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Altaro VM Backup vs TrueNAS

Altaro VM Backup logo

Altaro VM Backup

Software

Simple and powerful VM backup for SMBs

From
$595/perpetual
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TrueNAS logo

TrueNAS

Software

Open-source ZFS storage operating system for network-attached storage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TrueNAS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Altaro VM Backup limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers; TrueNAS requires self-hosting on x86 hardware, no managed cloud offering; organisations must provision, configure, and maintain their own infrastructure

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Altaro VM Backup and TrueNAS actually diverge.

Attributes where Altaro VM Backup and TrueNAS differ
AttributeAltaro VM BackupTrueNAS
Starting price$595/perpetualFree
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows ServerSelf-hosted, Linux, Web, API
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Altaro VM Backup

  • Augmented inline dedup
  • WAN-optimized replication
  • Boot from backup
  • Granular restore
  • Cloud management
  • Continuous CDP
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V

Only in TrueNAS

Nothing recorded that Altaro VM Backup does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Altaro VM Backup

  • Data protectionnot TrueNAS
  • Disaster recoverynot TrueNAS
  • Business continuitynot TrueNAS
  • Ransomware protectionnot TrueNAS
  • Compliancenot TrueNAS

TrueNAS

  • On-premises backup and archival storage for enterprisesnot Altaro VM Backup
  • Home lab and small business network-attached storagenot Altaro VM Backup
  • Media server storage for video, photo, and document librariesnot Altaro VM Backup
  • Disaster recovery and business continuity replicationnot Altaro VM Backup
  • S3-compatible object storage for cloud-native applicationsnot Altaro VM Backup
  • High-availability storage clusters for datacentresnot Altaro VM Backup

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Altaro VM Backup

  • Limited to small and medium-market businesses with up to 50 host servers
  • Perpetual license model outdated compared to modern cloud-based backup solutions
  • Lacks enterprise-grade features for large-scale deployments
  • Offsite backup to cloud requires additional setup and configuration

TrueNAS

  • Requires self-hosting on x86 hardware, no managed cloud offering; organisations must provision, configure, and maintain their own infrastructure
  • ZFS filesystem entails high memory requirements (1 GB RAM per 1 TB of storage recommended), increasing costs for large deployments
  • Limited ARM/embedded support; Community Edition is primarily x86-64, reducing deployment options for edge installations
  • Clustering and replication setup requires operational expertise; misconfiguration can lead to data loss
  • Enterprise support and SLA guarantees require paid subscriptions; Community Edition relies on peer-based forums

Pricing, plan by plan

Altaro VM Backup

$595/perpetual

No published plan breakdown. See the Altaro VM Backup review.

TrueNAS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the TrueNAS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Altaro VM Backup if

  • You need augmented inline dedup.
  • You work on Windows Server.
  • You also want wan-optimized replication.
Altaro VM Backup review

Choose TrueNAS if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API.
TrueNAS review

Questions people ask

Is Altaro VM Backup or TrueNAS better?
Neither clearly leads. Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual and TrueNAS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Altaro VM Backup or TrueNAS?
TrueNAS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $595/perpetual for Altaro VM Backup and Free for TrueNAS.
Does Altaro VM Backup or TrueNAS run on more platforms?
Altaro VM Backup runs on Windows Server. TrueNAS runs on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API.
Can I use TrueNAS for free?
Yes. TrueNAS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Altaro VM Backup starts at $595/perpetual.
What is Altaro VM Backup best used for?
Altaro VM Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what TrueNAS is typically brought in for.
What can Altaro VM Backup do that TrueNAS cannot?
Altaro VM Backup covers Augmented inline dedup, WAN-optimized replication, Boot from backup, Granular restore.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Altaro VM Backup: What is the price per host for Altaro VM Backup?

Altaro VM Backup pricing starts at $595 per host for the Standard Edition, with the Unlimited Edition at $695 per host and Unlimited Plus at $875 per host. Pricing includes the first year of priority support and updates.

Source
TrueNAS: What is the cost of TrueNAS Community Edition?

TrueNAS Community Edition is free and open-source. There are no licensing fees, but organisations must purchase and maintain their own x86 hardware. Enterprise Edition requires paid support contracts for production environments.

Source
TrueNAS: Can I replicate TrueNAS data between sites?

Yes. TrueNAS supports snapshot-based replication over network links, enabling disaster recovery and business continuity. Replication can occur between Community Edition systems or between Enterprise Appliances.

Source
TrueNAS: What storage protocols does TrueNAS support?

TrueNAS simultaneously supports NFS (network file system), SMB (Windows file sharing), iSCSI (block storage), and S3-compatible object storage, all from the same storage pool.

Source
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Related pages

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