Sharing information stimulates science. When researchers choose to make their data publicly available, they are allowing their work to contribute far beyond their original findings. The best way to publish and share research data is with a research data repository. A repository is an online database that allows research data to be preserved across time and helps others find it. Apart from archiving research data, a repository will assign a DOI to each uploaded object and provide a web page that tells what it is, how to cite it and how many times other researchers have cited or downloaded that object.
Figshare: A Leading Repository Platform
Figshare is an open access data repository where researchers can preserve their research outputs, such as datasets, images, and videos and make them discoverable. Mark Hahnel launched Figshare in January 2011. Hahnel first developed the platform as a personal tool for organizing and publishing the outputs of his PhD in stem cell biology. On figshare, researchers can share posters, presentations, datasets, videos, code and other research outputs in any file format.
Key Features and Free Tier: Users have 20 GB of free private space, which you can, for example, use to collaborate on a project with your peers. The space for public files is unlimited. Free accounts on Figshare can upload files of up to 5gb and get 20gb of free storage. It is a “freemium” commercial product.
Publishing with Figshare Plus for Larger Datasets: For larger projects, Figshare Plus is a flexible research repository created specifically to support larger datasets (over the 20GB figshare.com limit, up to many TBs) and larger file sizes together with more metadata, license options, and expert support and review. A “Figshare+” submission has a one-time Data Publishing Charge (DPC) with variable pricing ranging from $395 for 100 GB to $11860 for 5 TB, with higher limits available.
How to Use Figshare: Researchers can use Figshare to share outputs from thesis or dissertation work, including datasets, presentations, posters, and other supplementary material. It is good practice to share any research outputs that might help someone interpret, reproduce, or replicate your research. The platform provides Collections as a way to relate items to each other, offering a way to point to all the outputs associated with a specific paper or project with a single link.
Anonymous Sharing for Peer Review: A feature especially for anonymous peer review is the ability to generate a ‘private sharing link’ for free. This can be sent via email and the recipient can access the data without logging in or having a Figshare account. It is important to note that these links expire after one year however; therefore you should not cite them in publications.
Comprehensive Free Alternatives to Figshare
While Figshare is a popular choice, there are several other reputable, free generalist repositories.
Zenodo Zenodo is a general-purpose open-access repository developed under the European OpenAIRE program and operated by CERN. A non-commercial alternative to figshare is Zenodo. Zenodo is free and has no upper data limits. There is a 50 GB limit per record. It encourages users early on in their research lifecycle to upload their research outputs by allowing them to be private. Once an associated paper is published, datasets are automatically made open.
Dryad Digital Repository Dryad is a curated general-purpose repository that makes data discoverable, freely reusable, and citable. Dryad is a non-profit repository for research data sets in any field that correspond to findings published in a paper. Cost is a basic Data Publishing Charge (DPC) of $120 per submission, which covers up to 50 GB. It also allows you to make your data temporarily “private for peer review”.
Open Science Framework (OSF) OSF is a free, open-source research management and collaboration tool designed to help researchers document their project’s lifecycle and archive materials. It is built and maintained by the nonprofit Center for Open Science. OSF is more than a data archive. It is an entire ecosystem for managing data and related artifacts throughout the data life cycle. It is free, but has relatively small included storage. Private projects are limited to 5 GB and open projects are allowed 50 GB.
Harvard Dataverse Harvard Dataverse is an online data repository where scientists can preserve, share, cite and explore research data. It is open to all scientific data from all disciplines worldwide. The cost is free with up to 2.5 GB per file and 1 TB per researcher (may be increased on request).
Mendeley Data Mendeley Data is an open research data repository, where researchers can store and share their data. Datasets can be shared privately between individuals, as well as publicly with the world. Researchers can upload and store their work free of cost on Mendeley Data.
Comparison of Generalist Repository Features
| Repository |
Cost |
Limits |
Sustainability Plan |
| Harvard Dataverse |
free |
up to 1 TB per researcher, 2.5 GB per file |
“permanent” (by Harvard) |
| Dryad |
$120 DPC up to 50 GB, $50 per additional 10 GB |
300 GB per data publication or more |
indefinite, “reasonable effort to move” if closed |
| Figshare |
free up to 20 GB, sliding DPC for higher limits |
up to 5 TB per file |
legal minimum of 10 years, aims for indefinite |
| Open Science Framework (OSF) |
free |
up to 50 GB for open data, linked external storage for more |
preservation fund for 50+ years after closing at current costs |
| Zenodo |
free |
no upper limit, 50 GB per record |
lifetime of CERN (at least 20 years) |
Selecting the Right Repository for Your Work
First we recommend speaking to your institutional librarian, funder or colleagues at your institution for guidance on choosing a repository that is relevant to your discipline. You can also use FAIRsharing and re3data.org to search for a suitable repository – both provide a list of certified data repositories. The Registry of Research Data Repositories (re3data) is a searchable listing of data repositories worldwide. Use it to identify data repositories serving your discipline and their policies regarding open access and data citations.
We encourage authors to select a data repository that issues a persistent identifier, preferably a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and has established a robust preservation plan to ensure the data is preserved in perpetuity.
References:
- Teamscope. “6 repositories to share your research data.” Teamscope App, 20 Aug. 2019.
- Figshare. “Figshare Plus User Guide.” Figshare Info.
- New York Institute of Technology Libraries. “Platforms – Open Access.” LibGuides.
- ScienceOpen. “ScienceOpen.” ScienceOpen.com.
- Clemens, Anna. “13 Open Science Tools for Publishing.” annaclemens.com.
- Adelphi University Libraries. “Open tools and platforms – Scholarly Publishing.” LibGuides, 8 Jan. 2026.
- Maynooth University Library. “Open Access Publishing, Platforms and Community.” LibGuides.
- Vanderbilt Libraries. “Data repositories | Digital Education Resources.” Vanderbilt Libraries Digital Lab, 12 Oct. 2022.
- Figshare. “How to use Figshare for thesis and dissertation outputs.” Figshare Info.
- Taylor & Francis Author Services. “Understanding and using data repositories.” Taylor & Francis.