TrueNAS

TrueNAS is an operating system based on the OpenZFS file system. There are actually two different versions of TrueNAS: TrueNAS Core and TrueNAS Scale. TrueNAS Core has been available since 2005 (formerly known as FreeNAS) and is based on FreeBSD. TrueNAS Scale was released in 2022 and is based on Debian-Linux. They’re both similar, but different at the same time, so I urge you to learn about their differences if you decide to use TrueNAS. Regardless of which version you use, TrueNAS is open-source and free, unlike Unraid.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyValueLots of features, solidly built but not cheap3.5 / 5DesignUltra compact and passively cooled3.5 / 5FeaturesLimited USB, but it has a PCIe 3.0 4x slot4 / 5SoftwareWorkable NAS OS, or use TrueNAS4 / 5PerformanceDifficult to saturate the LAN using SATA and one PCIe slot3.5 / 5OverallHighly flexible, but silence comes with a cost4 / 5

Without going too far into detail, ECC memory will detect and correct memory errors, while non-ECC memory will not. This is a huge benefit as ECC memory should not write any errors to the disk. Many feel that for ZFS, this is a requirement, and thus view ECC memory as a requirement for TrueNAS Core or TrueNAS Scale. While many view ECC memory as a requirement for TrueNAS, the counterpoint to that argument is that ECC memory will help all filesystems. The question you have to ask yourself (and most likely spend hours researching), is if you need ECC memory for NAS devices. To summarize my thoug

It depends on what you value. After using all three alongside TrueNAS (and also preferring TrueNAS for most), here’s how I’d break it down. If you want the most flexibility and don’t mind paying for a license, go with Unraid. The storage system is forgiving, the Docker support is excellent, and you’ll be up and running quickly. If you want something free, lightweight, and you have spare hardware (or a Raspberry Pi), OpenMediaVault is a great starting point. If you’d rather not build anything and want a polished, supported experience out of the box, Synology is still hard to beat. Just go in kn