NAS build in 2026, TrueNAS versus Unraid versus something else - honest opinions

[Tel92]

Q: I want to build a home NAS for about 40 to 60 TB of storage. What software should I use?

A: The two main contenders are TrueNAS Scale and Unraid. TrueNAS Scale uses ZFS which is the gold standard for data integrity. It is more technical to set up but the data protection is exceptional. Unraid uses a parity drive system that is easier to expand incrementally and has better Docker and VM integration out of the box. For media servers and mixed use most people end up happier with Unraid. For pure data integrity and ZFS features TrueNAS wins

[Leo]

Running Unraid for four years. The Docker integration and the ability to add drives of different sizes without rebuilding the array were the reasons I chose it. Still happy

[Grover26]

TrueNAS Scale person here. The ZFS checksumming and scrubbing gives me confidence about data integrity that Unraid's parity system cannot match. Different use cases

[Highland Builder]

For 40 to 60TB the drive selection matters as much as the software. Seagate Exos and WD Gold for enterprise drives, WD Red Plus for NAS optimised consumer. Avoid SMR drives entirely

[FairDos72]

The SMR drives warning cannot be overstated. Several WD Red drives were silently SMR and performed catastrophically in NAS RAID arrays. Check the specific model against community maintained lists

[Chris_50]

ECC RAM with TrueNAS is the correct setup and it adds to the build cost. ZFS without ECC is a contested topic but the TrueNAS documentation strongly recommends it

[Midnight Georgia]

Proxmox as a hypervisor running TrueNAS as a VM is the more flexible setup if you want to run other services on the same hardware

[Glenn]

What are people using for remote access to their NAS. Tailscale seems to be the community favourite

[ParallelSelf34]

Tailscale on both the NAS and any remote device and you have a private network that works without opening ports on your router. Took thirty minutes to set up and has worked flawlessly

[Gareth19]

The case choice for a large drive count NAS matters more than most build guides mention. The Fractal Define 7 XL holds twelve 3.5 inch drives. The Node 804 is smaller but well cooled