Softwr

File Storage · head to head

Cloudian vs TrueNAS

Cloudian logo

Cloudian

File Storage

S3-compatible on-premises object storage with object lock immutability

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TrueNAS logo

TrueNAS

File Storage

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: Cloudian you operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.; TrueNAS requires self-hosting on x86 hardware, no managed cloud offering; organisations must provision, configure, and maintain their own infrastructure
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudian and TrueNAS actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudian and TrueNAS differ
AttributeCloudianTrueNAS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsLinuxSelf-hosted, Linux, Web, API

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

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 Cloudian

  • S3 API compatibility
  • Object Lock
  • Erasure coding
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Hybrid tiering
  • HyperStore appliances

Only in TrueNAS

Nothing recorded that Cloudian does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Cloudian

  • A backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backupsnot TrueNAS
  • An organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenablenot TrueNAS
  • A university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storagenot TrueNAS
  • A media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud feesnot TrueNAS

TrueNAS

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cloudian

  • You operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.
  • Per-terabyte licensing plus servers means high upfront cost, and the crossover point against public cloud only arrives at meaningful scale, typically hundreds of terabytes and up.
  • S3 compatibility is high but not identical to Amazon, so occasional applications depending on newer or less common S3 features need testing rather than assumption.
  • Small deployments need a minimum node count for erasure coding to be meaningful, which sets a practical floor on entry cost regardless of how little data you have.
  • Performance is object storage performance, so it is not a substitute for block or high-throughput file storage and buyers occasionally deploy it for the wrong workload.

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

Cloudian

On request
  • Cloudian HyperStore$undefined/year
    • Licensed per usable terabyte, subscription or perpetual
    • Software-only on your hardware or as Cloudian appliances
    • No egress or API request charges

TrueNAS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the TrueNAS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudian if

  • You need s3 api compatibility.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want object lock.
Cloudian review

Choose TrueNAS if

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

Questions people ask

Is Cloudian or TrueNAS better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudian starts at On request and TrueNAS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudian or TrueNAS?
TrueNAS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cloudian and Free for TrueNAS.
Does Cloudian or TrueNAS run on more platforms?
Cloudian runs on Linux. 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. Cloudian starts at On request.
What is Cloudian best used for?
Cloudian is most often used for a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups, an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable, a university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storage, a media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud fees. Of those, a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups and an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable are not what TrueNAS is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudian do that TrueNAS cannot?
Cloudian covers S3 API compatibility, Object Lock, Erasure coding, Multi-tenancy.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudian: Does object lock really stop ransomware deleting backups?

Within the retention period, yes, provided the lock is set in compliance mode. That is precisely why it is the common answer to backup-targeting ransomware.

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
Cloudian: Are there egress charges?

No. That is the central cost argument against public cloud object storage, and it only becomes visible when you have to restore at volume.

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
Cloudian: Can we use our own servers?

Yes, HyperStore is software-defined and runs on qualified commodity hardware, or you can buy Cloudian appliances if you would rather not certify your own.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Cloudian

More on TrueNAS

Keep looking

Other head to heads