-EBI
Goldman et al. encode 739 KB with 100× redundancy across 153,335 oligonucleotides. Demonstrates random-access retrieval for the first time.
Density achieved
2.2 PB/g
Random Access DNA
UW / Microsoft Research
Organick et al. demonstrate random-access retrieval from a pool of 35,000 distinct DNA molecules without sequencing the entire pool.
Density achieved
215 PB/g
Automated DNA Storage
UW / Microsoft Research
First fully automated DNA data storage and retrieval device. Encodes and retrieves "HELLO" without human intervention in under 21 hours.
Density achieved
360 PB/g
Error-Free Petabyte Encoding
Twist Bioscience / Catalog
Demonstrated error-free encoding at petabyte scale using fountain codes and LDPC error correction, achieving 99.999% fidelity.
Density achieved
580 PB/g
Helix v1 Launch
Helix Labs
Helix automated synthesis pipeline achieves first commercial DNA archival encoding. 10 TB genomic dataset encoded for Novartis in 72 hours.
Density achieved
720 PB/g
Microfluidic Array Breakthrough
Helix Labs
Helix v3 microfluidic synthesis array reduces cost per GB by 94% vs v1. First national archive partnership — 1.2 PB of records encoded.
Density achieved
880 PB/g
Helix v4 — Current
Helix Labs
Parallel 96-channel synthesis at 4 KB/s throughput. $45/GB synthesis cost. 99.9% fidelity at petabyte scale. 3 hyperscale cloud partnerships active.
Density achieved
1 EB/g
← Scroll to explore timeline →
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DNA storage footprint.
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