SoftNAS vs TurnKey File Server
SoftNAS
softnas.comTurnKey File Server
turnkeylinux.orgSide by side
| Figure | SoftNAS | TurnKey File Server |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.13/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 3 |
| Spec score · NAS Software | 8.3 (#7) | 7.5 (#18) |
| Protocols | SoftNAS supports NFS, SMB/CIFS, and iSCSI storage protocols. | It supports SMB, FTP, SFTP, NFS, WebDAV, and rsync file transfer protocols. |
| Security | The maker’s security documentation says SoftNAS supports AES-256 full-disk encryption at the storage-pool level. | Automatic security updates are listed as an appliance feature, and passwords are set during system initialization rather than supplied as defaults. |
| Support | The support documentation lists helpdesk tickets, email support, and phone support, with premium support access for registered subscribers including during trials. | The maker describes free community help through its website and offers Hub paid plans with email or priority support. |
Plans
SoftNAS
- OSN-1$0.13 a month
- 200$0.25 a month
- OSN-2$0.66 a month
- 400$1.32 a month
- OSN-4$1.58 a month
- OSN-8$2.78 a month
- 800$3.16 a month
- 1600$8.22 a month
- 3200$12.10 a month
- 6400$18.15 a month
TurnKey File Server
- Hub Backup and Migration — FreeFree
- Hub Cloud Servers — FreeFree
- TurnKey File Server applianceFree
In their own words
SoftNAS
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.
TurnKey File Server
TurnKey File Server is a free Linux appliance for network-attached storage on self-hosted systems. It combines Windows-compatible file sharing with a browser-based file manager and supports SMB, FTP, SFTP, NFS, WebDAV, and rsync. The WebDAV CGI interface offers web access, previews for major formats, and drag-and-drop handling. Samba is preconfigured with user home directories and public storage, using /srv/storage as its default shared path. Webmin includes a Samba configuration module. The appliance also provides SSL, zip, rar, and bz2 compression, plus a utility for converting text file endings between UNIX and DOS formats. Automatic security updates are included, and passwords are set during initialization. TurnKey supplies a 723MB ISO and supports TurnKey Hub deployment on Amazon EC2. Documented build types include bare metal, VirtualBox, VMware, OpenStack, Proxmox, Xen, LXC, and Docker. The appliance is free and open source. Hub Cloud Servers — Free costs nothing, with AWS usage billed separately.