Which NAS OS Should I Use?

Six quick questions. We'll compare Synology DSM, QNAP, Unraid, TrueNAS, Proxmox, HexOS — and recommend one with reasoning.

What's your hardware situation?

An off-the-shelf NAS limits OS choice; DIY hardware opens it up.

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How comfortable are you with Linux / CLI?

Some OSes need terminal work; others are fully GUI.

What's the primary purpose?

Different OSes excel at different jobs.

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How important is data integrity?

ZFS / BTRFS detect silent corruption (bit rot). Traditional RAID doesn't.

Will you mix or upgrade drive sizes?

Some OSes handle mixed sizes elegantly; others waste capacity.

Budget for the OS / licensing?

Most NAS OSes are free; some charge for licenses or hardware bundles.

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All NAS OS options