LTO-10 at a glance
- Two cartridges: 30TB native (75TB compressed) and 40TB native (100TB compressed)
- 400MB/s native transfer rate per drive
- Both cartridge types work in the same LTO-10 drive
- No backward compatibility: LTO-10 drives cannot read or write LTO-9 or older tapes
- No cartridge pre-initialisation needed (unlike LTO-9 media optimisation)
- AES-256 encryption, WORM, partitioning and LTFS supported
LTO-10 tape for backup and archive
LTO-10 is the tenth generation of LTO Ultrium tape and the biggest capacity jump the format has made. The standard LTO-10 cartridge stores 30TB natively, and the 40TB LTO-10 cartridge announced by the LTO Program in November 2025 raises that to 40TB native (up to 100TB compressed). Both use the same LTO-10 drive, so you can mix them in the same library.
That density makes LTO-10 the natural choice for new backup and archive installations with large or fast-growing data sets: video and media libraries, research and genomics data, CCTV and body-worn video, AI training sets and multi-petabyte backup repositories. Fewer cartridges means fewer library slots, less handling and a lower cost per terabyte stored.
LTO-10 specifications
*Compressed transfer rate depends on drive interface and data compressibility. See the full LTO-10 specifications.
30TB or 40TB LTO-10 cartridge?
LTO-10 30TB
The standard LTO-10 cartridge, available from all major brands since 2025. It is the right choice for most backup rotations and archives, and the one most library vendors have qualified first.
LTO-10 40TB New
Uses a longer tape on an advanced Aramid base film for 33% more capacity in the same slot. It works in existing LTO-10 drives. Check that your library and backup software have qualified it before you standardise on it. We can confirm this for your setup.
LTO-10 compatibility: plan your migration
This is the most important thing to understand before you buy. LTO-10 drives do not read or write any earlier LTO generation. The LTO Program dropped backward compatibility so that the new head design and media could deliver the capacity jump.
If you have LTO-8 or LTO-9 tapes you still need to restore from, you have two options:
- Keep an LTO-9 drive in service (standalone or in a library partition) for restores, and write all new data to LTO-10.
- Migrate the older archive onto LTO-10 media. Most backup and archive applications can copy tape-to-tape within a library.
Not sure which is right for you? Read LTO-9 vs LTO-10 or ask us to look at your setup.
LTFS with LTO-10
LTO-10 supports the Linear Tape File System, so a cartridge can be mounted and browsed like a very large removable drive. You can drag and drop files with no backup software, which makes it easy to send tens of terabytes of footage or research data to another site.
Buying LTO-10 tapes from us
We supply LTO-10 cartridges from Fujifilm, HPE, IBM and Quantum, from 5-packs to thousands of units. On orders of 20 or more we can supply pre-printed barcode labels in the right sequence for your library. Library packs are also available.
All LTO media carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Fujifilm also offers a data recovery service if a media fault causes data loss, provided the cartridge has been used and stored correctly.
| Brand | LTO-10 30TB part no. | LTO-10 40TB part no. |
|---|---|---|
| Fujifilm | 16944686 | 16978170 |
| HPE | Q2080A | Q2081A |
| IBM | 03PL170 | Ask us |
| Quantum | MR-L10MQN-01 | Ask us |
Choose your brand and quantities in the tape configurator, or call us to check stock and library compatibility.
LTO-10 FAQ
How much data does an LTO-10 tape hold?
The standard LTO-10 cartridge holds 30TB native, or up to 75TB with 2.5:1 compression. The 40TB LTO-10 cartridge holds 40TB native, or up to 100TB compressed.
Can I use LTO-10 40TB tapes in my LTO-10 drive?
Yes. The LTO Program designed the 40TB cartridge to work in the same LTO-10 drives as the 30TB cartridge. Your drive or library may need a firmware update, and your library and backup software vendors should have qualified the media.
Will an LTO-10 drive read my LTO-9 tapes?
No. LTO-10 has no backward read or write compatibility. Keep an LTO-9 drive available, or migrate the data to LTO-10.
Do LTO-10 cartridges need initialising like LTO-9?
No. LTO-9 cartridges go through a one-off media optimisation the first time they are loaded. LTO-10’s new head design removes that step, so new cartridges are ready to write straight away.