Stuck choosing between Proxmox and UnRAID for your home server? I break down the key differences in plain English to help you pick the right OS for your needs.

So you’ve got a computer, a list of cool projects, and a desire to build your own home server. Welcome to the club. It’s an exciting first step. But it leads to the first big, head-scratching question: which operating system do you use?

After a bit of searching, you probably landed on the two most common answers: Proxmox and UnRAID. And now you’re stuck.

I’ve been there. I spent way too much time staring at forums and watching videos, trying to figure out which path to take. It felt like a massive decision, and in some ways, it is. But the choice is actually simpler than it seems. It all comes down to one question: What is the primary job of your server?

Let’s break it down.

My Server “To-Do” List

First, I had to get clear on what I actually wanted this thing to do. My plan looked a lot like the ones I see people discussing online. I wanted a central place to:

• Store and serve files: A network-attached storage (NAS) for my important documents and backups.
• Run a media server: Plex was the goal, so I could stream movies and shows anywhere.
• Host a smart home hub: Home Assistant was a must-have.
• Block ads on my network: Using something like Pi-hole or AdGuard Home.
• Tinker: I wanted the freedom to spin up virtual machines (VMs) and containers to experiment with new software without breaking my main setup.

This is a classic “all-in-one” server. Both Proxmox and UnRAID can do all of these things. But they approach the job from completely different angles.

UnRAID: The Storage-First Friend

The easiest way to think about UnRAID is as a super flexible NAS that also happens to be great at running apps.

Its killer feature is how it handles hard drives. You can take a bunch of drives of completely different sizes, toss them in a box, and UnRAID will pool them all into one giant storage space. It protects your data using a “parity drive.” This means if one of your data drives fails, you can pop in a new one and rebuild your lost files.

This is amazing for a media server where you’re constantly adding more storage. Found a cheap 8TB drive on sale? Great, throw it in. Your friend gave you an old 4TB drive? No problem, add it to the pool. You don’t have to worry about matching drive sizes like you do with traditional RAID setups.

The Bottom Line on UnRAID:
* Its strength: Unbeatable storage flexibility. Perfect for building a massive, ever-expanding media library.
* The user experience: It has a very friendly web interface. Setting up apps (as Docker containers) and managing your storage is incredibly straightforward. It’s designed for home users.
* The catch: It’s not free. You pay a one-time fee based on the number of drives you plan to use.

If your number one goal is building a NAS, UnRAID is probably your answer. It makes the storage part dead simple.

Proxmox: The Virtualization Powerhouse

Proxmox comes at the problem from the opposite direction. It’s a “hypervisor.” Its main job is to run virtual machines and containers, and it does this incredibly well.

Think of Proxmox as a powerful, bare-metal foundation for all your virtual projects. It’s built on Debian Linux and includes enterprise-grade tools, but it’s completely free and open-source. You can slice up your server’s resources and dedicate them to a Windows VM, a dozen different Linux containers, and anything else you can dream up.

Storage on Proxmox is more traditional. The most popular choice is ZFS, which is a fantastic file system known for its data integrity features. It can detect and repair data corruption on its own. But it’s also more rigid. With ZFS, you typically create storage pools with drives of the same size. You can’t just toss in random drives like you can with UnRAID. It requires a bit more planning upfront.

The Bottom Line on Proxmox:
* Its strength: It’s the king of virtualization. If you want to run a lot of complex VMs and learn how enterprise-level systems work, this is it.
* The user experience: It has a steeper learning curve. The web interface is powerful but dense. You’ll probably find yourself using the command line to get things done.
* The catch: Storage is less flexible. It’s powerful and safe, but not as forgiving as UnRAID’s mix-and-match approach.

So, How Did I Choose?

After laying it all out, the answer became clear for me. I looked back at my list. While a NAS was on there, my real excitement came from the “tinker” category. I wanted to experiment, to break things in a safe environment, and to have a dozen little projects running at once.

My primary goal was to learn and experiment with VMs and containers. The NAS part was important, but secondary.

Because of that, I chose Proxmox.

It gave me the powerful, flexible foundation for virtualization I was craving. I was willing to accept the more rigid storage requirements and the steeper learning curve because it was the best tool for my main job. I set up my NAS inside a VM on Proxmox, which gives me the best of both worlds.

Don’t Choose the “Best” One, Choose the Right One

There is no single “best” home server OS. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to justify their own choice.

• If your server’s main purpose in life is to be a NAS that holds your growing media collection, and you want the simplest path to get there, start with UnRAID.
• If your server’s main purpose is to be a playground for virtual machines and containers, and you’re excited by the idea of learning a more powerful, professional tool, start with Proxmox.

Forget the hype. Just look at your to-do list, identify your real priority, and pick the tool that’s built for that job. You can’t go wrong. Good luck with your build!