Unraid
Unraid is an operating system optimized for media storage and servers. It supports combining hard drives of different sizes into a single storage pool, parity-based data protection, on-the-fly disk encryption, and Docker containers.
storage
media-server
docker
Unraid: Media Storage Server Operating System
Media storage server operating system with hard drive pooling, parity-based data protection, disk encryption, and Docker containers
What is Unraid?
Unraid is an operating system designed for personal and small business media storage servers. It allows combining hard drives of different sizes into a single storage pool, while protecting data against up to two drive failures. Some key features of Unraid include:
- Storage pool allows mixing drives of any size.
- Parity-based protection against up to two drive failures.
- Easily expand storage capacity by adding more drives.
- SSD caching for increased performance.
- On-the-fly disk encryption option.
- Intuitive web-based interface for management.
- Supports Docker containers for home automation, media streaming, and more.
- Plugs into existing network as a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device.
With optimized disk management, data redundancy, and the ability to run Docker apps, Unraid is targeted at personal and small business media server setups. The ease of use and flexibility of storage configuration makes it popular for media collectors and homelab enthusiasts.
Unraid Features
Features
- Combines hard drives of different sizes into a single storage pool
- Supports parity-based data protection
- Provides on-the-fly disk encryption
- Supports Docker containers
Pricing
- Free Trial
- One-time Purchase
- Subscription-Based
Pros
Easy to set up and manage storage pool
Data protection through parity
Encryption secures data
Docker support enables running apps in containers
Cons
Requires purchasing a license after 30-day trial
Limited to one parity drive for data protection
Not a full operating system
Official Links
The Best Unraid Alternatives
Top System & Hardware and Nas Software and other similar apps like Unraid
Here are some alternatives to Unraid:
Suggest an alternative ❐
OpenMediaVault
OpenMediaVault is an open source network attached storage (NAS) operating system based on Linux. It provides a web-based interface for managing storage, users, shared folders, services, plugins, and more on a dedicated storage server.Some key features of OpenMediaVault include:File systems and disk management - Supports various RAID levels, Samba and...
Proxmox Virtual Environment
Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) is an open-source server virtualization management solution based on QEMU/KVM virtualization and LXC containers. It allows you to manage virtual machines and containers using a web-based GUI. Key features include:Hypervisor built on Linux Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) technology for virtualizationLinux Containers (LXC) for container-based virtualizationWeb-based...
Western Digital My Cloud
Western Digital My Cloud is a network-attached storage (NAS) device that allows you to store your files on a centralized, personal cloud storage system in your home. It connects to your home network via an Ethernet cable or WiFi and provides storage that can be accessed by all devices on...
Rockstor
Rockstor is an open source Linux based NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution built on top of btrfs and using OpenSUSE as its base OS. It provides an intuitive web-based user interface for file management, storage monitoring, snapshots, replication, and sharing.Some key features of Rockstor include:Built-in support for btrfs features like...
ReadyNAS
ReadyNAS is a network-attached storage (NAS) solution developed by NETGEAR. It provides centralized, shared storage for home and small business users to store, protect, stream and share data.Some key features of ReadyNAS include:Shared storage accessible from all devices on the local networkBackup for PCs, Macs, smartphones and tabletsMedia streaming, transcoding...
PetaSAN
PetaSAN is an enterprise-grade storage area network (SAN) solution optimized for large-scale data growth and intensive workloads. It utilizes a shared storage architecture to consolidate storage resources and provide unified access to data across an organization.Key capabilities and benefits of PetaSAN include:Scalability to handle exponentially growing data while maintaining performanceVery...
Openfiler
Openfiler is an open source network attached storage (NAS) distribution based on Linux. It is designed to provide file-based storage and file sharing services over TCP/IP networks. Some key features of Openfiler include:Built on top of major Linux distributions like CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise LinuxProvides secure file storage and...
StableBit DrivePool
StableBit DrivePool is a software solution designed for Windows that allows users to easily pool multiple hard drives of varying sizes and types into one large logical volume. Some key features of DrivePool include:Combines disks of different sizes and types into a single large volume for easier storage managementProvides data...
SnapRAID
SnapRAID is an open-source backup program designed for disk arrays. It protects data on physical hard drives by generating and storing parity information that allows recovery of data in case of up to six concurrent disk failures.Unlike traditional RAID systems, SnapRAID does not create redundant copies of files across disks....
ZFSguru
ZFSguru is an open-source graphical user interface application that allows easy management and monitoring of ZFS on Linux and FreeBSD systems. ZFS is an advanced file system with numerous capabilities like snapshots, cloning, replication, integrity checking, compression, deduplication and more.With ZFSguru, you can conveniently create and manage ZFS pools, filesystems...
Windows Storage Spaces
Windows Storage Spaces is a storage virtualization technology introduced in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 that allows combining multiple disks into storage pools. It provides an abstraction layer over the physical disks and allows creating virtual disks called storage spaces.Some key features of Storage Spaces:It allows combining different types...
ESOS
ESOS (Enterprise Scalable Operating System) is an open-source Linux distribution optimized for enterprise workloads. It builds on a hardened Linux kernel and integrates additional security, reliability, and manageability features to meet the demanding needs of business-critical infrastructure.Key capabilities and benefits of ESOS include:Scalability - Optimized resource allocation and scheduling for...
FlexRaid T-Raid
FlexRaid T-Raid is a powerful yet affordable software RAID solution designed to provide data protection and huge storage capacity in the terabyte range. It runs on Windows and Linux platforms, supporting common RAID levels including JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10.A key feature of FlexRaid is its drive pooling...
Napp-it
napp-it is an open source web interface designed to simplify managing applications and services on a network-attached storage (NAS) device. It provides an intuitive graphical user interface to configure and control apps like media servers, Docker containers, virtual machines, databases, web servers, and more on a NAS.Some key features of...
Open-E Data Storage Software SOHO
Open-E Data Storage Software SOHO is a software-defined storage solution designed specifically for small office and home office environments. It consolidates storage resources and provides a unified system for managing data with advanced optimization, data protection, and disaster recovery capabilities.Key features of Open-E Data Storage Software SOHO include:Unified storage supporting...
Greyhole
Greyhole is an open source software-based storage solution that provides data redundancy and protection against disk failures. It works by combining multiple hard drives of any size into a single storage pool while retaining the native format of each drive.The key benefit of Greyhole is its disk failure resilience. When...
Btrfs
btrfs (B-tree file system, pronounced "butter F S") is an open-source copy-on-write file system for Linux aimed at implementing advanced features while also focusing on fault tolerance, repair, and easy administration. It has been under active development since 2007.Some key features and capabilities provided by btrfs include:Snapshots and rollbacks -...
EON ZFS Storage
EON ZFS Storage is a feature-rich network-attached storage (NAS) solution targeted at enterprises and data centers. It is built on top of the ZFS file system which provides advanced data protection, storage efficiency, and scalability.Some key capabilities and benefits of EON ZFS Storage include:Data protection with native snapshots and replicationData...
PoolHD
PoolHD is an open-source web application designed for monitoring and managing storage pools and disks. It works by connecting to the underlying storage mechanisms like ZFS, Btrfs, Linux MD-RAID to provide insights into disk health, usage statistics, performance data and more.Some key features of PoolHD include:Web-based dashboard showing health overview...