Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Unraid VS TrueNAS

Compare Unraid VS TrueNAS and see what are their differences

Unraid logo Unraid

Simplicity. Flexibility. Scalability. Modularity. Unraid empowers you to build the system you’ve always wanted using your preferred hardware, software, and operating systems.

TrueNAS logo TrueNAS

World’s most deployed storage with >1M deployments worldwide. Trusted by thousands of companies and organizations, including more than 40% of the Fortune 500.
  • Unraid Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26
  • TrueNAS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-15

Unraid features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Unraid offers a user-friendly web-based GUI that makes system management straightforward, even for those without extensive technical knowledge.
  • Extensibility
    Supports a wide range of plugins and Docker containers, allowing users to customize and extend the functionality of their system easily.
  • Scalability
    Allows for easy addition of storage drives to expand capacity without the need for complex setups.
  • Data Protection
    Offers robust data protection through parity-based data redundancy, ensuring that data is not lost even if a drive fails.
  • Virtualization
    Supports running virtual machines, giving users the ability to run different operating systems and applications in isolated environments.
  • Resource Allocation
    Provides advanced options for CPU pinning and RAM allocation to optimize performance for specific applications or virtual machines.

Possible disadvantages of Unraid

  • Cost
    Unraid is not free; it requires a one-time purchase of a license, which can be a drawback for budget-conscious users.
  • Single Parity Drive Limitation
    Standard setups typically use a single parity drive, which may not be sufficient for very large arrays or mission-critical applications that require more robust redundancy.
  • Limited High-Performance Storage Options
    While Unraid supports SSDs, it is primarily designed for large capacity, slower spinning disks, potentially limiting high-performance storage setups.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Though the basic setup is user-friendly, leveraging advanced features like Docker and virtual machines may require a steeper learning curve.
  • No Built-in Backup Solution
    Unraid does not come with a native backup solution; users must configure third-party tools for backup, adding complexity to the setup.

TrueNAS features and specs

  • Open Source
    TrueNAS is open source, making it free to use and allowing community contributions to improve the software. This also means there is a large pool of user-generated discussions and documentation available.
  • ZFS File System
    It utilizes the ZFS file system, renowned for its high data integrity, support for large storage capacities, efficient data compression, and snapshot capabilities.
  • Comprehensive Features
    TrueNAS offers a wide range of features including data protection, virtualization support, snapshot replication, and cloud sync to various cloud services.
  • Scalability
    The system is highly scalable, suitable for both small home setups and large enterprises. Users can start small and add more drives or expand storage as needed.
  • Active Community and Support
    TrueNAS has a strong user and developer community, along with professional support options from iXsystems, providing ample resources for troubleshooting and deployment.

Possible disadvantages of TrueNAS

  • Hardware Compatibility
    TrueNAS requires specific hardware configurations to run efficiently, which can be a limitation for those with existing hardware that is not compatible.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The system can be complex to set up and manage for users who are not familiar with network-attached storage systems or the nuances of the ZFS file system.
  • Resource Intensive
    TrueNAS can be resource-intensive, requiring ample memory and CPU power, especially when using features like virtualization or heavy deduplication.
  • Limited GUI Options
    While the web interface covers most user needs, some advanced configurations and troubleshooting still require command-line access, which might be challenging for less experienced users.
  • License Restrictions on TrueNAS Enterprise
    TrueNAS Enterprise has certain feature sets that are locked behind a paid license, which might not be ideal for all users looking for a complete free solution.

Analysis of Unraid

Overall verdict

  • Unraid is a robust and versatile network-attached storage (NAS) solution that is highly regarded by both beginners and advanced users. Its flexibility in storage configuration and strong community support make it a good choice for many use cases.

Why this product is good

  • Unraid is appreciated for its flexible storage management, allowing users to mix and match drives of different sizes and types. It provides a user-friendly interface suitable for beginners, while also offering advanced features for experienced users. Unraid supports virtualization, making it possible to run multiple virtual machines on the same hardware, and has a strong community support system with numerous plugins and Docker container options available.

Recommended for

  • Home media servers
  • Small business data storage
  • Tech enthusiasts looking for customizable solutions
  • Users needing virtualization capabilities
  • People interested in maximizing storage capacity efficiently

Unraid videos

8 months on unRAID

More videos:

  • Review - unRaid - One Year Later - My Thoughts
  • Review - Freenas vs Unraid vs Openmediavault : Best Nas Software 2019

TrueNAS videos

TrueNAS - Should You Use It?

More videos:

  • Review - TrueNAS CORE 12 Overview (Formerly FreeNAS)
  • Review - TrueNAS Software Review - Time To Go Open Source?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unraid and TrueNAS)
Cloud Computing
84 84%
16% 16
Cloud Storage
88 88%
12% 12
Storage
86 86%
14% 14
Backup & Sync
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Unraid and TrueNAS

Unraid Reviews

9 Of The Best FreeNAS Alternatives For Your Storage Needs
You can use the free 30-day trial version to see if Unraid is suitable for your hardware. You will experience full functionality in the trial version without any storage device limit. However, you will require an internet connection for the trial versions.
Top 7 FreeNas Alternative For Your PC
unRaid is software made to transform any computer into a NAS server. An easy to use processor clocked at 1GHz with 512MB RAM does all the tricks. In simple terms, the motherboard must provide the possibility to boot on a USB key. It doesn’t need installing disks of the same capacity. Hence, you can try the free sector repair solution if your disk isn’t working.
Top 15 Best TrueNAS Alternatives In 2022
Network-attached storage systems, UnRAID application servers, and UnRAID virtualization hosts make up the bulk of UnRAID’s offerings.

TrueNAS Reviews

We have no reviews of TrueNAS yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Unraid should be more popular than TrueNAS. It has been mentiond 13 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Unraid mentions (13)

  • what are your digital decluttering routines?
    Really: I've got a Synology 10-disk unit in JBOD mode (each drive independent, but see SnapRaid) containing backup of backups and recent set of 4x 14TB unopened drives. I'm working at building a new UnRaid system to contain everything; I just need to confirm the power supply max load and if I can stagger the drives to avoid the maximum inrush. RAID5 is great (but Is Not A Backup), UnRaid is a "daily" RAID5... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Build upgrade - OS advice
    As an example, I have qemu+kvm host running my VMs (NAS, plex, Nextcloud etc.). As for NAS OS, TrueNAS is a great options. With different drive size you can consider UnRAID. It allows to pool drives of a different size. https://unraid.net/product. Source: over 2 years ago
  • my first NAS. need some input on what to buy. synology?
    You can turn a PC case into a NAS with NAS OS like openmediavault (https://www.openmediavault.org/), unraid (https://unraid.net/product), or TrueNAS Core (https://www.truenas.com/docs/core/gettingstarted/corehardwareguide/). They require +8 GB RAM (Unraid system requirements say 4 and OMV is ok with +1GB RAM). To start, I'd go with openmediavault. If you need it to be windows, say, using for anything else, you can... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Low cost storage server - is there a need?
    Take a look at using unraid as a backup server. https://unraid.net/product. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Homelab iSCSI Resizable Storage
    In case you are interested in software options. UnRAID is a nice option. Https://unraid.net/product. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

TrueNAS mentions (2)

  • truenas gave me a virus?
    I downloaded truenas from truenas.com and my windows defender said it was a trojan virus. I am confused? Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Sanity check please.
    I would use HP Elitedesk 800 G2 as the centralized storage server. I am a big fan of separating services. You can either keep Proxmox there and drop the NAS application as the VM or bare-metal installation. Take a look at something like TrueNAS (truenas.com/) or Starwinds SAN and NAS (https://www.starwindsoftware.com/free-san-and-nas) for such purposes (main storage, camera storage, backup). In addition to that, I... Source: over 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Unraid and TrueNAS, you can also consider the following products

TrueNAS Core - TrueNAS Core (formerly FreeNAS) is a storage operating system strong and robust enough to meet the needs of enterprise level businesses.

OpenMediaVault - OpenMediaVault is the next generation network attached storage (NAS) solution based on Debian Linux.

XigmaNAS - File Sharing, OS & Utilities, and Security & Privacy

Amahi - Amahi is a media, home and app server software known for its easy-to-use user interface. Amahi has the best media, backup and web apps for small networks.

Rockstor - Rockstor is a free and open source NAS (Network Attached Storage) operating system.

EasyNAS - EasyNAS is a storage management system for home or small office.