The Best Shared Storage for Creative Teams in 2026
Modern creative teams work with larger files, more collaborators, remote workflows, and tighter deadlines than ever. Whether you are cutting broadcast content, producing social media, finishing long-form in Resolve, or managing thousands of assets across a post facility, your shared storage system needs to be fast, scalable, reliable, and simple for editors to use.
But choosing the right storage is confusing. Vendors talk about bandwidth, IOPS, RAID levels, fabrics, and hybrid cloud. What matters to most teams is much simpler. Editors want smooth playback. Producers want fast access to media. Engineers want uptime. And everyone wants a system that does not fall apart under deadline pressure.
This guide focuses on the shared storage systems Key Code Media installs and supports daily across post production, broadcast, education, agencies, and enterprise creative teams.
If you want pricing for any system listed below, contact Key Code Media for a quote.
Best Shared Storage for Most Creative Teams
Studio Network Solutions (SNS) EVO
Summary:
SNS EVO offers excellent performance, outstanding workflow tools, and best-in-class media management features at a competitive price. It is the most well-rounded shared storage platform for general-purpose creative teams.
Who it is for:
Post teams, agencies, universities, corporate studios, and broadcast groups who want fast, simple shared storage that integrates with Adobe, Resolve, Avid, and remote workflows.
Why we like it:
SNS EVO stands out because it includes a powerful suite of free workflow tools that come standard with the platform, reducing the need for add-on software or third-party services.
At the core is ShareBrowser, SNS’s built-in media asset management system. ShareBrowser provides visual browsing, metadata tagging, project organization, and fast search across large media libraries, all without additional licensing.
For automation and hybrid workflows, Slingshot provides workflow automation and orchestration, including the ability to connect EVO to cloud storage services and automate movement, syncing, and delivery tasks as part of a broader pipeline.
For remote editorial, Nomad enables secure remote editing access to EVO systems, allowing editors to work with projects and media from outside the facility without changing their on-prem storage foundation. Outpost extends EVO workflows to additional sites, making it easier to share media between offices or remote locations while maintaining a centralized storage strategy.
Together, these tools enhance collaboration, simplify remote workflows, and add long-term value without increasing system cost. Editors benefit from simplicity, production teams gain better visibility into assets, and IT teams appreciate the reduced complexity.
Key Code Media installs hundreds of EVO systems nationwide, and customers consistently praise its reliability, easy learning curve, and workflow depth.
Price Range: $20,000–$80,000+
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare EVO models and workflow options.
Best for Large Post Facilities and Broadcasters
EditShare EFS
Summary:
EditShare EFS is a scalable, high-performance storage platform with built-in project sharing, NLE integrations, and a strong media management ecosystem.
Who it is for:
Broadcast facilities, mid-to-large post houses, higher education programs, and teams who need multi-petabyte scalability with strong MAM integration.
Why we like it:
EFS excels at large, multi-user editorial environments. Its file system is designed for consistent read performance, even under heavy load, which is ideal for shared Avid, Adobe, Resolve, and mixed-NLE pipelines. Flow, EditShare’s MAM platform, adds ingest, proxy workflow, review and approval, cloud sync, and production automation.
EditShare is also a leader in open APIs, which makes integration with newsroom systems, cloud editors, and automation tools straightforward.
Price Range: $60,000–$250,000+
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare models and workflow options.
Best for Hybrid SDI, Ethernet, and Fibre Environments
Facilis Technology HUB Shared Storage
Summary:
Facilis HUB systems are known for strong on-prem performance, easy management, and flexible connectivity, including Fibre Channel, Ethernet, and hybrid environments.
Who it is for:
Post houses, colorists, finishing teams, and environments where Fibre Channel is still preferred for high-performance workflows, as well as teams adding remote editorial access without moving media to the cloud.
Why we like it:
Facilis is widely used in finishing and color workflows because it delivers predictable, real-world performance under load. Beyond on-prem performance, a key differentiator is Facilis FastCache WAN Accelerator, which takes a fundamentally different approach to remote editing compared to cloud sync or proxy-only workflows.
FastCache allows remote editors to work directly with projects stored on the on-prem Facilis HUB by intelligently caching only the portions of media needed for active timelines over the WAN. This dramatically reduces bandwidth requirements while maintaining high-quality editorial performance, enabling true remote editing without duplicating entire media libraries or rearchitecting storage into the cloud.
HUB systems also use block-level virtualization, allowing teams to allocate bandwidth and performance where it matters most. Combined with flexible Fibre Channel and Ethernet connectivity, Facilis supports mixed on-prem and remote workflows without forcing teams to abandon existing infrastructure.
Facilis also provides reliable project locking, straightforward management tools, and a long track record of stability in demanding post-production environments.
Price Range: $40,000–$200,000+
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare models and workflow options.
Best Ultra-High-Performance Storage for 4K, 8K, and Finishing
OpenDrives Ultra and OpenDrives Atlas OS
Summary:
OpenDrives is designed for maximum throughput, low latency, and high-end finishing. It uses advanced software-defined storage and NVMe tuning to deliver extremely fast workflows.
Who it is for:
Finishing teams, color grading, VFX, motion graphics, sports replay environments, and any team pushing 4K, 8K, HDR, or massive file pipelines.
Why we like it:
OpenDrives focuses on speed. It outperforms traditional storage with software optimizations that reduce latency and increase sustained throughput. For finishing editors working with large media and multilayer timelines, this results in smoother playback and faster renders.
Atlas OS also includes snapshotting, versioning, automated backups, and hybrid-cloud workflow options.
Price Range: $100,000–$500,000+
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare models and workflow options.
Best Modular, Flexible Storage for Mixed Workflows
Scale Logic Genesis and HyperFS
Summary:
Scale Logic offers flexible, highly configurable storage solutions with strong support for mixed creative teams and a wide range of expansion options.
Who it is for:
Agencies, corporate studios, mixed NLE teams, and organizations that need a customizable storage system with long-term growth paths.
Why we like it:
Scale Logic systems can be tailored to nearly any workflow. HyperFS supports complex environments with large user counts, while Genesis systems handle small-to-mid teams smoothly. Scale Logic also offers powerful media asset management, replication tools, failover options, and hybrid SAN/NAS configurations.
Price Range: $50,000–$300,000+
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare models and workflow options.
Best for Enterprise IT and Virtualized Workflows
DataCore Perifery and DataCore SANsymphony
Summary:
DataCore provides software-defined storage with strong virtualization, high uptime, and powerful data protection.
Who it is for:
Enterprise creative teams, large universities, or IT-driven environments that want storage integrated with virtualization, failover clustering, and large archive systems.
Why we like it:
DataCore’s virtualization technology allows teams to unify multiple storage pools into one, automate redundancy and failover, and optimize performance across diverse hardware. Creative teams benefit from high uptime, strong snapshot tools, and deep integration with existing IT infrastructure.
Price Range: $75,000–$400,000+
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare models and workflow options.
Best Portable and Local NVMe Editing Solution
Iodyne Pro Data
Summary:
Iodyne Pro Data is a shared NVMe SSD-based appliance designed for small teams, mobile productions, and high-speed local editing.
Who it is for:
On-set DIT carts, small post teams, mobile production units, lab environments, and editors who need extremely fast local shared storage for 4K and 8K workflows.
Why we like it:
Iodyne combines multiple NVMe SSDs into one ultra-fast shared volume accessible by multiple computers. Because it is fully solid-state, it delivers extremely low latency and consistent performance, making it ideal for small teams that need raw speed without the cost or footprint of a full SAN or NAS. It integrates especially well with Mac-based workflows and is a favorite among DITs and boutique post teams.
Price Range: $15,000–$40,000
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare models and workflow options.
Best for Avid Media Composer Workflows
Avid NEXIS
Summary:
Avid NEXIS is the industry standard for Media Composer collaboration and large post pipelines.
Who it is for:
Newsrooms, post facilities, broadcast operations, and any team built around Avid Media Composer and MediaCentral.
Why we like it:
NEXIS provides unmatched bin locking, reliable shared project workflows, and strong performance under heavy editorial load. It is tightly integrated with Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Avid’s production ecosystem. For teams built around Avid tools, it remains the most dependable option.
Price Range: $15,000–$350,000+
Ready to buy? Contact Key Code Media to compare models and workflow options.
How to Choose Shared Storage in 2026
- Bandwidth vs. User Count
More editors means more sustained throughput, not just faster drives. - Workflow Compatibility
Avid, Adobe, Resolve, Flame, Baselight, Unreal. Choose storage tested for your tools. - Remote and Hybrid Access
Consider proxy workflows, cloud sync, and remote editing needs. - Data Protection
Snapshots, versioning, replication, and backup strategies matter more than raw capacity. - Scalability
Plan for growth. Most teams expand storage faster than expected. - Support and Uptime
Creative teams cannot afford downtime. Key Code Media provides installation, workflow tuning, and long-term support for all systems in this guide.