Top 5 Free and Open Source NAS Solutions for Linux and Windows
Top 5 Best Open Source NAS Solutions for Linux
FreeNAS / TrueNAS
FreeNAS (or TrueNAS) has gained widespread popularity as an open-source NAS solution since 2005. It is based on the FreeBSD operating system and makes use of an enterprise-ready OpenZFS file system. It features an intuitive web interface and supports easy file sharing, snapshots, and replication. You can install it virtually or on hardware for a centralized data ecosystem. FreeNAS supports all the well-known protocols for file sharing including AFP, SMB/CIFS, and NFS. Moreover, it supports various plugins like Minecraft, Owncloud, etc.
Openmediavault
OpenMediaVault (OMV) is one of the best NAS software for Linux. It is highly suitable for home or small office use cases. It is based on the Debian Linux distro, hence, allowing easy maintenance. It supports all the well-known protocols like (S) FTP, SSH, RSync, and SMB / CIFS. You can easily add plugins for USB backup, UPS, OneDrive, and more. It is lightweight and faster and offers support for RAID and hardware. The GUI enables seamless installation. Extensive documentation is available for first-time users.
Rockstor
The list of Linux-based NAS solutions next features Rockstor which leverages the BTRFS file system. It provides high read-write performance, easy administration, and fault tolerance. Rockstor has a large capacity threshold and supports protocols like AFP, SFTP, UPS, and SNMP. It allows the integration of plugins through Docker. It is well-suited for SMB and personal cloud servers. Rockstor has a secure web GUI, supported by adequate documentation and community support.
Openfiler
Another free and popular NAS software is Openfiler. It is a NAS/SAN distro with valuable features. These include Fibre Channel target support and iSCSI target to enable virtualization. It also provides access to point-in-time snapshots, and RAID software support. It supports standard network protocols and open-source storage monitoring tools. Openfiler offers options in both synchronous or asynchronous modes for replication and volume migration. There is in-built support for virtual machine storage, media streaming, and file sharing, among others.
Amahi
Amahi helps run a feature-rich home server with fewer efforts, thus known as “Home Digital Assistant.” Based on Fedora, it has a modular application architecture. It offers an intuitive graphical web interface. Amahi allows file sharing, secure backups, and disk pooling across multiple drives. It supports integration with iCal and Microsoft Outlook. It enables users to speedily port and installs apps for various use cases. It comes with community support and varied backup options.
Top 5 Best Open Source NAS Solutions for Windows
Firefly Media Server
Firefly Media Server (or mt-daapd) is an open-source and free NAS software for Windows. It uses DAAP (Digital Audio Access Protocol) and RSP (Roku Server Protocol) for serving media files. It features a web-based configuration. It supports WMA, FLAC, AAC, and MP3. Firefly Media server is easy to use and configurable, and supports numerous applications. It works the best with SoundBridge and SoundBridge Radio.
AllMediaServer
A popular option for NAS storage for Windows, AllMediaServer, is easy to set up and operate. You don’t require various add-ons to run it. It enables automated library updates for the files and allows easy searchability. You can use it for storing your media files like photos, videos, and music. When installing AllMediaServer on the system, you must ensure that it is connected to Wifi or local Ethernet. It allows you to view images, watch movies, or listen to music on a wide range of devices. It is DLNA compliant.
LXiMedia
LXI Media Center is a free NAS software with revolutionary features. It delivers DLNA compatibility, and automates and prioritizes backups. Other features include full transcoding, and a media server designed to effortlessly stream the desired media file. These cover TV shows, movies, photos, music, and music to DLNA- supported TV and media players like Xbox 360 and PS3. It also supports choosing the required language and subtitles.
ReadyMedia
ReadyMedia is a lightweight, simple NAS solution. It shows full compliance with DLNA/UPnP-AV clients. Previously known as MiniDLNA, on the network, it serves the media files (such as videos, pictures, and music) to clients. The clients include apps such as Kodi and Totem, and devices like gaming consoles, TV, smartphones, and portable media players. It shows partial support for transcoding. There is no GUI, but it features a web interface through a Webmin module. It optimizes JPEG scaling and shows basic NLS support.
XigmaNAS
Based on a simplified BSD license, XigmaNAS is a top NAS solution. It offers disk drive and volume management. It supports full web management interface control. XigmaNAS allows data sharing with Windows and can share data over any protocol. It incorporates various streaming features to share multimedia with devices on the network. It includes special monitoring features. XigmaNAS is easy to use and offers enhanced fault tolerance
