# NAS Platform Comparison

| Feature | TrueNAS | Unraid | Synology (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free (CORE/SCALE) | $59–$129 license | Hardware + DSM included |
| OS Base | FreeBSD (CORE) / Linux (SCALE) | Linux (Slackware) | Linux (DSM) |
| File System | ZFS | XFS/Btrfs per disk, custom parity | Btrfs / ext4 |
| RAID Approach | ZFS pools (raidz1/2/3, mirror) | Custom parity (mixed disk sizes OK) | Standard RAID + SHR |
| Drive Flexibility | All drives in vdev must match | Mix any sizes, add one at a time | Must match within RAID group |
| Data Protection | ZFS checksums, scrubs, snapshots | Single/dual parity, no checksums on data | Btrfs checksums (if Btrfs), snapshots |
| VM Support | Yes (bhyve/KVM) | Yes (KVM, well-integrated) | Yes (Virtual Machine Manager) |
| Docker/Containers | Yes (SCALE has native K3s/Docker) | Yes (excellent Docker support) | Yes (Container Manager) |
| App Ecosystem | TrueCharts / built-in apps | Community Apps (large catalog) | Synology Package Center (curated) |
| Hardware | DIY / any x86 | DIY / any x86 | Proprietary appliance |
| Ease of Use | Moderate (more admin knowledge) | Easy (great web UI) | Easiest (polished consumer UX) |
| Performance | High (ZFS ARC caching, ECC RAM rec.) | Good (parity rebuild is slower) | Good for its hardware class |
| Best For | Data integrity, enterprise/homelab | Media server, flexible home storage | Set-and-forget, non-technical users |