XDA-Developers wrote this week about skipping a new NAS and reviving an old server with OpenMediaVault. It is the right playbook. A decade-old office server with eight drive bays still outclasses most consumer NAS units on RAM and CPU, and free open-source software turns it into a modern network storage box. Here are the best desktop apps for reviving an old server as a NAS in 2026, from the OS you install first to the tools that keep it healthy.
What matters when turning old hardware into a NAS
A revived server is a moving target. Drives fail on old hardware more often than new. Fans get loud. Power draw at idle matters. A good NAS stack does five things: it installs on the smallest possible boot device (a USB stick, a small SSD), it exposes storage over SMB and NFS, it schedules snapshots or parity, it plays with Docker for extra services, and it warns you before a drive dies. The apps below cover:
- Turnkey NAS operating systems
- SMB, NFS, and iSCSI shares
- Snapshot and parity for data protection
- Container hosting for the services you also want on the box (Jellyfin, Plex, Nextcloud)
- SMART reporting for drives that were used in 2016
- Backup off-site to keep the whole thing recoverable
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | License | Runs on | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenMediaVault | The default install | GPL | Debian | Web UI + plugin marketplace |
| TrueNAS Core | ZFS-first NAS | BSD | Own OS | Enterprise ZFS |
| Unraid | Mixed drive sizes | Proprietary | Own OS | Parity across mismatched drives |
| Cockpit | Web admin panel | LGPL | Linux | Native RHEL/Fedora ops |
| Portainer | Container UI | Freemium | Docker | Visual stack manager |
| Rclone | Cloud backup | MIT | Any OS | 50+ cloud backends |
| Syncthing | Peer sync | MPL | Any OS | Decentralized folder sync |
| Snapraid | Snapshot parity | GPL | Linux, Windows | Parity for mismatched arrays |
The apps
1. OpenMediaVault — the default install
OpenMediaVault is a Debian-based NAS OS designed for repurposed hardware. Full web UI, plugin marketplace, and drivers that support most 2014-era Xeon boards without a fight. Runs in RAM for daily operation, so a small SSD or USB stick holds the OS.
Where it falls short: the plugin ecosystem is narrower than TrueNAS’s, and ZFS support is a plugin rather than a first-class citizen.
Pricing:
- Free: GPL
Platforms: any x86_64 or ARM Debian target
Download: OpenMediaVault | GitHub
Bottom line: the fastest path from an old server to a working NAS with a web UI.
2. TrueNAS Core — best for ZFS
TrueNAS Core is the free version of iXsystems’ enterprise NAS. ZFS-first, so snapshots, replication, and self-healing storage are baked in. If the old server has 16 GB of ECC RAM, ZFS on it is a serious upgrade over Ext4 or Btrfs.
Where it falls short: ZFS wants 1 GB of RAM per TB of storage; on a low-RAM box it is not the right pick. TrueNAS SCALE is the Linux-based successor; consider it if you plan to run containers.
Pricing:
- Free: BSD Core edition
- Paid: iXsystems support contracts for enterprise
Platforms: own OS (installs on x86_64 servers)
Download: TrueNAS
Bottom line: the pick when the old server has real RAM and you want ZFS.
3. Unraid — best mixed drive sizes
Unraid is the paid pick for a reason. It handles a pile of mismatched drives (2 TB, 4 TB, 8 TB) as one array with parity, unlike ZFS which wants equal-sized drives per vdev. If the revived server is stuffed with the drives you accumulated over ten years, Unraid gets more storage out of them than the free options.
Where it falls short: it is proprietary and paid, and the read/write speeds sit behind ZFS on the same hardware.
Pricing:
- Paid: one-time license (Starter, Unleashed, Lifetime tiers)
Platforms: own OS (installs from USB)
Download: Unraid
Bottom line: the pick when your old server is stuffed with mismatched drives.
4. Cockpit — best web admin panel
Cockpit is Red Hat’s web admin panel for Linux servers. If you install a stock Debian, Ubuntu, or Fedora and want SMB and NFS without a NAS-specific distro, Cockpit gives you the web UI for the rest. Modules for storage, networking, containers, and VMs.
Where it falls short: the storage module lags TrueNAS or OMV on advanced features (no ZFS wizard, no built-in SMART reporting UI).
Pricing:
- Free: LGPL
Platforms: Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu
Bottom line: the pick if you want a plain Linux NAS with a web UI on top, not a full NAS OS.
5. Portainer — best container UI
Portainer puts a browser UI on Docker. Old servers make good places to run Jellyfin, Plex, or Nextcloud alongside file sharing. Portainer stacks a Compose file into the box without you SSH-ing in. Runs alongside OpenMediaVault, TrueNAS SCALE, or plain Linux.
Where it falls short: the free Community Edition caps at three environments. For a single home server that is fine.
Pricing:
- Free: Community Edition
- Paid: Business tier for larger installs
Platforms: Docker on Linux (Windows, macOS if the NAS is Windows or Docker Desktop-based)
Bottom line: the visual layer for the extras (media, cloud) you host next to file shares.
6. Rclone — best cloud backup
Rclone is the Swiss Army knife for pushing NAS data to cloud storage. 50+ backends (S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, Google Drive, OneDrive), encrypted overlays, and rsync-style commands. Set a cron job and the whole NAS backs up to a cheap object store each night.
Where it falls short: the CLI is powerful but expressive; a mistaken flag can delete instead of sync.
Pricing:
- Free: MIT
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Bottom line: the off-site backup layer that keeps the revived server recoverable.
7. Syncthing — best peer sync
Syncthing keeps folders in sync between the NAS and any device that runs it, without a cloud in the middle. Photos from a laptop land on the NAS as soon as they save. A second Syncthing peer at a friend’s house is a free geo-redundant backup.
Where it falls short: conflict handling requires occasional manual cleanup, and mobile clients sit behind on iOS.
Pricing:
- Free: MPL
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS (via third-party)
Bottom line: the cloud-less sync layer for user devices talking to the NAS.
8. Snapraid — best snapshot parity
Snapraid is a snapshot-based parity tool for mismatched drives. Unlike RAID, it does not require equal drives, and unlike Unraid, it is free. Runs a “sync” command on a schedule, and one parity drive protects against the loss of any data drive. Great when the revived server has cheap consumer drives.
Where it falls short: parity is snapshotted, not live, so a drive that fails between snaps loses data written after the last sync.
Pricing:
- Free: GPL
Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS
Bottom line: the parity layer for a box full of consumer drives when Unraid’s price is a step too far.
How to pick the right one
If you want a turnkey install, use OpenMediaVault. If the box has real ECC RAM and same-size drives, install TrueNAS Core for ZFS instead. If it has ten mismatched drives, buy Unraid. If you already know Debian or Fedora and want a plain Linux server, layer Cockpit on top. Add Portainer the day you want Jellyfin or Nextcloud next to the shares. Add Rclone for off-site backup. Add Syncthing for user devices. Add Snapraid as a free parity layer when Unraid is not on the shopping list.
FAQ
Is OpenMediaVault really free?
Yes. It is GPL-licensed and self-hosted. No subscription, no account. Community plugins add features (Docker, ZFS, Nextcloud) at no cost.
Do I need ECC RAM to run a NAS?
Not strictly, but it is strongly recommended if you run ZFS. Non-ECC RAM works for OpenMediaVault with Ext4 or Btrfs and for most Unraid setups.
Can an old server be quieter than a purpose-built NAS?
Sometimes. Swap the stock high-RPM fans for Noctua or be quiet! equivalents; the boards usually run them fine, and idle noise drops dramatically. Power draw is a bigger concern, so measure with a watt meter before committing.
What is the best free NAS OS for a revived server?
OpenMediaVault for most users. TrueNAS Core if you have the RAM for ZFS. Cockpit on plain Linux if you want a stock distro rather than a NAS-specific one.
How do I back up the NAS itself?
Rclone to a cloud object store (Backblaze B2, Wasabi) covers off-site. A second Syncthing peer at a friend’s house covers peer redundancy. Both together give you a real 3-2-1 backup plan.