Free Network Attached Storage Software

  1. Buffalo Network Attached Storage
  2. Network Attached Storage Reviews
  3. Free Network Attached Storage Software For Windows 10
  4. Network Attached Storage Definition
  5. Free Network Software


NAS (“Network Attached Storage”) is all about keeping your data safe and secure, no matter where you go or what devices you use. NAS is attached to the network at your home or office, which allows multiple network users to store data in one safe place.

In the world of PC technology, NAS doesn’t get a whole lot of attention. However, NAS is something that becomes a big deal when you need it; therefore, it’s important to familiarize yourself with NAS features and specifications so that you can purchase the best NAS with confidence.

FreeNAS, as the name suggests, is a free open-source Network Attached Storage software. FreeNAS is the other (along with Amahi) best free home server OS that I like. Originally built on FreeBSD, FreeNAS is the simplest and the lightest way to create a centralized and accessible home for your data through responsive web interface. There's nothing like free software to save some drain on your storage management or data protection budget - if that free software works, of course. Here are 10 storage utilities you can download. Using FreeNAS software and your old computer increase storage capacity. Access this storage from across your network. Easy to install and setup. While the base system and some plugins are free, you will have to shell out a few bucks for some plugins. Also, plugin updates may be a bit slow to come. FreeNAS, as the name suggests, is a free open-source Network Attached Storage software. FreeNAS is the other (along with Amahi) best free home server OS that I like. Jan 02, 2019  Best Network Attached Storage for 2019. Our editors hand-picked these products based on our tests and reviews. If you use our links to buy, we may get a commission. Storage solutions for small businesses. Open-E Data Storage Software V7 SOHO (Small Office Home Office) is a free version of Open-E DSS V7, previously known as Open-E DSS V7 Lite. With SOHO, you can take advantage of basic functionalities of our fully featured NAS / SAN software platform, now with a doubled capacity of 4TB free of charge. NAS (“Network Attached Storage”) is all about keeping your data safe and secure, no matter where you go or what devices you use. NAS is attached to the network at your home or office, which allows multiple network users to store data in one safe place.

Top Picks

PreviewProduct
QNAP TS-451+-2G-US 4-Bay Next Gen Personal Cloud NAS, Intel 2.0GHz Quad-Core CPU with Media..
Drobo 5N2: Network Attached Storage (NAS) 5-Bay Array, 2X Gigabit Ethernet Ports (DRDS5A21)
Synology 5 Bay NAS DiskStation DS1019+ (Diskless)
WD Diskless My Cloud Pro Series PR4100 Network Attached Storage - NAS - WDBNFA0000NBK-NESN
Asustor AS6204T | Network Attached Storage | 1.6GHz Quad-Core, 4GB RAM | Personal Private Cloud |..
Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation DS218+ (Diskless)
NETGEAR ReadyNAS RN422 2 Bay Diskless High Performance NAS, 20TB Capacity Network Attached Storage,..
QNAP TS-453Be-2G-US 4-Bay Professional NAS. Intel Celeron Apollo Lake J3455 Quad-core CPU with..
WD 4TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra Network Attached Storage - NAS - WDBVBZ0040JCH-NESN
Zyxel Personal Cloud Storage Server [4-Bay] with Remote Access and Media Streaming [NAS540]

How to Choose the Best NAS

Why You May Need NAS And How It Can Be Used

Why get a NAS when you can just use an external hard drive to store your data? A NAS connects to a network, not a computer; this means that you have much more options for what you can do with the stored data. If something happens to your computer, you might lose that data forever. With NAS, your data is still safe within the connected network. Additionally, you can also use NAS to stream content, such as music and videos, anywhere you go.

Here are a few reasons why you might need NAS at your home or office:

  • Everyone using the network can access the data
  • Passwords can be set up for certain devices to keep things private, while still storing the data in a safe place
  • NAS has its own operating system, so you don’t have to rely on a monthly subscription service to store your data; you have full control and you only have to make one purchase
  • NAS is scalable, meaning that you can add more storage options, such as hard drives and additional NAS units, as your needs change over time
  • Depending on the configurations, NAS is versatile and can come with several additional features, such as the ability to download large amounts of internet data even during travel
  • NAS units are usually more reliable than other storage options because they are built to run at lower temperatures with a specific focus on data storage

Understanding NAS units and their specifications can be a challenge. If you’re thinking about getting the best NAS for your needs, it’s important to research how to setup your NAS in the way that works best for you.

NAS Capacity

A NAS holds hard drives within it. These hard drives can have different storage capacities.

Depending on the size of your family, business or data usage, the size of NAS you need will vary. Here are some things to consider when choosing a NAS based on capacity:

  • Documents: Word documents typically don’t take up much space, so if you may not need to spend more on a larger capacity NAS if you’re just storing these types of files, such as in an office.
  • Media (music, movies and images): If you’re an avid media user, editor or photographer, you’re going to need lots of space to store those files. The higher quality media you use (such as HD videos), the more storage you’ll need. This is especially true if you live or work in a place where multiple users are accessing and sharing very large data files.
  • Do you use RAID? RAID (“Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks”) is something that you enable in a system, such as a NAS unit, that provides fault tolerance and performance optimization. Essentially, RAID provides added protection for your data and helps your NAS run as best as it can. If you use RAID, it will take up more space within the NAS, so keep this in mind when looking at capacity.

Disks or No Disks?

Some NAS come with hard drive disks, while others do not.

  • The Pros of No Disks: You have the freedom to add your own hard drives based on the size and brand that you prefer.
  • The Cons of No Disks: You’ll need to buy extra hard drives and spend more time setting the NAS up.
  • The Pros of Disks: A NAS with preinstalled disks is convenient because those disks are already configured for that NAS drive. You can set up your NAS quickly and easily (in comparison to diskless).
  • The Cons of Disks: The disk that the NAS comes with may not be best quality based on your needs for space and features.

Connectivity

NAS connects through the network at your home or office via a Wi-Fi network or your router. Most NAS units typically connect using a Gigabit Ethernet cable. In order to get the most out of your NAS, it’s important to have a high-quality router and a strong internet connection.

Remote Access

Whether you own your own business or live in a household with various devices, you might come into a situation where multiple users need to access a large chunk of data. That’s exactly what a NAS does; it makes it so that everybody can store and access data through the NAS server, without worrying about losing or misplacing files.

NAS can give you remote access so that you can view and manage your files wherever you are on whichever device you choose. This can be achieved by making an account with the NAS manufacturer and using your login to access your files.

Software

Security

As previously mentioned, RAID means “Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks” and it’s designed to provide a safety net for the data on your NAS unit. There are different types of RAIDS. The type of RAID you need will depend on the drive capacity of your NAS unit. Hard drives can break down, and that is why NAS has fault tolerance so that you can save your data even if you lose a hard drive.
For more tips on NAS security, check out this guide.

10 Best Network Attached Storages in 2019

QNAP TS-451+

Great NAS With Silent Performance from QNAP


QNAP TS-451+ comes with a 64-bit Intel Celeron Quad-Core 2.0GHz processor and 2GB DDR3L RAM which can be boosted up to 8GB. Note that it can also increase the processor’s clock rate up to 2.4GHz what is especially great for CPU-intensive tasks. This NAS has dual gigabit LAN ports and can reach up to 225MB/s of read as well as write speed.

This QNAP NAS is provided with AES 256-bit volume and folder encryption, and its transfer speed reaches up to 205MB/s. It has also got a user-friendly interface which guarantees easy file access. By the way, its File Station presupposes convenient file management solution which covers remote mounts, mobile apps and public cloud services.

It supports Google Chromecast, Amazon Firestick, Roku, AppleTV and lots of others. Thanks to HDMI connectivity QNAP TS-451+ allows you to get connected directly to an HDTV as well. What is more, this NAS has a Plex app.

Pros:
  • silent performance
  • easy setup
  • user-friendly interface
  • HDMI port
  • remote for media server use
  • supports up to 8 GB RAM
Cons:
  • plastic construction
  • a bit high latency in CIFS configuration

Drobo 5N2 DRDS5A21

Excellent Drobo NAS with Apple Time Machine


Here’s another great NAS to keep your data safe and secure. Drobo 5N2 is an updated version of Drobo 5-Bay NAS. It provides high speed for data sharing and remote access. This NAS is quite simple to use and includes automatic protection against hard drive failures.

The 5N2 is a great option for those who have Mac devices as it offers integration with Apple Time Machine. There is also Adaptive Link Bonding used for link failover and link aggregation without Ethernet switch support. It also provides myDrobo Platform support as well as encrypted-end-to-end remote access. Thanks to DroboPix all uploads of mobile files are also protected. By the way, Drobo 5N2 comes with DroboApps support which covers WordPress, Plex, ElephantDrive, Resilio Sync, etc.

Pros:
  • easy setup
  • simple to use
  • can mix drive capacities
  • dual Ethernet ports
  • fast performance
Cons:
  • limited App Store
  • loud

Synology 5 Bay NAS DiskStation DS1019+

One of the Best NAS Drives With Plex Support


This NAS is designed with two built-in M.2 NVMe SSD slots for system cache support. In addition, there are dual 1GbE (RJ-45) ports with failover and Link Aggregation support. Synology 5 Bay NAS DiskStation DS1019+ delivers fast performance with decent reading and writing speed for encrypted data which reaches up to 225MB/s. Note that it comes with quad-core CPU and AES-NI encryption engine.

The DS1019+ has two 4GB DDR3L memory modules, which means 8GB of general memory capacity. This Synology NAS is also rather multifunctional as it offers different applications not only to share files but also to backup data. What is more, there is an option of dual-channel H.264/H.265 4K video transcoding on the fly.

You can use this Disk Station to stream TV shows, movies and songs to your PC, smartphone, Apple TV or any other device. Besides, its Surveillance Station provides additional protection for your data offering network cameras, which can be managed from almost any spot of the world just with the help of a simple mobile app.

Do they 'Just Do It' and rely on the fact that all deployments are clandestine and all customers aren't likely to rat them out to the FCC? Does anybody know how FCC regulation works for spook-gear like this? Do certain law enforcement operations have FCC exemptions of some kind? A number of the devices mentioned in that brochure definitely cause interference with licensed bands (they have several pages talking about that). Imsi catcher for sale.

Pros:
  • great performance
  • dual M.2 cache
  • BTRFS and SHR
  • Plex support
  • 4K video transcoding
  • virtualization
  • RAM upgradable
  • Snapshot Replication
Cons:
  • only 1GB Ethernet ports
  • no PCIe slots
  • no copy button
  • plastic chassis

WD Diskless My Cloud Pro Series PR4100

Great NAS for Secure Data Storage


My Cloud Pro Series is also a great choice in case you need centralized storage to keep all your data organized and safe. This WD Diskless NAS is designed with Intel Pentium N3710 Quad-Core 1.6GHz Processor and 4GB of RAM. There are also multiple RAID options to protect your data as well as password protection and 256-bit AES volume encryption.

It can be used to stream almost any type of content including HD videos due to its high speed. What is more, there is built-in hardware transcoding which allows you to stream media in the right format. My Cloud Pro Series has also got installed Plex Media Server, so you can stream to any device. Note that the latter one comes with 3-month trial only.

WD Diskless PR4100 is simple to setup and to use as it comes with tool-less and tray-less drive bays. There is also My Cloud mobile app for easy file management and control, and access to the Adobe Creative Cloud for file editing.

Pros:
  • great performance
  • third-party application support
  • intuitive NAS management software
  • reliable build quality
  • installed Plex Media Server
  • easy and quick setup
Cons:
  • no logging of user access to the device
  • doesn’t automatically back up to Google drive

ASUSTOR AS6204T

Great ASUSTOR NAS Drive for the Money


If you need NAS which supports hot-swappable drives then consider ASUSTOR AS6204T. It has got Intel Quad-Core 1.6GHz processor which can be also boosted up to 2.24GHz. There is 2GB LAN supports failover and Link Aggregation. Besides, there is an HDMI port.

ASUSTOR AS6204T comes with solid construction what makes it a durable NAS. What is more, it delivers quiet performance. Setup process isn’t tricky and time-consuming as well. Its Control Center portal comes with a File Explorer, Activity Monitor, External Devices Manager and Internal Devices Manager, which can be used with mobile apps or via the web.

Pros:
  • wide range of IO options
  • high build quality
  • Cherryview Intel HD Graphics GPU
  • expandable RAM
  • 2GB Ethernet ports
  • fast and quiet performance
  • lockable drive bay doors
Cons:
  • Virtualization App accessible only via ASUSTOR portal
  • minimal cloud storage apps
  • slow backups

Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation DS218+

The Best NAS for Small Business by Synology


Need a budget NAS? Then Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation DS218+ is one of the best options to choose from in case you aren’t going to spend a fortune. Still, despite its affordable price Synology DS218+ delivers decent performance with a reliable security level.

It comes with 2GB of RAM which can be expanded up to 6GB. There is a dual-core processor with AES-NI hardware encryption engine. The DS218+ is a great choice for small business as it is designed with the integrated Btrfs file system to provide advanced storage technology.

Pros:
  • solid construction
  • affordable price
  • sleek and compact chassis
  • great software support
  • easy to use
Cons:
  • 1GB LAN port
  • USB 2.0
  • no HDMI port

Buffalo Network Attached Storage

NETGEAR ReadyNAS RN422

The Best Budget NAS Storage With Solid Construction


Another great budget NAS is NETGEAR ReadyNAS RN422. It has two bays which support up to 20TB of storage. Optional EDA500 expansion chassis provides up to 70TB. The RN422 is designed with dual-core Intel C-3338 Atom server processor and 2GB of RAM.

This NETGEAR unit has 5 levels of data protection including X-RAID, Unlimited Snapshots, Bit rot protection, anti-virus and offsite replication. By the way, despite its low price, this NAS has 2GB Ethernet ports which come with link aggregation support for 2X the throughput and fail-over protection.

ReadyNAS RN422 is easy to install and to use thanks to its tool-less drive trays. There is also intuitive monitoring and remote management.

Pros:
  • solid construction
  • affordable price
  • great app selection
  • simple drive installation
Cons:
  • no SSD cache support
  • limited front panel control

QNAP TS-453Be-2G-US

The Best Compact NAS Drive by QNAP


NAS TS-453Be-2G-US is another great QNAP model. It is designed with Intel Celeron J3455 quad-core 1.5GHz processor which can be boosted up to 2.3GHz. Its 4GB DDR3L RAM can be also expanded up to 8GB. This NAS has AES-NI encryption and supports 4K hardware transcoding as well as 4K media playback.

There is dual 4K HDMI port and its PCIe port supports installing a 10GbE network card. So, you can use this NAS for multimedia viewing on HDTV via HDMI output as well. What is more, there is USB 3.1 port. QNAP TS-453Be-2G-US comes with snapshots to take a picture of your storage. It means that you will be able to roll back to the exact time of ransomware attack or accidental deletion.

By the way, you can easily boost its performance. To do this you need to use full Potential of your PCIe slot with M.2 SSDs and Qtier. This QNAP NAS is also highly compatible and supports Google Chromecast, Amazon Firestick, Roku, AppleTV, DLNA, etc.

Pros:
  • affordable price
  • improved ventilation
  • compact design
  • 4K hardware transcoding
  • dual 4K HDMI ports
  • PCI-Express expansion slot
  • simple drive installation
  • great backup
  • reliable security level
Cons:
  • difficult to setup via a smartphone
  • expansion slot requires adapters with flat brackets

WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra

Great Affordable NAS Storage


WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra is one of the most reliable and secure NAS you can find for such an affordable price. It offers centralized network storage and allows access using a PC or a smartphone. Its 1.3GHz dual-core processor comes with 1GB memory. Sure, it’s not the best speed you have come across but it’s quite enough for decent performance.

The EX2 Ultra is provided with Milestone Arcus Surveillance software which has unlimited camera licenses as well as numerous RAID options. For example, you can use RAID 1 for mirrored data protection or RAID or to boost overall NAS performance. All RAID options let you customize NAS according to your needs.

Pros:
  • reasonable price
  • neat design
  • quick file transfer
  • great streaming and backup features
Cons:
  • not many third-party apps
  • poor instructions

Zyxel NAS540

Another Great Budget NAS Drive With Screwless Design


Zyxel NAS540 is a budget NAS with screwless design, which provides quick and simple drive installation. Besides, it delivers quiet performance thanks to its 120mm silent fan, which also takes care of NAS ventilation.

There is 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and 1GB of DDR3 RAM. Its 3.0 ports provide data transfer rates with up to 4GB/s speed. Its SD slot comes with the latest SDXC support and lets you transfer files to NAS540 for easy and fast backup. By the way, this Zyxel NAS offers a range of RAID options what guarantees reliable protection in case of hard disk failures.

Thanks to user-friendly GUI there is also an intuitive graphic interface which makes apps management an easy process. What is more, you can use Web GUI to control network storage health status including fan speed and CPU utilization.

Pros:
  • 2GB Ethernet ports
  • quiet performance
  • affordable price
  • great RAID support
  • three USB 3.0 ports
  • one SD card slot
  • easy setup
Cons:
  • no iSCSI support
  • no front panel indicator or audible alarm in case of RAID failure

Give Your Lifetime Memories and Professional Data Complete Protection with the Best NAS for your Lifestyle

If you’re someone who creates, uses and manages large amounts of data using a computer, laptop or tablet, you might need a NAS. If you’ve been hunting for the best SSD for gaming and the best external hard drive options you might also be interested in finding the best NAS so you can be sure that all your games and multimedia files are safe and accessible.

With the best NAS, you can ensure long-term protection of your important data and personal files. NAS leads to security, and security leads to peace of mind!

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As data storage needs continue to grow and many organizations move toward software-defined infrastructure, more enterprises are using open source software to meet some of their storage needs. Projects like Hadoop, Ceph, Gluster and others have become very common at large enterprises.

Home users and small businesses can also benefit from open source storage software. These applications can make it possible to set up your own NAS or SAN device using industry-standard hardware without paying the high prices vendors charge for dedicated storage appliances. Open source software also offers users the option to set up a cloud storage solution where they have control over security and privacy, and it can also offer affordable options for backup and recovery.

The list below features 64 open source storage projects that are among the best options available for enterprises, SMBs and individual users. Please note that this is not a ranking. Entries are organized into categories and then alphabetized within the categories.

If you know of additional open source storage applications that you believe should be on our list, feel free to note them in the Comments section below.

NAS/SAN Software

1. Ceph

https://o1.qnsr.com/log/p.gif?;n=203;c=204660761;s=10655;x=7936;f=201812281257540;u=j;z=TIMESTAMP;a=20400368;e=i

Crystal reports download free trial. Red Hat's Ceph offers unified object and block storage capabilities. It's a distributed storage solution that boasts excellent performance, scalability and reliability. Well-known users include Cisco, DreamHost, CERN, Bloomberg, and Deutsche Telekom. Operating System: Linux

2. CryptoNAS

This project aims to simplify the process of setting up an encrypted fileserver. It comes in a live-CD package or a server package that adds a web front-end. Operating System: Linux

3. ESOS

Short for Enterprise Storage OS, ESOS is a Linux distribution for setting up a storage array on your own hardware. Commercial support is available. Operating System: Linux

4. FreeNAS

FreeNAS claims to be the 'the World's #1 storage OS with over 10+ million downloads.' It counts the United Nations, the University of Florida, the Salvation Army, Reuters, Michigan State University, the Department of Homeland Security and many other organizations among its users. It can be installed on nearly any hardware to turn it into a network attached storage (NAS) device. Paid, supported enterprise solutions based on the same technology are available under the TrueNAS brand name. Operating System: FreeBSD

5. NAS4Free

Another option for do-it-yourself NAS, NAS4Free claims to be 'the simplest and fastest way to create a centralized and easily-accessible server for all kinds of data.' Key features include the ZFS file system, software RAID (levels 0, 1 or 5) and disk encryption. Operating System: FreeBSD

6. Openfiler

As a unified storage solution, Openfiler aims to combine the best features of NAS storage with the best features on SAN storage. Key features include high availability/failover, block replication and Web-based management. Its users include Motorola, Pratt & Whitney, Bill Me Later and the London Metropolitan Police. A paid commercial edition is available. Operating System: Linux

7. OpenMediaVault

Based on Debian Linux, OpenMediaVault describes itself as a 'next-generation network attached storage (NAS) solution.' It was designed to provide NAS for home users or small offices. It offers a Web-based administration console and includes software RAID capabilities. Operating System: Linux

8. Turnkey Linux File Server

The Turnkey Linux project offers images for setting up Linux-based servers for a variety of purposes, including an image for creating a simple NAS device. It includes support for SMB, SFTP, NFS, WebDAV and rsync file transfer protocols. Operating System: Linux

Filesystems

9. Btrfs

A joint project supported by Facebook, Fujitsu, Intel, the Linux Foundation, Netgear, Novell, Oracle, Red Hat and others, Btrfs is a copy on write (CoW) filesystem for Linux. It focuses on 'fault tolerance, repair and easy administration.' Operating System: Linux

Attached

10. Ext4

Included in most popular Linux distributions, Ext4 supports file systems up to 1 EB in size with up to 16 TB per file. Other key features include extents, multiblock allocation, delayed allocation, Fast fsck, journal checksumming, 'no journaling' mode, online defragmentation and more. Operating System: Linux

11. GlusterFS

A Red Hat project, GlusterFS is a highly scalable file system built for applications like media streaming and big data analytics. Professional support is available through third-party vendors. It has a large and active user community, and the website includes links to many Gluster-related blogs. Operating System: Linux

12. Lustre

Network Attached Storage Reviews

Built to handle the needs of high-performance computing (HPC) environments, Lustre is a scalable parallel file system. It was first developed at Carnegie Mellon University, and its first users included various U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. The latest version, released in April, supports Data on MDT, file-level redundancy, lock ahead and more. Operating System: Linux

13. ZFS

Also incorporated into many Linux distributions, including Arch, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu and others, ZFS is another highly scalable file system. It includes compression, protection against data corruption, snapshots, RAID support and more. Operating System: Linux, macOS, FreeBSD

RAID

14. DRBD

DRBD is an open source solution for building high-availability storage clusters based on RAID-1. Commercial products, including software-defined storage, disaster recovery and high availability solutions based on the same technology, are available through project sponsor Linbit. Operating System: Linux

15. Mdadm

Built into the Linux kernel, mdadm makes it easy to create, manage and monitor storage arrays. It can also move spares between RAID arrays. More information is also available on the Linux RAID wiki. Operating System: Linux

Somewhere along the way, I picked up Ami Professional 1.2 (made bySamna, which has since been acquired by Lotus Development Corp.) andgave it a try. Wordperfect 5.1 on windows 10.

16. Raider

Raider is a bash shell script that allows users convert any Linux disk into a RAID array with software RAID 1, 4, 5, 6 or 10. It works with many of the most popular Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, OpenSUSE, Fedora, Linux Mint and others. Operating System: Linux

17. RaidEye

RaidEye isn't so much a tool for creating RAID devices as a utility for monitoring RAID volumes. It works with the RAID capabilities built into macOS and notifies users of problems via a sound alarm, popup dialog and email. Operating System: macOS

18. SnapRAID

SnapRAID arrays can recover from up to six disk failures. The tool was built for home media servers or other environments with a lot of big files that rarely change. Key features include data hashing, the ability to recover deleted files and no lock-in. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

Backup and Synchronization

19. AMANDA

The Advanced Maryland Automatic Network Disk Archiver, or AMANDA, is a popular network backup solution that can save data from Linux, Unix or Windows systems to hard drives, tape or optical media. It was last updated in December 2017. Zmanda, which sponsors the project, offers commercial products based on the same technology. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS.

20. Areca Backup

Designed for personal use, Area is a simple but versatile backup solution. Key features include delta backup, compression, encryption, filters, as-of-date recovery and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux

21. BackupPC

Robust enough for enterprise use, BackupPC backs up data from Linux and Windows systems to disk. Noteworthy features include a unique pooling scheme, optional compression, a web interface and support for mobile devices. It claims to be highly configurable and easy to install and maintain. Operating System: Windows, Linux

22. Bacula

Another option for enterprises, Bacula is a network backup solution that aims to be easy to use and very efficient. It claims to be the most popular open source backup program. Commercial support and services for the solution are available through Bacula Systems. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

23. Bareos

Forked from Bacula, Bareos is a popular open source backup option that is under very active development with the latest version released in February 2018. The Bareos.com website offers paid support and services for the tool. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

24. Box Backup

This 'completely automatic' backup solution creates backups continuously and can also create snapshots when desired. It includes encryption and optional RAID capabilities, and old file versions and deleted files remain available. Operating System: Windows, Linux

25. BURP

Short for 'BackUp And Restore Program,' BURP is a network backup solution. It offers a choice of two different protocols: one based on librsync (see below) and one that uses variable length chunking for inline deduplication. It is designed to be easier to configure than some other open source solutions, and it can do delta backups. Operating System: Windows, Linux

26. Clonezilla

Designed to replace Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost, Clonezilla is useful for both system deployment and backup and recovery. It comes in two flavors: live for standalone systems and SE for network backup or cloning multiple systems at once. The SE version can clone 40 or more systems at once. Operating System: Linux

27. Create Synchronicity

Powerful but lightweight, this backup tool takes up only 220KB of space on your hard drive. It supports multiple languages, has an intuitive interface and includes a scheduler. It is also helpful for syncing photos, music and other files across devices. Operating System: Windows

28. DAR

Disk Archive, a.k.a. DAR, is an older command-line tool for backup, but it is still being updated regularly with the most recent version released in April 2018. For those who prefer a GUI, one is available through the DarGUI project. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

29. DirSync Pro

This 'small but powerful,' utility offers incremental backup, filtering and scheduling capabilities. It also boasts an intuitive interface, and it offers the ability to analyze two sets of files or folders and detect the changes between them. It also includes a helpful real-time synchronization option. Operating System: Windows

30. Duplicati

Duplicati works with cloud storage services like AWS S3, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive and Box to create backups with AES-256 encryption. It does a full backup on first use and incremental backups after that; it also offers data deduplication capabilities. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

31. FOG

FOG offers cross-platform cloning and imaging capabilities plus remote management for networks of any size. It offers support through forums and a wiki. Operating System: Linux, Windows, macOS.

32. FreeFileSync

A tool for standalone systems, FreeFileSync aims to save users time when setting up and running backups. It is cross-platform and includes 64-bit support. Tutorials and a manual are available on the website. Operating System: Linux, Windows, macOS

33. FullSync

Although it was designed to help web developers push updates to their sites, FullSync can also be used by anyone to create backups. Key features include multiple modes, flexible rules, buffered filesystems, support for multiple file transfer protocols and more. Note that development on this project has slowed somewhat as it hasn’t been updated since April 2016. Operating System: Linux, Windows, macOS

34. Grsync

Grsync takes the older rsync synchronization tool and adds an easy-to-use GUI. Noteworthy features include unlimited sessions, highlighted errors, batch capabilities, simulations, support for multiple languages and more. Operating System: Linux, Windows, macOS

35. Mondo Rescue

For Linux and FreeBSD only, Mondo Rescue is a disaster recovery solution that supports tape, disk, network or optical media backups. According to its website, its users include 'Lockheed-Martin, Nortel Networks, Siemens, HP, IBM, and dozens of smaller companies.' The most recent update was released in April 2016. Operating System: Linux, Free BSD

36. Partimage

This tool saves partitions of drives as image files, making it useful for backup or installing the same image on multiple systems. It can run across networks or on a standalone PC. It can also be used to create a SystemRescueCD. Operating System: Linux

37. Redo

Redo boasts that its bare-metal restore capabilities can get a crashed system back up and running in as little as 10 minutes. It's very easy to use and can also recover deleted images and files. Operating System: Windows, Linux

38. Rsync

Rsync is a Unix-based file-transfer utility with synchronization capabilities that make it suitable for creating backups or mirroring. It's a useful tool but is best used by advanced users. The most recent version was released in January 2018. Operating System: Linux, Windows, macOS

39. Synkron

While this app is focused primarily on synchronization, it can be used for creating backups as well. Key features include analysis capabilities, blacklisting, restores and cross-platform support. Documentation is available in both German and English. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

40. Unison

Like Synkron, Unison is a file synchronization tool. It can copy files between any two systems connected to the internet, and it has features in common with source code management tools as well as with backup utilities. Its advantage over some other synchronization tools is that it can combine two sets of files where both sets have undergone changes. Operating System: Windows, Unix

41. UrBackup

This client-server backup solution does both image and file backups. It promises 'both data safety and a fast restoration time.' It makes backups while the system is in use without interrupting normal operation. Operating System: Windows, Linux

42. Weex

The Weex developers intended it primarily as a tool for pushing content to websites, but it can also be used to synchronize or backup files. It supports FTP file transfer and uses caching to speed data transfer. Operating System: Windows, Linux

Online/Cloud Data Storage

43. CloudStack

This Apache Foundation project is open source cloud computing platform that includes cloud storage capabilities. Noteworthy features include compute orchestration, network as a service capabilities, user and account management, resource accounting and support for multiple hypervisors. Operating System: Windows, Linux

44. CloudStore

This Dropbox alternative synchronizes data between a system and online storage. It promises strong encryption, password-less authentication, flexible synchronization, fast setup and auto-resumes for interrupted data transfers. https://omgneeds.netlify.app/play-games-for-prizes.html. Operating System: Linux

45. Cozy

Cozy is both an open source project for storing personal data online and a free service for managing and securing sensitive data. Note that the free hosting is for up to 5GB of data; additional storage will require a fee. Operating System: Linux

46. FTPbox

Want to set up your own cloud storage server? FTPbox makes it easy to be your own cloud provider, with all files transferred via FTP. Operating System: Windows

47. OpenStack

Probably the best-known open source cloud computing platform, OpenStack offers a complete operating system for controlling compute, networking and, of course, storage in the cloud. It incorporates three sub-projects related to storage: Cinder, Swift and Manila. Operating System: Windows

48. Perkeep

Formerly known as Camlistore, Perkeep describes itself as 'a set of open source formats, protocols, and software for modeling, storing, searching, sharing and synchronizing data in the post-PC era.' It's still under very active development and will require some technical knowhow to use. Operating System: Linux

49. Pydio

Downloaded more than a million times, Pydio counts the University of Cambridge, Seagate, Guitar Center, Washington State University and Nikon among its users. It offers cloud-based file management and sharing. A paid enterprise distribution is available. Operating System: Windows, Linux (Android and iOS clients available)

50. Rockstor

Rockstor makes it possible to create your own NAS or cloud storage solution based on Linux and BTRFS. It comes in both personal and SMB versions. Operating System: Linux

51. SeaFile

SeaFile describes itself as 'an enterprise file hosting platform with high reliability and performance.' You can download the code for free or use the paid pro edition that includes support. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS

52. SparkleShare

SparkleShare creates a special folder on your system that is automatically synchronized with a host folder stored on your server or in the cloud. It includes encryption capabilities, and it is a good option for collaborating on documents that change frequently. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

53. StackSync

Create your own scalable personal cloud with StackSync. It encrypts all data on the client side and works with cloud storage services or your own server. Operating System: Windows, Linux

54. Syncthing

Like many of the other projects in this category, Syncthing offers an alternative to Dropbox. It keeps data completely private with encryption and authentication requirements. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

Storage Management

55. Libvirt Storage Management

Libvirt is an API for creating storage pools and volumes on a host system. It supports a wide variety of storage pool types including directory, filesystem, network filesystem, logical volume, disk, iSCSI, SCSI, Gluster, ZFS and more. Operating System: Linux

56. openAttic

This tool offers management and monitoring capabilities for the Ceph distributed storage platform. It offers a dashboard, as well as tools for managing pools, block devices, iSCSI, NFS, Ceph Object Gateway and Ceph nodes. Operating System: Linux

Distributed Storage/Big Data Tools

57. Alluxio

Alluxio (Formerly known as Tachyon) describes itself as 'open-source memory-speed virtual distributed storage.' It works with tools like Spark, Hadoop, Flink, Zeppelin and Presto to speed performance on big data queries. Operating System: Linux, macOS

58. Hadoop

Nearly synonymous with big data, Hadoop is a widely used open source distributed storage platform for processing data. It is an Apache Foundation project, and the organization also oversees dozens of related projects. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

59. HPCC

This Hadoop alternative also offers distributed storage and massive scalability. Paid enterprise services are available. Operating System: Linux

60. Sheepdog

The Sheepdog website describes this project as 'a distributed object storage system for volume and container services and manages the disks and nodes intelligently.' It supports snapshotting, cloning and thin provisioning, and it is compatible with OpenStack Swift and Amazon S3. Operating System: Linux

Compression

61. 7-zip

This archiving utility can compress files 30 to 70 percent smaller than WinZip can, and 2 to 10 percent smaller than most other zip programs. It includes encryption capabilities, self-extracting files, a powerful file manager and support for a wide variety of compression formats. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS

Free Network Attached Storage Software For Windows 10

62. ArcThemALL

ArcThemALL can compress to UPX, ZIP or 7Z formats and extracts 33 other types of archive files. It can also create self-extracting archives and includes AES-256 encryption capabilities. Operating System: Windows

Network Attached Storage Definition

63. Keka

Free Network Software

For macOS, Keka is a port of 7-zip. It also compresses to Zip, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, DMG and ISO formats. Operating System: macOS

64. PeaZip

Amazingly versatile, PeaZip can open more than 180 different types of archived files, and it writes to seven, including ZIP and 7Z. It also includes security features like strong encryption, encrypted password manager, two-factor authentication, secure delete and file hashing. Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS.