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Backup & Disaster Recovery · head to head

Borg Backup vs TrueNAS

Borg Backup logo

Borg Backup

Backup & Disaster Recovery

Deduplicating archiver with compression and encryption

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TrueNAS logo

TrueNAS

File Storage & Backup

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Borg Backup linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform; 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 Borg Backup and TrueNAS actually diverge.

Attributes where Borg Backup and TrueNAS differ
AttributeBorg BackupTrueNAS
Pricing modelfreeopen-source
PlatformsLinux, MacSelf-hosted, Linux, Web, API
CategoryBackup & Disaster RecoveryFile Storage & Backup
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Borg Backup

  • Content-defined chunking
  • Deduplication
  • Compression
  • Authenticated encryption
  • Pruning
  • Mount archives
  • SSH
  • BorgBase

Only in TrueNAS

Nothing recorded that Borg Backup does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Borg Backup

  • Deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensivenot TrueNAS
  • Encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintextnot TrueNAS
  • Browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over FUSEnot TrueNAS
  • Scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to runnot TrueNAS

TrueNAS

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

Where each one falls short

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

Borg Backup

  • Linux, macOS and BSD only; Windows is not a supported platform
  • Command-line only, with no graphical interface in the project itself
  • Version 2.0 is still in beta, so production use means staying on the 1.4 line
  • Restoring requires the Borg tooling, since archives are a deduplicated chunk store rather than plain files

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

Borg Backup

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Deduplication
    • Compression
    • Encryption

TrueNAS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the TrueNAS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Borg Backup if

  • You need content-defined chunking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac.
  • You also want deduplication.
Borg 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 Borg Backup or TrueNAS better?
Neither clearly leads. Borg Backup starts at Free and TrueNAS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Borg Backup or TrueNAS?
Borg Backup starts at Free and TrueNAS at Free.
Does Borg Backup or TrueNAS run on more platforms?
Borg Backup runs on Linux, Mac. TrueNAS runs on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API.
Can I use Borg Backup for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Borg Backup best used for?
Borg Backup is most often used for deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive, encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext, browsing previous versions by mounting an archive over fuse, scripted server backups with no agent or daemon to run. Of those, deduplicated backups where daily full snapshots would otherwise be expensive and encrypted backup to a server you do not fully trust, since the server never sees plaintext are not what TrueNAS is typically brought in for.
What can Borg Backup do that TrueNAS cannot?
Borg Backup covers Content-defined chunking, Deduplication, Compression, Authenticated encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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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