StarWind Virtual SAN
StarWind Virtual SAN: An affordable virtual SAN with broad hypervisor support and a capable free edition. Ranked #10 of 28 in Storage Management Software by our editors (8.0/10); pricing: Free plan · pricing on request · 30-day trial; best for affordable virtual SAN for mixed hypervisors.
At a glance
- Editor score8.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan · pricing on request · 30-day trial
- Best forAffordable virtual SAN for mixed hypervisors
- Free planYes
- DeploymentOn_prem
- Founded2003 · Beverly, Massachusetts, USA
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free edition includes replication, monitoring, expansion, and multiple protocols
- Supports Hyper-V, VMware, KVM, Proxmox, and XenServer
- Web console, PowerShell CLI, and management integrations
Where it doesn't
- Commercial pricing is quote-based
- The free edition is self-supported
- Full feature access requires the paid Virtual SAN plan
Our verdict on StarWind Virtual SAN
StarWind Virtual SAN pools server-attached disks into shared storage for virtualized and hyperconverged infrastructures. It is designed for enterprise remote and branch offices, small and midsize businesses, and edge deployments. The product can run as a Windows application or as a Linux-based controller virtual machine, with deployment options spanning self-hosted and cloud environments. Its broad hypervisor coverage makes it a practical fit for organizations operating mixed virtualization estates rather than a single-platform environment.
Pricing is structured around a free edition and a quote-based commercial plan. Virtual SAN Free is self-supported and includes storage management and monitoring plus SAN and NAS protocol support. The published offer describes it as a 1-year license with 5 TB of licensed HA-replicated capacity. A 30-day free trial is also available. The paid Virtual SAN plan unlocks every feature and adds professional technical support and assisted deployment; commercial pricing is provided through a sales quote. Buyers should therefore compare the value of support and deployment assistance against the operational needs of their environment.
Its strongest technical focus is shared storage availability and ecosystem fit. Synchronous inter-node replication supports high availability, while scale-up and scale-out expansion, ZFS-based local redundancy, and a web management console support ongoing storage administration. PowerShell CLI and management integrations extend control beyond the browser. Protocol support includes iSCSI, SMB3, NFS, NVMe-oF, and iSER, with integrations for Veeam Backup & Replication and VMware vCenter. Choose StarWind Virtual SAN if you need affordable shared storage across mixed hypervisors and can manage a self-supported free edition or obtain a commercial quote. Organizations seeking a fully supported product without sales-led pricing should look elsewhere.
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StarWind Virtual SAN pricing
All 2 StarWind Virtual SAN plans and prices →
StarWind Virtual SAN fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Deployment | On_prem |
| Capacity monitoring | Yes |
| Storage provisioning | Not verified |
| Performance optimization | Yes |
| Automated tiering | Not verified |
| Storage protocols | iSCSI, SMB3, NFSv4.1, NVMe-oF, iSER |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, Cloud |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Linux |
| Support | Email, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 7 integrations: Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere, Red Hat KVM, Proxmox, Citrix XenServer, Veeam Backup & Replication … |
| Pricing | Free plan · pricing on request · 30-day trial (source) |
| Website | starwindsoftware.com |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
StarWind Virtual SAN integrations
StarWind Virtual SAN lists 7 integrations on its own site.
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- VMware vSphere
- Red Hat KVM
- Proxmox
- Citrix XenServer
- Veeam Backup & Replication
- VMware vCenter
Alternatives to StarWind Virtual SAN
- TrueNASA free, broad storage platform for teams comfortable managing self-hosted infrastructure.9.3
- SolarWinds Storage Resource MonitorMulti-vendor storage monitoring with forecasting, alerts, and application mapping.9.1
- Hitachi Ops CenterA focused suite for administering, optimizing and automating supported Hitachi storage.9.0
See all StarWind Virtual SAN alternatives →
Also Ranked In
StarWind Virtual SAN is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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