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Backup & Disaster Recovery · head to head

Spanning Backup vs TrueNAS

Spanning Backup logo

Spanning Backup

Backup & Disaster Recovery

SaaS backup for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365

From
$4/month
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

  • Only TrueNAS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Spanning Backup cloud-only deployment; no on-premise or self-hosted options available; 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 Spanning Backup and TrueNAS actually diverge.

Attributes where Spanning Backup and TrueNAS differ
AttributeSpanning BackupTrueNAS
Starting price$4/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud SaaSSelf-hosted, Linux, Web, API
CategoryBackup & Disaster RecoveryFile Storage & Backup
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Spanning Backup

  • Automated daily backup
  • Point-in-time restore
  • Cross-user restore
  • eDiscovery
  • Unlimited storage
  • Admin delegation
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365

Only in TrueNAS

Nothing recorded that Spanning Backup does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Spanning Backup

  • Cloud-to-cloud backup and disaster recovery for Microsoft 365 applicationsnot TrueNAS
  • Data protection and compliance management for Google Workspace and Salesforcenot TrueNAS

TrueNAS

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

Where each one falls short

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

Spanning Backup

  • Cloud-only deployment; no on-premise or self-hosted options available

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

Spanning Backup

$4/month
  • Spanning Backup$4/month
    • Daily backup
    • Point-in-time restore
    • Unlimited storage

TrueNAS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the TrueNAS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Spanning Backup if

  • You need automated daily backup.
  • You work on Cloud SaaS.
  • You also want point-in-time restore.
Spanning 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 Spanning Backup or TrueNAS better?
Neither clearly leads. Spanning Backup starts at $4/month and TrueNAS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Spanning Backup or TrueNAS?
TrueNAS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4/month for Spanning Backup and Free for TrueNAS.
Does Spanning Backup or TrueNAS run on more platforms?
Spanning Backup runs on Cloud SaaS. 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. Spanning Backup starts at $4/month.
What is Spanning Backup best used for?
Spanning Backup is most often used for cloud-to-cloud backup and disaster recovery for microsoft 365 applications, data protection and compliance management for google workspace and salesforce. Of those, cloud-to-cloud backup and disaster recovery for microsoft 365 applications and data protection and compliance management for google workspace and salesforce are not what TrueNAS is typically brought in for.
What can Spanning Backup do that TrueNAS cannot?
Spanning Backup covers Automated daily backup, Point-in-time restore, Cross-user restore, eDiscovery.

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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