CTERA vs Nasuni (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CTERA grades higher than Nasuni: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CTERA grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick CTERA if
- Fits if you run offices that need to share one set of files
- Works for enterprises that want a private or CTERA-hosted deployment
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are a small team, as it is sold to enterprises
- Skip it if you want a price or a trial
- Watch out: each site needs its own virtualisation capacity for the Edge Filer
- Watch out: Drive Connect and Drive Protect list Windows and macOS only
Pick Nasuni if
- Fits if you have an IT team replacing file servers across sites
- Works for firms that already buy Azure, AWS or Google storage
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are a small team or one person
- Skip it if you want a price, as none is published
- Watch out: cloud object storage is a separate cost from the license
- Watch out: web access for end users is an add-on and the term is 3 years
How we grade them
| 1.8GPACTERAWeak | 1.6GPANasuniWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published, so it cannot be set against the category. | CNo price is published. Licensing is described as per terabyte a year on a 3-year contract, so it cannot be set against the category. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on record. The site offers demos and sales contact. | FNo free plan or trial on record, and everything is a quote. |
| Features | CA global file system, Edge Filers and apps for web, desktop and mobile. Drive Connect and Drive Protect are Windows and macOS only. | CSMB and NFS shares over cloud object storage at every site. Web access for end users is an add-on, not in the base license. |
| Ease of use | DVirtual Edge Filers at each site and a private or hosted model to choose. No store rating on record. | DLocal caches at each site and an IT-led rollout. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Microsoft 365 Copilot. | BWeb, with Azure, AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft 365 behind it. |
| Best for | one global file system across offices for enterprises | replacing office file servers with cloud-backed file shares |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CTERA and Nasuni. How we grade
Where they differ
- CTERA is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
In commonWebFile syncFile sharingFile management
At a glance
| CTERA | Nasuni | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | CTERA Networks | Nasuni |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CTERA
- No prices are published; the site offers demos and sales contact only.
- Deployment is either a private subscription or a CTERA-hosted model, so hosting responsibility depends on which is chosen.
- Edge Filers are virtual appliances, so each site needs its own virtualization capacity.
- Drive Connect and Drive Protect are listed for Windows and macOS only.
Nasuni
- No prices are published: every item on the pricing page says to contact Nasuni or an authorized reseller for list pricing or a quote.
- Licensing is described as per terabyte per year on a 3-year contract paid annually; add-ons use fixed capacity tiers or a per-user fee on the same term.
- Cloud object storage from Azure, AWS or Google Cloud is used beneath the platform and is a separate cost from the license.
- Web access for end users is an add-on, not part of the base license.
Key features
CTERA
- Global file system
- Cloud and on-premises storage silos are presented as one logical namespace, managed from a web-based multi-tenant portal.
- Edge Filers
- Virtual appliances at remote sites provide caching and NFS and SMB gateways, in sizes the site says range from a few users to thousands.
- CTERA Drive apps
- Drive Share syncs and shares files on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android; Drive Connect mounts the file system on Windows and macOS; Drive Protect backs up desktops and laptops.
- Encryption and key control
- The vendor says data is protected with AES-256 end-to-end encryption and that customers keep control of their keys.
- Ransomware and archiving tools
- Ransom Protect and immutable snapshots handle attacks, and an AI-assisted archiving service helps decide what to move to cheaper storage.
Nasuni
- UniFS global file system
- A single file system over cloud object storage, presented as SMB and NFS shares with unlimited edge caching virtual machines.
- Immutable snapshots and recovery
- The core license lists unlimited immutable snapshots as built-in file backup, with self-service and IT-assisted recovery of files and folders.
- Multi-site synchronization
- Files are synchronized across sites, with an optional Multi-Site Collaboration add-on that adds a global file lock.
- Ransomware protection add-on
- A paid add-on offers edge detection, mitigation policies and targeted recovery of only the infected files.
- Advanced Web Access add-on
- Per-user web access to files without a VPN, with password and expiry controls on shared links and Microsoft 365 web editing.
Plans
CTERA
Pricing could not be confirmed. See ctera.com.
Nasuni
Pricing could not be confirmed. See nasuni.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CTERA or Nasuni?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CTERA has no price we could confirm, and Nasuni has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, CTERA or Nasuni?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither CTERA nor Nasuni has a free plan.
Which platforms do CTERA and Nasuni run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CTERA lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.