Rockstor vs SoftNAS

Rockstor is an open-source network attached storage and private cloud storage system based on Linux and BTRFS, managed through a web interface. It supports storage pools, user management, on-demand and scheduled copy-on-write snapshots, and online capacity scaling. File sharing is available over NFS, Samba, SFTP, and AFP for Linux, Mac, Windows, and mobile devices. Listed BTRFS features include checksums, compression, and bitrot protection; Rockstor also supports asynchronous replication. Backup options include Rsync, Apple Time Machine, and Windows Backup. A customizable resource dashboard and SNMP provide monitoring, while Docker-based Rock-ons add apps for VPN, cloud storage, syncing, and media streaming. Installer profiles include openSUSE Leap 16.0, Tumbleweed, and Slowroll targets; Tumbleweed and Slowroll are described as experimental during the 5.5 testing phase. The Stable Updates subscription is requested but not required. The Raspberry Pi 5 profile is experimental, and setup cannot proceed on its jeOS base image through zypper because that image uses ext4 rather than BTRFS. Support is community based through the Rockstor forum.

SoftNAS is software-defined network attached storage for enterprise cloud workloads that need shared file storage across environments. It supports AWS, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and VMware, with NFS, SMB/CIFS, and iSCSI protocols. StorageCenter provides a browser-based interface for configuring, monitoring, and maintaining a NAS environment; a REST API and documented command-line utility provide another route to its functions. Active-passive configurations use automated failover, while DeltaSync replication can resume an interrupted session from the last known good snapshot. SoftNAS supports storage pools, snapshots, user management, and cloud sync, and integrates with Active Directory for authentication and access control. The maker says compression and deduplication can help reduce cloud storage costs. Security documentation describes AES-256 full-disk encryption at the storage-pool level. The product is paid, has no free plan, and offers a trial without a stated duration on the pricing page. Listed hourly plans include Oracle Cloud options from $0.13 a month and throughput-oriented options from $0.25 a month; AWS Marketplace lists free self-service support and paid Buurst Gold Support with 24x7x365 availability.