TrueNAS vs FreeNAS
If you are comparing TrueNAS vs FreeNAS, the short answer is that they are the same project at different points in time. FreeNAS got renamed to TrueNAS CORE back in 2020, and FreeNAS as a name is gone. The real decision in 2026 is not TrueNAS vs FreeNAS. It is whether to stay on the old FreeBSD line (TrueNAS CORE, now in maintenance only) or move to the Linux-based flagship, TrueNAS Community Edition. Here is the full timeline, what actually changed under the hood, and where to land.
Updated 2026-06-04 · by Jonathan Caruso
Side by side
| TrueNAS | FreeNAS | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Actively developed (Community Edition) | Discontinued; renamed to TrueNAS CORE in 2020 |
| Last release under this name | 25.10 "Goldeye" (Oct 2025) | FreeNAS 11.3-U5 (2020) |
| Base OS | Debian Linux (Community Edition) | FreeBSD |
| Filesystem | OpenZFS | OpenZFS (older branch) |
| Apps / add-ons | Docker containers | FreeBSD jails and plugins |
| Virtualization | KVM virtual machines | bhyve virtual machines |
| Cost | Free, open source | Free, open source (no longer updated) |
| Hardware support | Broad Linux driver pool | Narrower FreeBSD driver set |
The short version: FreeNAS is TrueNAS now
FreeNAS was the free, ZFS-based NAS operating system from iXsystems that ran for over a decade on FreeBSD. In late 2020, with the 12.0 release, iXsystems unified its product names. FreeNAS became TrueNAS CORE, and the paid enterprise build became TrueNAS Enterprise. Same codebase, same FreeBSD foundation, same ZFS, just a new name. FreeNAS 11.3-U5 was the last release to carry the FreeNAS label.
So when someone asks whether to pick TrueNAS or FreeNAS, there is no live FreeNAS to pick. If you are running FreeNAS 11.x today, you are running a build that stopped getting updates in 2020. That alone is the reason to move. You are missing five years of OpenZFS fixes, security patches, and driver updates.
CORE vs SCALE, and why the Linux line won
After the rename, iXsystems shipped two free builds. TrueNAS CORE kept the FreeBSD lineage that FreeNAS users knew. TrueNAS SCALE was a ground-up rebuild on Debian Linux, with Docker and KVM instead of FreeBSD jails and bhyve. For a few years they ran in parallel and people argued about which to use.
That argument is settled. In 2024 iXsystems put TrueNAS CORE into a sustaining phase, meaning security and stability fixes only, no new features. The last CORE feature train was 13.3, with 13.3-U1.2 in April 2025 as its final release. Meanwhile SCALE became the flagship, and with the 25.04 "Fangtooth" release iXsystems dropped the SCALE name entirely. It is now just TrueNAS, or TrueNAS Community Edition for the free build. The current version is 25.10 "Goldeye."
In plain terms: the project that started as FreeNAS now lives on as TrueNAS Community Edition on Linux. The FreeBSD branch you may remember is on life support.
What you get by moving off FreeNAS
The headline change is apps. FreeNAS and CORE used FreeBSD jails and a plugin catalog to run services like Plex or Nextcloud. It worked, but the jail ecosystem was always smaller and quirkier than the Docker world. TrueNAS Community Edition runs standard Docker containers, so you get the entire mainstream container catalog and the same compose files everyone else uses. If you ever fought with iocage or a stale plugin, this is a real upgrade.
Hardware support is the other big one. FreeBSD has a narrower driver pool than Linux, which made certain NICs, HBAs, and newer chipsets a gamble on FreeNAS. The Linux base of TrueNAS Community Edition inherits the much wider Linux driver set, so modern and consumer-grade gear is far more likely to just work. You also get a newer OpenZFS branch with current features and fixes rather than the older one frozen in FreeNAS.
None of this touches your data layout. Both are ZFS, so the storage concepts (pools, vdevs, RAIDZ, snapshots, replication) carry straight over. If you are planning a fresh pool, work out usable capacity and fault tolerance first in the RAID and ZFS storage calculator so you size vdevs correctly before you commit disks.
Migrating from FreeNAS or CORE to Community Edition
iXsystems supports a direct migration path. From a reasonably recent CORE install you can update straight into TrueNAS Community Edition, and the migration imports your pools, datasets, users, and most settings. Your ZFS pools import intact because the on-disk format is shared. The official migration guide is the thing to follow step by step.
Old FreeNAS is the one wrinkle. If you are still on FreeNAS 11.x, the clean route is to update to a late CORE release first, confirm everything is healthy, then migrate to Community Edition. The parts that do not carry over automatically are jails and plugins, because Linux does not run FreeBSD jails. Plan to recreate those services as Docker containers, which is usually quick since the same apps exist as images. Export your config and back up before you start, as with any OS-level move. For a deeper look at where TrueNAS sits against other storage systems, see TrueNAS vs Unraid and Proxmox vs TrueNAS.
When the FreeBSD line still makes sense
There are narrow cases to stay on CORE. If you have a working FreeNAS or CORE box built around FreeBSD jails, a specific FreeBSD-only workflow, or hardware you have validated on FreeBSD and do not want to retest, leaving a stable system alone is reasonable. CORE still gets security and stability patches in its sustaining phase, so an existing deployment is not going to fall over tomorrow.
But understand the direction. CORE gets no new features, and the wider community, tutorials, and app ecosystem have moved to the Linux build. For any new install, or any box you expect to maintain for years, TrueNAS Community Edition is the build that has a future. Treat CORE as a place to keep an existing system running, not a place to start.
Where TrueNAS wins
- Actively developed flagship (Community Edition 25.10 "Goldeye").
- Docker containers for apps, plus KVM virtual machines.
- Linux base means broad hardware support and a current OpenZFS branch.
Where FreeNAS wins
- Mature FreeBSD jails for anyone invested in that workflow.
- Familiar to long-time FreeNAS users; stable on validated hardware.
- Still receives security and stability patches in its sustaining phase.
Which to pick, by situation
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Still running FreeNAS 11.x | TrueNAS Community Edition | FreeNAS stopped updating in 2020. Migrate for five years of ZFS, security, and driver fixes. |
| New NAS build, no legacy setup | TrueNAS Community Edition | Linux base, Docker apps, broad hardware support, actively developed. |
| Want Plex, Nextcloud, and the usual self-hosted apps | TrueNAS Community Edition | Standard Docker containers beat the old FreeBSD jail and plugin catalog. |
| Existing CORE box built on FreeBSD jails | TrueNAS CORE (for now) | Leave a stable system alone, but plan the move since CORE is maintenance only. |
The verdict
There is no TrueNAS vs FreeNAS decision to make anymore. FreeNAS became TrueNAS CORE in 2020, and CORE is now maintenance only. If you are running FreeNAS, you are five years behind on ZFS and security fixes, so migrate. For any new NAS or any system you want supported for years, install TrueNAS Community Edition (currently 25.10 "Goldeye"). Keep CORE only to nurse an existing FreeBSD-jail box along while you plan its move. If you are also weighing other storage platforms, read TrueNAS vs Unraid, Synology vs TrueNAS, or browse TrueNAS alternatives.
Choose TrueNAS if you want the actively developed, Linux-based build with Docker apps and broad hardware support. This is the right choice for almost everyone.
Choose FreeNAS if you have an existing FreeBSD-jail deployment to keep stable, but understand it is maintenance only and plan the eventual move.
Official links
TrueNAS (Community Edition)
FreeNAS / TrueNAS CORE
FAQ
Is TrueNAS better than FreeNAS?
TrueNAS is the same project as FreeNAS, just newer. FreeNAS was renamed TrueNAS CORE in 2020 and stopped getting updates under the FreeNAS name. The current flagship, TrueNAS Community Edition, is actively developed, runs Docker apps, and has broader hardware support, so it is the better choice for almost everyone.
Is FreeNAS discontinued?
Yes, as a name and product. FreeNAS 11.3-U5 in 2020 was the last release to use the FreeNAS name. It became TrueNAS CORE, which itself is now in a maintenance-only sustaining phase. There is no actively developed product called FreeNAS.
Is FreeNAS now TrueNAS?
Yes. iXsystems renamed FreeNAS to TrueNAS CORE with the 12.0 release in late 2020 and unified its product line under the TrueNAS name. The free build continues today as TrueNAS Community Edition on Linux.
What is a TrueNAS jail?
A jail is a FreeBSD feature for running an isolated service, similar in spirit to a container. FreeNAS and TrueNAS CORE used jails (via iocage) and plugins to run apps. The Linux-based TrueNAS Community Edition does not use jails; it runs Docker containers instead, so you migrate jailed apps to container images.
Can I migrate my FreeNAS config to TrueNAS directly?
From a recent TrueNAS CORE install you can update directly to Community Edition, and pools, datasets, users, and most settings carry over. If you are on old FreeNAS 11.x, update to a late CORE release first, then migrate. Jails and plugins do not carry over and need to be recreated as Docker containers. Back up your config first.
Will I lose my ZFS pool when I migrate?
No. Both FreeNAS, CORE, and Community Edition use OpenZFS, and the on-disk pool format is shared, so your pools import intact during a supported migration. Always have a backup before any OS-level change, but the pool itself is not reformatted.
CORE or SCALE, which should I install?
Neither name is current. The build formerly called SCALE is now just TrueNAS Community Edition and is the flagship. CORE (the old FreeBSD line) is maintenance only. For any new install, choose TrueNAS Community Edition.
Is TrueNAS still free?
Yes. TrueNAS Community Edition is free and open source, the same as FreeNAS was. iXsystems sells TrueNAS Enterprise with hardware and support, but the community build is free to download and run indefinitely.