NovaNAS vs OpenNAS
NovaNAS
novanas.org
OpenNAS
opennas.euSide by side
| Figure | NovaNAS | OpenNAS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · NAS Software | 8.5 (#3) | 7.9 (#13) |
| Authentication | The project README lists passwordless WebAuthn/FIDO2 passkey authentication. | Security features include WebAuthn passkeys, OIDC single sign-on, admin and user roles, signed packages, trusted publishers, an unprivileged backend, decoy routes and automatic IP blocking. |
| File management | Its web file manager supports browsing, uploading, downloading, and previewing files. | File Station supports uploads, downloads, previews for images, video, audio, PDF, DOCX, CSV and code, ZIP operations, recycle-bin restoration, and expiring password-protected public links. |
| Installation limit | The installer is intended for a fresh Debian 13 system and the site says not to run it on an existing system. | The current download is version 0.9.0-beta.1 for x86_64, and both UEFI and BIOS boot are supported. |
| Purpose | NovaNAS is an open-source NAS operating system managed through a desktop-like web interface. | OpenNAS is a free NAS operating system with a browser-based web desktop for files, storage, containers and virtual machines. |
| Storage | NovaNAS supports ZFS and EXT4 pools, RAID management, and SMB/CIFS and NFS shared folders. | Storage features include S.M.A.R.T. health monitoring, RAID status, per-volume usage bars, disk initialization and configurable storage for VMs and containers. |
Plans
In their own words
NovaNAS
NovaNAS is a free, open-source NAS operating system managed through a desktop-like web interface. Its browser file manager supports browsing, uploading, downloading, and previewing files. Storage features include ZFS and EXT4, RAID management, and SMB/CIFS and NFS shared folders with access controls. A community app store offers one-click deployment of Docker applications such as Plex, Nextcloud, and Pi-hole. The project describes automated backups to external drives or cloud storage, and network backups between NovaNAS systems using API key authentication. Security and network tools include UFW firewall management, DynDNS, automatic Let's Encrypt certificates, and WebAuthn/FIDO2 passkey login. The interface monitors CPU, memory, disk, and network activity in real time. NovaNAS currently supports Debian 13 only, and its installer is intended for a fresh system, not an existing one. Minimum requirements are 2 GB RAM, a 1-core CPU, and a 20 GB system drive, plus data drives. Virtualization, historical monitoring, and scheduled tasks are listed as coming soon.
OpenNAS
OpenNAS is a free NAS operating system for managing files, storage, containers, and virtual machines through a browser-based desktop on your own hardware. It is based on Alpine Linux, targets x86_64, and is licensed GPL-3.0-or-later. File Station handles uploads and downloads, previews for common media and document formats, ZIP operations, recycle-bin restoration, and expiring password-protected public links. Storage tools show S.M.A.R.T. health, RAID status, and per-volume usage, and support disk initialization and configurable storage for virtual machines and containers. Container Manager handles Docker containers and images, logs, resource statistics, and docker-compose stacks. KVM/QEMU virtual machines support ISO booting, qcow2 disks, and an in-browser noVNC console. Package Center offers one-click self-hosted services such as Jellyfin, Nextcloud, Pi-hole, Vaultwarden, Gitea, Home Assistant, Portainer, and Immich. File sharing supports SMB/CIFS, NFS, and AFP, with Time Machine targets. The Free plan is free. The current installer is version 0.9.0-beta.1 for x86_64 and supports UEFI and BIOS boot; it requires compatible 64-bit x86_64 hardware, at least 2 GB RAM, and an 8 GB or larger USB stick.