Proxmox VE vs TrueNAS
Proxmox and TrueNAS do different jobs, which is why people get stuck choosing. Proxmox is a hypervisor for running VMs and containers. TrueNAS is a NAS operating system built around ZFS storage. The real question is which one is the base of your box, and whether you run the other inside it. For storage-first, TrueNAS. For compute-first, Proxmox.
Updated 2026-06-03 · by Jonathan Caruso
Side by side
| Proxmox VE | TrueNAS | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Hypervisor (VMs and containers) | NAS / storage (ZFS) |
| Storage | ZFS, Ceph, LVM | ZFS (its focus) |
| VMs / containers | Native (KVM + LXC) | VMs and Docker apps (secondary) |
| File shares (SMB/NFS) | Manual (container or VM) | First-class |
| Apps ecosystem | Build your own | App catalog |
| Clustering | Built-in | Limited |
| Best as | The compute base | The storage base |
| Run the other inside | TrueNAS as a VM (HBA passthrough) | Apps and VMs, but storage-first |
Different jobs, common confusion
Proxmox exists to run virtual machines and containers, with storage as a supporting feature. TrueNAS exists to serve and protect storage with ZFS, with VMs and apps as supporting features. They overlap enough to look like competitors, but each is clearly better at its own half.
So do not ask which is better in the abstract. Ask what the box is mostly for. If it is mainly storage and file shares, that is TrueNAS. If it is mainly running services and VMs, that is Proxmox.
Storage-first vs compute-first
For a dedicated NAS, TrueNAS gives you a polished storage experience: easy SMB and NFS shares, snapshot management, replication, and an app catalog, all built around ZFS. Doing the same on Proxmox means setting up shares by hand from a container, which works but is more DIY.
For a box whose job is running a dozen services and some VMs, Proxmox is the better base. It does ZFS natively for its own storage, so you still get checksummed pools, you just manage them as a hypervisor rather than through a NAS UI.
Running both on one box
A very common homelab pattern is Proxmox as the base with TrueNAS running as a VM, passing the disk controller (HBA) through to TrueNAS so it owns the drives directly. You get TrueNAS's storage experience plus Proxmox's virtualization on a single machine.
It works well, but PCIe passthrough adds complexity and a few failure modes, and your storage now depends on the hypervisor being healthy. The simpler alternatives are running them on separate boxes, or skipping TrueNAS and using ZFS directly on Proxmox with a lightweight file-sharing container.
Do you even need TrueNAS if you have Proxmox?
Not necessarily. Proxmox supports ZFS out of the box, so you can build a pool and share it from a small container, and skip a dedicated NAS OS entirely. You lose TrueNAS's friendly shares UI and app catalog, but you avoid running a whole extra operating system.
Use TrueNAS when you want that polished storage management and app ecosystem. Skip it when you are comfortable managing ZFS on Proxmox and would rather keep the stack simple. For the closest storage-OS comparison, see TrueNAS vs Unraid, and for the filesystem itself, Btrfs vs ZFS.
Where Proxmox VE wins
- The best homelab hypervisor, with native KVM, LXC, and clustering.
- Native ZFS, Ceph, and LVM storage for its own pools.
- Flexible base that can host TrueNAS as a VM if you want both.
Where TrueNAS wins
- The best dedicated NAS experience, built around ZFS.
- First-class SMB and NFS shares, snapshots, and replication.
- App catalog and a friendly UI for storage management.
Which to pick, by situation
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The box is mainly storage and file shares | TrueNAS | Polished ZFS storage, shares, and snapshots out of the box. |
| The box is mainly VMs and services | Proxmox VE | Best hypervisor, with native ZFS for its own storage. |
| One box for both, storage-first | Both | Proxmox base with TrueNAS as a VM and HBA passthrough. |
| Want ZFS shares without a whole NAS OS | Proxmox VE | ZFS pool on Proxmox plus a file-sharing container. |
The verdict
Pick the base by the box's main job. For storage and file shares, run TrueNAS. For VMs and services, run Proxmox, which does ZFS natively for its own pools. For one machine that does both, the common answer is Proxmox as the base with TrueNAS as a VM and HBA passthrough, or simply ZFS on Proxmox with a file-sharing container if you want to keep it simple. See TrueNAS vs Unraid for the storage-OS comparison.
Choose Proxmox VE if the box is mainly for running VMs and services, and you want native ZFS for its own storage.
Choose TrueNAS if the box is mainly a NAS, and you want a polished ZFS storage experience with shares and an app catalog.
Official links
Proxmox VE
FAQ
Is Proxmox good for a NAS?
It can do ZFS storage natively and serve shares from a container or VM, but it is a hypervisor first, so the NAS experience is more do-it-yourself than TrueNAS. For a dedicated NAS, TrueNAS is friendlier; for compute plus some storage, Proxmox is fine.
Do I need TrueNAS if I have Proxmox?
Not necessarily. Proxmox supports ZFS directly, so you can build a pool and share it from a lightweight container. TrueNAS adds a polished shares UI, snapshot management, and an app catalog. Use it if you want that, or skip it if you are comfortable managing ZFS on Proxmox.
What are the disadvantages of Proxmox as a NAS?
Its file-sharing and storage management are DIY compared to TrueNAS, there is no app catalog, and you configure SMB and NFS yourself. The ZFS underneath is the same; the difference is the friendly NAS layer on top, which TrueNAS provides and Proxmox does not.
Is TrueNAS still free?
Yes. TrueNAS Community Edition is free and open source, the same as Proxmox VE. Neither charges for the base software.