File Storage & Backup · head to head
TrueNAS vs Zerto
TrueNAS
File Storage & Backup
Open-source ZFS storage operating system for network-attached storage
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Zerto
File Storage & Backup
Continuous data protection with near-zero RPO
- From
- $5/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only TrueNAS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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; Zerto zerto with Azure is listed on UK G-Cloud as a reseller-managed disaster recovery service, not Zerto's own licence pricing, with OS management from £75 per host per month for the public sector
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which TrueNAS and Zerto actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage & Backup).
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 Zerto does not also cover.
Only in Zerto
- Continuous data protection
- Journal-based recovery
- Automated failover
- Non-disruptive testing
- Multi-cloud mobility
- Long-term retention
- VMware
- Hyper-V
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 Zerto
- Home lab and small business network-attached storagenot Zerto
- Media server storage for video, photo, and document librariesnot Zerto
- Disaster recovery and business continuity replicationnot Zerto
- S3-compatible object storage for cloud-native applicationsnot Zerto
- High-availability storage clusters for datacentresnot Zerto
Zerto
- Data protectionnot TrueNAS
- Disaster recoverynot TrueNAS
- Business continuitynot TrueNAS
- Ransomware protectionnot TrueNAS
- Compliancenot 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
Zerto
- Zerto with Azure is listed on UK G-Cloud as a reseller-managed disaster recovery service, not Zerto's own licence pricing, with OS management from £75 per host per month for the public sector
Pricing, plan by plan
TrueNAS
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the TrueNAS review.
Zerto
$5/month- Zerto Enterprise Cloud$5/month
- Continuous protection
- Journal-based recovery
- Multi-cloud mobility
Which should you pick?
Choose TrueNAS if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API.
Choose Zerto if
- You need continuous data protection.
- You work on Windows, Linux, Web.
- You also want journal-based recovery.
Questions people ask
- Is TrueNAS or Zerto better?
- Neither clearly leads. TrueNAS starts at Free and Zerto at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, TrueNAS or Zerto?
- TrueNAS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for TrueNAS and $5/month for Zerto.
- Does TrueNAS or Zerto run on more platforms?
- TrueNAS runs on Self-hosted, Linux, Web, API. Zerto runs on Windows, Linux, Web.
- Can I use TrueNAS for free?
- Yes. TrueNAS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zerto starts at $5/month.
- 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 Zerto is typically brought in for.
- What can TrueNAS do that Zerto cannot?
- Zerto covers Continuous data protection, Journal-based recovery, Automated failover, Non-disruptive testing.
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.
SourceTrueNAS: 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.
SourceTrueNAS: 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