IPFS is a bit different than gaia. The following are some functionalities unique to gaia, without the unpredictable lookup performances associated with ipfs.

IPFS is a bit different than gaia. The following are some functionalities unique to gaia, without the unpredictable lookup performances associated with ipfs. With gaia, you can control where the data is stored, on your own server, a cloud hosting provider of your choice, etc. Data is read write. Writes permissions can be delegated. Gaia can be used with an API where developers, like the developers of Graphite, can build applications on top of it without explicitly dealing with a blockchain using traditional knowledge of javascript or other front end languages and frameworks. Listing permissions can be delegated. Data is globally addressable. It supports multiple backends natively, which supports users choosing where their data is hosted. In IPFS, data may be initially hosted on just your server, but duplicated elsewhere when a call is made to it. Like IPFS, it does not need a cryptocurrency to work, and space is reclaimed when data is deleted. That being said, IPFS is very popular. We are working on ipfs drivers for gaia along with others. For now, we have prioritized drivers for cloud hosting providers to help users gain more control of where their data is stored and hosted.