# Tiered Storage Versions > For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [cloud-data-platform-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform-full.txt) --- title: Tiered Storage Versions latest-operator-version: v26.2.4 latest-console-tag: v3.12.0 latest-connect-version: 4.113.0 latest-redpanda-tag: v26.2.4 docname: tiered-storage-versions page-component-name: cloud-data-platform page-version: master page-component-version: master page-component-title: Cloud page-relative-src-path: tiered-storage-versions.adoc page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/cloud-docs/edit/main/modules/manage/pages/tiered-storage-versions.adoc description: Compare Tiered Storage v1 and v2, and select the version for new topics in your Redpanda Cloud cluster. page-topic-type: concept page-git-created-date: "2026-09-04" page-git-modified-date: "2026-09-04" --- Tiered Storage moves topic data from brokers to object storage, and Redpanda Cloud enables it by default. Tiered Storage v2 is in beta and is rolling out progressively across Redpanda Cloud. It is available on BYOC and Dedicated clusters running Redpanda 26.2 or later. Serverless clusters use Tiered Storage v1. Choose Tiered Storage v2 for new compacted topics that must not accumulate stale values or tombstones in object storage. Starting in Redpanda v26.2, Tiered Storage is available in two versions: - Tiered Storage v1 (`tiered_v1`) is the original implementation and remains the default. - Tiered Storage v2 (`tiered_v2`) (beta) is a new implementation that adds full compaction support, including tombstone removal, for topics stored in object storage. > ❗ **IMPORTANT** > > Tiered Storage v2 is a beta feature. It is not supported for production deployments. Beta features are available for users to test and [provide feedback](https://redpandacommunity.slack.com/). You enable both versions the same way, by setting `redpanda.storage.mode=tiered` on a topic, and the storage mode of a topic displays as `tiered` for both. The version used by each topic is reported by the read-only `redpanda.storage.mode.impl` topic property. ## [](#differences-between-tiered-storage-v1-and-v2)Differences between Tiered Storage v1 and v2 The two versions differ in how they compact topics with a `compact` cleanup policy: | | Tiered Storage v1 | Tiered Storage v2 | | --- | --- | --- | | Compacted data | Compaction runs on local data only. Data that has already been uploaded to object storage is not compacted, so duplicate keys can remain in object storage indefinitely. | Compaction runs on the data in object storage, so the entire partition is compacted. | | Compaction window | Compaction is limited to a small window of data, and only duplicate keys that fall within the same window are removed. | Full compaction: eventually only the latest value for each key is retained across the entire partition. | | Tombstone removal | Not supported. Tombstone records are not removed by compaction. | Supported. Tombstone records are removed after the retention period configured by delete.retention.ms. | ## [](#select-a-tiered-storage-version)Select a Tiered Storage version The `tiered` value of the `redpanda.storage.mode` topic property is an alias. When a topic is created, it resolves to the version selected by the `[default_redpanda_storage_mode_tiered_impl](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/reference/properties/object-storage-properties/#default_redpanda_storage_mode_tiered_impl)` cluster property, which defaults to `tiered_v1`. To make all new `tiered` topics use Tiered Storage v2: ```bash rpk cluster config set default_redpanda_storage_mode_tiered_impl=tiered_v2 ``` Changing this property doesn’t require a cluster restart. You can set cluster properties with rpk or the Cloud API. For details, see [Configure Cluster Properties](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/manage/cluster-maintenance/config-cluster/). To select the version explicitly for a single topic, regardless of the cluster-wide default, set both the `redpanda.storage.mode` and `redpanda.storage.mode.impl` properties when you create the topic: ```bash rpk topic create -c redpanda.storage.mode=tiered -c redpanda.storage.mode.impl=tiered_v2 ``` The two values must agree: both `tiered_v1` and `tiered_v2` correspond to the `tiered` storage mode. You can set `redpanda.storage.mode.impl` on its own only when it matches the version selected by the cluster default. To check which version an existing topic uses, run `rpk topic describe `. The `redpanda.storage.mode` property displays `tiered` for both versions, and the `redpanda.storage.mode.impl` property reports `tiered_v1` or `tiered_v2`. ## [](#tiered-storage-v2-restrictions)Tiered Storage v2 restrictions - Tiered Storage v2 requires a BYOC or Dedicated cluster running Redpanda v26.2 or later. - Upgrading a cluster never changes the version of existing topics. Changing `default_redpanda_storage_mode_tiered_impl` affects only topics created after the change. - A topic cannot be converted between Tiered Storage v1 and v2. The `redpanda.storage.mode.impl` property is read-only and can be set only when the topic is created. ## [](#next-steps)Next steps - [Choose a storage mode](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/develop/topics/config-topics/#choose-a-storage-mode) - [Configure Cluster Properties](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/manage/cluster-maintenance/config-cluster/)