TrueNAS vs OpenMediaVault vs QNAP

TrueNAS vs OpenMediaVault vs QNAP comparison showing a DIY OpenMediaVault server, TrueNAS interface, and a QNAP prebuilt NAS on a desk

Introduction

If you’re building a NAS at home, you’ll eventually hit the same fork in the road I did: TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault, or just buy a QNAP (or even a DAS). On paper they all solve the same problem. In reality, they’re very different tools with very different tradeoffs.

I’ve used or seriously evaluated all of them while building my Plex, torrent, and media automation setup. This post breaks down the real pros and cons, then explains exactly why I landed on OpenMediaVault.

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How Sonarr, Radarr, and Prowlarr Work Together

Sonarr, Radarr, and Prowlarr logos arranged in a circular workflow with arrows, surrounding a Linux penguin in the center, showing how the arr stack works together on Linux systems.

If you’re running a self-hosted media setup, Sonarr, Radarr, and Prowlarr are usually mentioned together — but it’s not always obvious why. They aren’t redundant, and they don’t do the same job. Each one handles a specific part of the pipeline, and when wired correctly, the whole system mostly runs itself.

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