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TrueNAS

TrueNAS

Overview

What is TrueNAS?

TrueNAS is a network-attached storage featuring all-flash and hybrid storage editions, from iXsystems headquartered in San Jose.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

TrueNAS has been widely praised by users for its intuitive interface and versatility in various use cases. Users have found it easy to …
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TrueNAS Review

10 out of 10
September 15, 2022
I've been using TrueNAS for about 5 years now, mostly in lab environments. It's been running solid for those 3 years, through …
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Awards

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Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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What is TrueNAS?

TrueNAS is a network-attached storage featuring all-flash and hybrid storage editions, from iXsystems headquartered in San Jose.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Details

What is TrueNAS?

TrueNAS is a universal data platform that enables users to adopt a modern, open-source approach to store and protect their growing data. TrueNAS harnesses the ZFS file system to provide unified storage (File, Block Object, and Apps) with the reliability and performance demanded by virtualization, backup, and many other data-heavy workloads. The TrueNAS CORE edition (formerly FreeNAS) is based on FreeBSD for unified scale-up storage. The TrueNAS SCALE edition is based on Debian Linux for either scale-up or scale-out solutions and offers Linux Containers, VMs (KVM), and scale-out ZFS storage capabilities. Both versions are free to use and work well on a variety of hardware.

TrueNAS Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

TrueNAS is a network-attached storage featuring all-flash and hybrid storage editions, from iXsystems headquartered in San Jose.

TrueNAS starts at $0.

Synology DiskStation, Dell PowerScale, and HPE StoreEasy 1000 Storage are common alternatives for TrueNAS.

The most common users of TrueNAS are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(47)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

TrueNAS has been widely praised by users for its intuitive interface and versatility in various use cases. Users have found it easy to spin up virtual machines, conduct testing, and sandboxing. It is also commonly used for setting up a Plex media server and storing documents, downloads, and media backups. The integration of TrueNAS with security protocols like ActiveDirectory, LDAP, and Kerberos networks ensures file and folder-level security. Additionally, the ZFS Filesystem in TrueNAS provides data safety in the event of hard drive failure. Its compatibility with UPS allows for power outage notifications. TrueNAS is also utilized for home security camera monitoring and recording through ZoneMinder instances. Users have reported using TrueNAS in professional environments for long-term file storage and spinning up virtual machines for testing purposes. Furthermore, in the video production industry, TrueNAS plays a crucial role in storing camera data and referencing it during edits. Educational institutions rely on TrueNAS as part of their core criteria for Networking and SMB solutions. Organizations choose TrueNAS as their main on-premises storage solution, particularly for photo and video media storage. With features like SSD-based caching, a 10GB Ethernet port, and expandable network connectivity, TrueNAS offers speed and cost-effectiveness. It is frequently used as an iSCSI Datastore in VMware for primary NAS/iSCSI servers and nightly backups of VMs. Home users benefit from using TrueNAS Core as their business data management tool or home media server due to its simplicity and reliability. TrueNAS is often implemented as a backup/sync server, replacing tape backup systems to enable snapshots and reduce file recovery time. Integration with Nextcloud makes it scalable for file sharing, collaboration, and cost reduction purposes. In server set-ups, TrueNAS serves as a SAN providing simplicity of management, high availability configuration, and excellent support. Its fast performance and power make it ideal for mission-critical backups. Users prefer TrueNAS over Docker containers or virtual machines for its efficiency in managing, storing, and sharing data. It is especially recommended as an inexpensive enterprise-grade storage option for low-cost high-performance NAS systems. TrueNAS Scale, whether installed on a Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation Pro or on dedicated hardware, offers a solid software and user experience. Users have found it easy to install and appreciate its good performance and various applications for advanced testing. For those requiring fast and robust performance in primary data centers, the all-flash devices like TrueNAS M40 are the preferred choice. Lastly, users have had positive experiences with the salespeople and support teams from iX Systems, the parent company of TrueNAS. This level of satisfaction with both the product and the company further demonstrates the trust and reliability that users have in TrueNAS.

Overall, TrueNAS has proven to be a highly versatile and user-friendly solution for a wide range of use cases. Whether it's for personal media storage, professional file management, virtual machine deployment, or data backup, TrueNAS provides the necessary features and performance to meet the needs of its users. The ability to integrate with various security protocols, collaborate through Nextcloud, and serve as a reliable SAN or backup server makes it a valuable choice for businesses and organizations of all sizes. With its affordability, speed, scalability, and excellent customer support, TrueNAS continues to be a preferred storage solution for many users across different industries.

Robust and Reliable File System: Many users have praised the ZFS file system in TrueNAS for its robustness and reliability, providing them with peace of mind for their storage needs.

Seamless Integration with Mac and Linux Machines: Several reviewers have appreciated the seamless integration of TrueNAS with Mac and Linux machines. This integration allows for easy sharing of data through protocols like SMB and NFS, enhancing collaboration among different operating systems.

Flexibility and Stability of Software RAID: The flexibility and stability of the software RAID in TrueNAS has impressed many users. They have highlighted how it allows for customizable storage configurations, providing them with a reliable solution for their specific needs.

Confusing User Interface: Some users have reported that they find the user interface of TrueNAS to be confusing and not intuitive, which can make it challenging to configure and perform tasks efficiently. This issue has been mentioned by multiple reviewers, highlighting the need for improvements in terms of usability and navigation.

Challenging Initial Installation Process: The initial installation process has been described as quite challenging by some users, requiring significant effort and time. Several reviewers have expressed their difficulties during the installation phase, suggesting that a more streamlined and user-friendly approach would greatly enhance the overall experience.

Lack of Certain Functionalities: Users have expressed their desire for additional functionalities within TrueNAS. Specifically, there are requests for better VNC support for VMs and Jails, improved DLNA services for seamless video asset serving, and increased plugin integrations. These suggestions indicate that there is room for enhancement in these areas to meet the diverse needs of users effectively.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-6 of 6)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Jesse Furr | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I have run TrueNAS Core on small desktops to enterprise servers, in a home environment to an enterprise datacenter. Obviously better performance on the enterprise hardware, but even the small desktop deployments weren't slow.
  • Runs on anything
  • Reliable on reliable hardware
  • Lots of ways to connect
  • Maybe too steep of a learning curve for Joe User
  • UI not as slick as Synology yet
  • No tiering storage levels yet (hot, cold tiers)
I have run TrueNAS Core on small desktops to enterprise servers, in a home environment to an enterprise datacenter. Obviously better performance on the enterprise hardware, but even the small desktop deployments weren't slow. The expandability through jails is a really nice feature, to be able to add on Plex, Nextcloud, etc. with just a few clicks is very attractive.
August 09, 2022

Amazing NAS

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Currently, we are using TrueNAS as a backup/sync server for our fileserver which replaces the HP tape backup. By doing so we can do snapshots and reduce file recovery time. My next step is to move our fileserver from windows to a second TrueNAS which will be integrated into our Windows AD domain.
  • ZFS filesystem rocks.
  • iSCSI (Internet Small Computer Systems Interface).
  • OS updates.
  • Clean user interface.
  • Snapshots.
Good ISCSI, backup, and storage server. Windows is better at file-level permission control.
Brett Rutherford | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I currently do not have any production workloads deployed with TrueNAS, however, I do use it as the storage backend for my Homelab cluster, and the performance, the ease of configuration, and the straightforward configuration wizards make this product a solid reliable option in low-cost high-performance NAS systems -- and I would highly recommend that anyone looking for inexpensive enterprise-grade storage in a small form factor turn to one of these devices. Disclaimer: I have the TrueNAS scale product installed on a Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation Pro - but the solid software and user experience have me excited to save up the money to buy an actual piece of TrueNAS hardware.
  • iSCSi
  • ZFS pools
  • Scalable
  • High-performance
  • Networking configuration
  • 3rd party SSL certificate installation and configuration.
  • Sometimes the error messages are less than useful.
Recommendation: IT Shops looking for block and file storage in a small footprint high performance unit - at a REASONABLE price. I won't go as far as to say "inexpensive" -- but "reasonably priced" -- If you're looking for drag and drop point and click configuration there are significantly more user-friendly alternatives out there. This product definitely requires a bit of nerd feng shui, IYKYK.
Bruno Carvalho | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
TrueNAS has brought its experience to storage technology. We used it in the past as a simple NAS system. But today we are planning on our project to use it as a SAN for all our servers. The flip-over was done because of its simplicity of management, the easiness to configure high availability, and the support excellence that is provided to us. We consider TrueNAS an indispensable partner for our daily business.
  • High Availability
  • Storage Management
  • Access Policy Management
  • Detailed Statistics of the Managed Storage
  • Integration with Hyper-V (if it already exists, I didn't found it)
  • A WHMCs module to connect with the API
  • File Change Backup (like do a backup of every file change)
TrueNAS is excellent for many many scenarios. Being used at home for your own personal storage or at the office for centralized storage for all servers. ZFS surely brings an edge turn into the future of what network storage file systems should be. Competitors should take a look at TrueNAS for a model.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
This review is based on my home use of TrueNAS HW and software for my storage needs. TrueNAS has been the primary storage my homelab (VM storage, centralized backup), and a few lightweight services run on the TrueNAS mini XL+. The biggest need was solved throughput for the VM storage (10Gbe and more performant iSCSI implementation).
  • High fault-tolerant storage
  • Supports all major storage protocols
  • Graphic Admin UI provides easy configuration
  • SMB/CIF will mandate Windows DC - my environment centered around OpenLDAP
  • Upgrades/patches tend to have regressions
  • Clearer positioning of TrueNAS Scale
I moved from Synology to TrueNAS and TrueNAS is the better technical product. The Synology wins in the easy for administrators (especially if new) but the TrueNAS UI works well for experienced administrators. The TrueNAS hardware is well engineered and the Mini XL+ is a great choice for the "within the workspace" unit; it's powerful enough to provide storage and some services but quiet enough to be within a few feet.
sandra roberts | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
TrueNas has been the best solution we have experienced in terms of data security,functionality, speed and reliability.in the past we had to run Docker containers or virtual machines which were not very efficient,and we found TrueNas to be the better option.it also enables us manage, store,and share data across the network.
  • Offers excellent data security
  • Encrypted replication
  • Activity tracking
  • We experience difficulties to configure at times.
  • Less up-to-date training available online for customer support.
I would highly recommend this tool to companies searching for efficient solution to replace it's old solutions which keeps on running out of space and offers poor performance.also it enables us to facilitate block,file and application storage in either on premises environments or cloud.moreover,it's easy to control accessibility of data due to its permission management feature.
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