Best NAS Software in 2026
Updated
In short: napp-it is ranked #1 of 21 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of DPlaneOS and ZimaOS. The best-ranked option with a free plan is DPlaneOS.
For a NAS setup, compare the storage features you need with the services and workloads you expect to run. napp-it and DPlaneOS lead the ranking, followed by TrueNAS and ZimaOS among the first entries. Storage pools and snapshots are central points to weigh, alongside user management and the app catalog. If your setup calls for containers or virtual machines, compare those capabilities too. Cloud sync, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing offer further distinctions. OpenNAS, NovaNAS, openmediavault, and Synology Active Backup for SaaS also appear near the top, giving you names to assess against your storage, administration, and workload requirements.
21 NAS software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 napp-it Top pick · 8.0 Free plan · Free
#2 DPlaneOS Runner-up · 7.7 Free plan · Free
#3 ZimaOS Also great · 7.6 Free plan · Free- Free planFree trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan AndroidapiextensioniOSLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 29 one-time
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan AndroidapiiOSLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan self-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hosted
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidapiiOSself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebWindowsLinux
- Free plan
- No
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebLinux
- Free plan
- No
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- App catalog
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 670 one-time
- Storage pools
- Yes
- User management
- Yes
- Snapshots
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which NAS software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
napp-it is ranked #1 of 21 with a score of 8.0. DPlaneOS is second and ZimaOS third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 21 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.