Best Free Network Attached Storage (NAS) Software

TrueNAS is the world's most deployed storage software. TrueNAS is a universal data platform that allows users to easily adopt a modern, open source approach to storing and protecting their growing data. TrueNAS is open source and harnesses the power of the legendary 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 are known to work well on standard hardware. Join the millions already using TrueNAS, including the majority of Fortune 500 companies, and experience why TrueNAS is very highly rated for yourself.

Without a file system, information placed in a storage medium would be one large body of data with no way to tell where one piece of information stops and the next begins. By separating the data into pieces and giving each piece a name, the information is easily isolated and identified. Taking its name from the way paper-based information systems are named, each group of data is called a “file”. The structure and logic rules used to manage the groups of information and their names is called a “file system”. Network-attached storage (NAS) is a file-level computer data storage server connected to a computer network providing data access to a heterogeneous group of clients. NAS is specialised for serving files either by its hardware, software, or configuration. It is often manufactured as a computer appliance – a purpose-built specialised computer.

The XigmaNAS operating system can be installed on virtually any hardware platform to share computer data storage over a computer network. ‘NAS’ means “Network-Attached Storage”. XigmaNAS is the simplest and fastest way to create a centralized and easily-accessible server for all kinds of data easily accessed with all kinds of network protocols and from any network. XigmaNAS supports sharing across Windows, Apple, and UNIX-like systems. It includes ZFS v5000 , Software RAID (0,1,5), disk encryption, S.M.A.R.T / email reports etc. with the following protocols: CIFS/SMB (Samba), Active Directory Domain Controller (Samba), FTP, NFS, TFTP, AFP, RSYNC, Unison, iSCSI (initiator and target), HAST, CARP, Bridge, UPnP, and Bittorent which is all highly configurable by its WEB interface. XigmaNAS can be installed on Compact Flash/USB-key/SSD Drive, Hard disk or booted from a LiveCD/LiveUSB with a small usb-key/floppy drive for it’s configuration storage.

An easy to use file server that combines Windows-compatible network file sharing with a web based file manager. TurnKey File Server includes support for SMB, SFTP, NFS, WebDAV and rsync file transfer protocols. The server is configured to allow server users to manage files in private or public storage. Based on Samba and WebDAV CGI. An easy to use file server that combines Windows-compatible network file sharing with a web based file manager. TurnKey File Server includes support for SMB, SFTP, NFS, WebDAV and rsync file transfer protocols. The server is configured to allow server users to manage files in private or public storage. Based on Samba and SambaDAV.

MayaNAS Cloud is a full featured enterprise-grade software defined storage solution that provides high-performance, high-throughput file storage on standard object storage (S3) without any additional resources. It is fully software-defined with support for file storage over NFS, SMB-AD and robust block services through NVMeoF, iSCSI and FC interconnect. Features: 2-node High-Availability, compression, thin-provisioning, unlimited policy driven snapshots and continuous replication. MayaNAS is readily available as marketplace solution on major public clouds AWS, GCP and Azure. It is also available as ISO image for bare metal installation on-prem.