Proxmox, TrueNAS, and Unraid can all handle storage, applications, containers, and virtualization in some form. That overlap makes a home server decision confusing. A list of shared capabilities does not tell you which platform puts your main goal first.
The question behind this comparison is straightforward: what is this server supposed to do? Start there, then consider the platform. There is no universal winner for every home server or homelab.
Three different priorities
Proxmox makes sense to consider when virtualization and homelab infrastructure are the focus. TrueNAS puts storage and data protection first. Unraid is presented here as an all-in-one home server option. Those are the broad priorities behind the comparison, rather than a claim that any one platform owns every task in its category.
Docker, virtual machines, ZFS, storage, and applications all belong in the discussion. Their appearance in a comparison does not by itself settle the choice. The server's primary job should determine the operating system, even when several platforms can cover some of the same ground.
Let the purpose lead
Someone choosing a foundation for a first home server may be thinking about a different goal than someone expanding a homelab. Setting up a NAS and deciding where to run self-hosted applications are also reasons to consider these platforms. The useful comparison begins with the goal of that particular server.
Combining platforms is part of the discussion too. It is an option to consider in the context of what you are trying to build, rather than a reason to assume that one platform has to be the answer to every requirement.
This is a conceptual guide to the choice. It does not establish a hardware compatibility result, a performance ranking, or a configuration procedure. Those details need their own verification before they become the basis for a particular setup.
The main point is to choose the foundation around the work. Decide whether the center of your project is virtualization and homelab infrastructure, storage and data protection, or an all-in-one home server. Then use that priority to frame the comparison.
~ KeepItTechie