The LTO Ultrium roadmap
Since the first LTO drives shipped in 2000, each LTO generation has increased capacity and performance on a published roadmap — giving organisations confidence that LTO tape storage will keep scaling. The roadmap is governed by the LTO Program’s technology provider companies: HPE, IBM and Quantum.
| Generation | Native capacity | Compressed | Launched | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTO-1 | 100 GB | 200 GB | 2000 | Available |
| LTO-2 | 200 GB | 400 GB | 2003 | Available |
| LTO-3 | 400 GB | 800 GB | 2005 | Available |
| LTO-4 | 800 GB | 1.6 TB | 2007 | Available |
| LTO-5 | 1.5 TB | 3 TB | 2010 | Available |
| LTO-6 | 2.5 TB | 6.25 TB | 2012 | Available |
| LTO-7 | 6 TB | 15 TB | 2015 | Available |
| LTO-8 | 12 TB | 30 TB | 2017 | Available |
| LTO-9 | 18 TB | 45 TB | 2021 | Available |
| LTO-10 | 30 TB / 40 TB | 75 TB / 100 TB | 2025 | Available |
| LTO-11 | 70 TB | 175 TB | — | Roadmap |
| LTO-12 | 120 TB | 300 TB | — | Roadmap |
| LTO-13 | 210 TB | 525 TB | — | Roadmap |
| LTO-14 | 365 TB | 913 TB | — | Roadmap |
Future generations reflect the LTO Program roadmap as revised in November 2025; roadmap figures are targets and subject to change.
LTO-10 and the 40 TB cartridge
LTO-10 launched with a 30 TB native cartridge. In November 2025 the LTO Program announced a 40 TB native (100 TB compressed) LTO-10 cartridge using a thinner Aramid base film, designed for the same LTO-10 drives. At the same time the roadmap for future generations was revised, with LTO-14 now targeting 365 TB native.
What the roadmap means for you
- Plan migrations — media lasts up to 30 years, but drives are typically supported for a few generations. Plan to migrate archives every two or three generations.
- Check compatibility — LTO-9 reads/writes one generation back; LTO-10 reads and writes LTO-10 only.
- Buy libraries that scale — partitioned libraries let you add new-generation drives alongside old ones.
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