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Software · head to head

TrueNAS vs Vultr

TrueNAS logo

TrueNAS

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vultr logo

Vultr

Software

High performance cloud compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: TrueNAS requires self-hosting on x86 hardware, no managed cloud offering; organisations must provision, configure, and maintain their own infrastructure; Vultr vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which TrueNAS and Vultr actually diverge.

Attributes where TrueNAS and Vultr differ
AttributeTrueNASVultr
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Linux, Web, APIWeb, Api, Cli
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 TrueNAS

Nothing recorded that Vultr does not also cover.

Only in Vultr

  • Cloud servers
  • Bare metal servers
  • Block storage
  • Object storage
  • Load balancers
  • Kubernetes
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks

What people use each for

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

TrueNAS

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

Vultr

  • High performance computingnot TrueNAS
  • Game serversnot TrueNAS
  • Streamingnot TrueNAS
  • Database hostingnot TrueNAS
  • Application serversnot TrueNAS

Where each one falls short

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

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

Vultr

  • Vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan

Pricing, plan by plan

TrueNAS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the TrueNAS review.

Vultr

Free
  • Cloud Compute$2.5/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • 10GB SSD
    • 500GB bandwidth
  • Bare Metal$32/month
    • Dedicated hardware
    • High performance
    • Full root access

Which should you pick?

Choose TrueNAS if

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

Choose Vultr if

  • You need cloud servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal servers.
Vultr review

Questions people ask

Is TrueNAS or Vultr better?
Neither clearly leads. TrueNAS starts at Free and Vultr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, TrueNAS or Vultr?
TrueNAS starts at Free and Vultr at Free.
Does TrueNAS or Vultr run on more platforms?
TrueNAS runs on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API. Vultr runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use TrueNAS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is TrueNAS best used for?
TrueNAS is most often used for on-premises backup and archival storage for enterprises, home lab and small business network-attached storage, media server storage for video, photo, and document libraries, disaster recovery and business continuity replication. Of those, on-premises backup and archival storage for enterprises and home lab and small business network-attached storage are not what Vultr is typically brought in for.
What can TrueNAS do that Vultr cannot?
Vultr covers Cloud servers, Bare metal servers, Block storage, Object storage.

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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