StarWind SAN & NAS vs ZimaOS
StarWind SAN & NAS
starwindsoftware.comZimaOS
zimaspace.comSide by side
| Figure | StarWind SAN & NAS | ZimaOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · NAS Software | 7.2 (#21) | 8.6 (#1) |
| Audience | StarWind describes it for organizations with low budgets and restricted IT resources that want to make efficient use of their hardware. | The maker recommends the free plan for individuals, hobbyists, or casual users and ZimaOS+ for families, small teams, or creative studios. |
| Founded | 2009 | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Beverly, Massachusetts, USA | Hong Kong, China |
| Purpose | The software turns one server or a group of servers into a shared storage appliance, deployable as a VM or on bare metal. | ZimaOS is a NAS operating system that the maker says supports x86-64 hardware. |
| Support | The product page advertises free migration assistance, remote troubleshooting, support SLAs under one hour, and optional ProActive Premium Support with 24/7/365 monitoring. | The maker directs users with driver or compatibility issues to the ZimaOS Discord community. |
Plans
In their own words
StarWind SAN & NAS
StarWind SAN & NAS has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
ZimaOS
ZimaOS is a NAS operating system for x86-64 hardware that combines file management, storage, backups, and apps. Users can manage, preview, and share files from phones, cloud storage, and external drives. Supported configurations include JBOD and RAID 0, 1, 5, and 6, while the backup system manages backup and sync across cloud, local, and LAN storage using a 3-2-1 strategy. Its App Store advertises more than 800 apps, with one-click installation and third-party Docker support; examples include Immich, Emby, Jellyfin, Plex, Home Assistant, and Nextcloud. It connects over LAN or WAN from PC and Mac and can connect with Synology and QNAP NAS devices. The maker says remote access uses encrypted peer-to-peer connections without internet ports open by default, and that local accounts collect no telemetry or user data. The free plan allows up to 4 disks and 3 members. ZimaOS+ costs 29.00 USD once for a lifetime license and allows unlimited disks and users. The license is bound to one device and may be transferred after at least one year of activation.