File Storage · head to head
IDrive e2 vs TrueNAS
IDrive e2
File Storage
Low cost S3-compatible object storage with egress included up to a multiple of what you store
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
TrueNAS
File Storage
Open-source ZFS storage operating system for network-attached storage
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: IDrive e2 the included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.; 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 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IDrive e2 and TrueNAS actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 IDrive e2
- S3-compatible endpoints
- Included egress allowance
- Object lock
- Versioning
- Regional endpoints
- Cross region replication
Only in TrueNAS
Nothing recorded that IDrive e2 does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IDrive e2
- The offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by Veeam, restic or a NAS backup clientnot TrueNAS
- Replacing an S3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requestsnot TrueNAS
- Small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line itemsnot TrueNAS
- Archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delaynot TrueNAS
TrueNAS
- On-premises backup and archival storage for enterprisesnot IDrive e2
- Home lab and small business network-attached storagenot IDrive e2
- Media server storage for video, photo, and document librariesnot IDrive e2
- Disaster recovery and business continuity replicationnot IDrive e2
- S3-compatible object storage for cloud-native applicationsnot IDrive e2
- High-availability storage clusters for datacentresnot IDrive e2
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IDrive e2
- The included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.
- The region list is short compared with the hyperscalers, so data residency requirements outside the main markets are hard to satisfy and multi region designs have fewer options.
- S3 compatibility covers the common calls but not the long tail, so software that relies on less common features can fail in ways that are hard to diagnose against a provider with thin public documentation.
- Support is organised around a consumer and small business backup product rather than a platform engineering organisation, so escalating a storage layer problem takes longer than it would with a specialist provider.
- IDrive publishes far less about the underlying architecture, durability engineering and incident history than its competitors, so due diligence on the storage layer is largely taking the vendor at its word.
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
IDrive e2
Free- FreeFree
- 10 GB stored
- S3 API access
- Egress within the included allowance
- Pay as you go$4/month
- Roughly 4 USD per terabyte stored per month
- Egress included up to a multiple of stored data
- No per operation charge on standard usage
TrueNAS
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the TrueNAS review.
Which should you pick?
Choose IDrive e2 if
- You need s3-compatible endpoints.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want included egress allowance.
Choose TrueNAS if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API.
Questions people ask
- Is IDrive e2 or TrueNAS better?
- Neither clearly leads. IDrive e2 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, IDrive e2 or TrueNAS?
- IDrive e2 starts at Free and TrueNAS at Free.
- Does IDrive e2 or TrueNAS run on more platforms?
- IDrive e2 runs on Web, API. TrueNAS runs on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API.
- Can I use IDrive e2 for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is IDrive e2 best used for?
- IDrive e2 is most often used for the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client, replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests, small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line items, archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delay. Of those, the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client and replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests are not what TrueNAS is typically brought in for.
- What can IDrive e2 do that TrueNAS cannot?
- IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Included egress allowance, Object lock, Versioning.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
IDrive e2: Is the egress genuinely free?
It is included up to an allowance tied to how much you store, not unlimited. Read heavy workloads on a small bucket will exceed it.
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.
SourceIDrive e2: Does it work with Veeam and restic?
Yes, both treat it as a standard S3 endpoint, and object lock is supported for immutable backup chains.
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.
SourceIDrive e2: Is there a minimum retention period?
No fixed minimum retention charge on standard storage, which is a real difference from providers that bill ninety days on early deletion.
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.
SourceIDrive e2: How does it compare with Backblaze B2?
The rates are close. B2 is the better documented and more widely integrated service; e2 is cheaper at list and has a different egress allowance model.
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