The 5 best NAS operating systems

by
url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url

Key findings

  • TrueNAS Core is stable but may not get many new features as iXsystems focuses resources on other operating systems like Scale.
  • Debian-based distributions with SnapRAID and MergerFS offer Linux enthusiasts a powerful NAS setup to protect against data loss.
  • While Unraid is paid, it offers easy setup and thousands of apps and plugins, making it a feature-rich NAS OS option.



Whether you're a data collector, a movie lover, or simply a cautious user who wants to keep important files safe, a home-built Network Attached Storage system can be a valuable addition to your computing environment. Let's say you've built an impressive NAS using the most impressive hardware money can buy. But before you can start transferring files to the storage device, you'll need to install an operating system that meets your specific needs.

A person holds a hard drive in front of a monitor displaying the TrueNAS Scale web interface.

Related

10 tips and tricks every TrueNAS user should know

iXsystem's TrueNAS range combines well with self-assembled NAS devices. Here are ten tips to help you get the most out of these operating systems

It turns out that there are quite a few operating systems designed for NAS systems, so we've compiled a list of the best operating systems worth checking out for any aspiring NAS enthusiast.


5 TrueNAS Core

A stable operating system that is perfect for archiving data


If you've spent any time looking at NAS devices, you might have heard of TrueNAS's line of operating systems. Core is the older sibling of the TrueNAS family, and one of its features is its superior stability. However, there are several reasons why it's at the bottom of the list.

Aside from lackluster performance under heavy virtualization loads, there aren't many new features being added to TrueNAS Core in the future. That's because parent company iXsystems has put most of its resources into developing Scale and put Core into the maintenance phase where it receives bug fixes once in a blue moon. Despite that, it's undoubtedly an amazing operating system that can meet your storage needs for years to come and is great for users who want a crash-free experience above all else.


4 Debian-based distributions with SnapRAID and MergerFS

If you don't want to lose access to your favorite desktop operating system

Orange Pi Debian Terminal

For Linux enthusiasts, it's entirely possible to turn your Penguin PC into a powerful NAS without sacrificing much performance from the underlying operating system. For an extremely simple setup, all you need to do is configure a few file sharing protocols like SMB and NFS, then modify the network rules to allow other devices on your home network to access the data stored on the PC.

However, you can increase the usefulness of this project even further by installing MergerFS. This handy package can combine multiple drives and provide a common mount point for all your storage needs. If you are concerned about data loss due to drive failure, you can set up SnapRAID to provide an additional layer of backup to your arrays.


3 Lift

Expensive but full of features

While the rest of the operating systems on this list are free to use, Unraid is a bit of an outlier with its mandatory paid license. However, if you're willing to spend a little more money on Unraid, you'll get an amazing NAS operating system that's easy to set up and just as easy to use.

Compared to everything we've covered so far, setting up an array in Unraid is a breeze, and you can start sharing all your important files within minutes of installing the operating system on a USB drive. Not only does Unraid allow you to create Docker containers, but it also provides access to thousands of apps and plugins, from encryption programs and AI tools to security services and game servers.


Ideal for low-end systems

Subscribe

OpenMediaVault is typically used with SBCs, mini PCs, old laptops, and devices that are starting to lose performance. It's a free operating system that can turn any underpowered machine into a usable NAS. But don't let the incredibly low hardware requirements fool you; OMV is one of the most feature-packed operating systems on this list.

Since OMV can be installed on top of an existing distribution, one could argue that it is more of a software package than an actual operating system. However, since its ISO can be flashed to a USB drive and installed on bare hardware, we have considered it an operating system in this article.


Not only does OpenMediaVault support Btrfs, Ext4, F2FS, JFS, and a variety of other file systems, but it can even run everyone's favorite ZFS using external plugins. What's more, it even supports Docker containers, so you can run a handful of apps on OMV in addition to using the underlying hardware as a NAS.

1 TrueNAS Scale

Despite being free to use, it is perfect for most users

If we thoroughly compare TrueNAS Scale and all the other options on this list, iXsystem's masterpiece won't always come out on top. However, it is the most popular NAS operating system and thousands of data collectors and home server users rely on the operating system for their complex storage configurations.


A person holds a hard drive and an SSD in front of a monitor displaying the TrueNAS Scale and Unraid web user interfaces.

Related

Unraid vs. TrueNAS Scale: Which NAS operating system is best?

How does the premium NAS operating system compare to the extremely popular storage server operating system?

I admit, Scale has a difficult learning curve and navigating through tons of menus just to enable a simple network share can be overwhelming for any beginner. But TrueNAS Scale is not only faster than anything else we've covered so far, it also offers top performance in virtualization tasks. What's more, it's backed by a huge community and even supports multiple RAID specifications so you can create the perfect array to meet all your mirroring, parity, and striping needs.

Any device can be turned into a NAS with enough effort

Although we have only highlighted five operating systems in this list, there are just as many other operating systems that can satisfy your NAS desire. For example, if you are not a fan of flashing new operating systems, you can even use Windows 11 as a makeshift NAS. Although it is not very secure and has a high performance overhead, your Windows machine should not have too much trouble with non-intensive NAS workloads.


If you're up to the challenge, you can even build a low-power NAS out of an old Android smartphone. Or you can go to the other end of the spectrum and turn your Proxmox home server into a full-fledged storage server.

Leave a Comment