JBOD vs. RAID: Which data storage strategy drives better results for MSPs in 2025?

As data volumes grow and storage environments become more complex, managed service providers (MSPs) and IT teams must ensure that their clients’ data is stored securely, cost-effectively, and with optimal performance. Choosing between JBOD and RAID storage configurations plays a critical role in achieving these goals.

In this article, we’ll break down the differences between implementing a JBOD and RAID configuration, compare their pros and cons, and explore how each storage strategy impacts cost, performance, and overall data protection. You’ll also gain practical guidance that will help you align your storage strategy with evolving client needs and industry trends.  

Key takeaways

• Just a bunch of disks (JBOD) combines multiple drives into one storage system without redundancy or performance enhancements, making it best for large archives or cost-sensitive storage with external backups.
• Redundant array of independent disks (RAID) uses striping, mirroring, or parity to improve performance, provide redundancy, or both, making it ideal for mission-critical or high-performance workloads.
• JBOD is budget-friendly and simple to implement, while RAID offers greater protection against data loss and can boost read and write speeds.
• Choosing between JBOD and RAID requires evaluating priorities such as cost, performance, risk tolerance, and data protection needs.
• Both JBOD and RAID are generally part of a broader business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) strategy to safeguard data and minimize downtime.  

What is JBOD?

JBOD, short for “just a bunch of disks”, is a storage configuration that combines multiple drives into a single, logical volume without redundancy.

Think of it as stacking drives together to expand capacity quickly and cost-effectively. Each drive still functions independently, so if one fails, only the data on that drive is lost. Unlike RAID, JBOD offers no built-in fault tolerance or speed enhancements.

JBOD is best suited for:

• Rapidly expanding storage without added complexity.
• Managing large media files or archives that don’t require redundancy.
• Lower-cost storage for non-critical or temporary data.

JBOD use cases (at a glance)

JBOD delivers straightforward, cost-effective storage for large volumes of non-critical or infrequently accessed data.

• Archiving large datasets: Ideal for storing historical records, raw research data, or massive datasets that are rarely accessed but must remain available.
• Cost-effective bulk storage: Combine multiple drives (e.g., 10 drives × 10TB = 100TB) for straightforward, scalable storage.
• 3-2-1 backup compatibility: JBOD works well when paired with external backup solutions, reducing the risk of data loss.
• Drive independence: If one drive fails, only the data on that drive is affected, while other drives and data remain intact.
• Tailored for service providers: MSPs and cloud providers can allocate risk and recovery strategies by data type while keeping costs predictable.

The trade-off: JBOD provides scalability and simplicity but no automatic data protection. MSPs often pair JBOD with robust business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) strategies to mitigate the risk of data loss.

What is RAID?

RAID, which stands for “redundant array of independent disks,” organizes multiple drives into arrays that deliver data redundancy, performance gains, or both, depending on the RAID level selected.

RAID foundational principles

• Data striping: Breaks data into smaller chunks and distributes it across multiple drives. This simultaneous read/write process enhances performance, especially in RAID 0.
• Mirroring: As seen in RAID 1, mirroring duplicates data on two drives. It prioritizes data safety over storage efficiency, ensuring a direct copy of the data is available if one drive fails.
• Parity: In RAID 5 and RAID 6, data is striped across disks with additional space reserved for parity information. Parity allows the system to reconstruct lost data in the event of a drive failure.

For example:

• RAID 0: Maximizes speed but offers no redundancy.
• RAID 1: Mirrors drives for full redundancy.
• RAID 5 or 6: Balances speed and redundancy with parity.
• RAID 10: Combines mirroring and striping for high performance and fault tolerance, with increased hardware costs.

RAID is best suited for:

• Mission-critical workloads requiring continuous uptime.
• Environments where data loss is unacceptable.
• Businesses that prioritize high availability and recovery speed.

RAID use cases (at a glance)

RAID offers flexibility for both data protection and performance. Different RAID levels support distinct business needs.

• Data protection and redundancy
  • RAID 1: Mirrors data across two drives for failover protection.
  • RAID 5 & 6: Use parity to reconstruct data if a drive fails.
  • RAID 10: Combines mirroring and striping for redundancy and speed.
  • Best for: Mission-critical systems, databases, and financial applications where uptime and data integrity are non-negotiable.
• Performance optimization
  • RAID 0: Stripes data across drives to maximize read/write speed.
  • Best for: High-performance workloads such as video editing, scientific simulations, and other tasks requiring fast, parallel data access.

The result: RAID provides stronger resilience and better performance but comes with added complexity and higher costs; factors that MSPs must weigh against client budgets and risk tolerance.

JBOD vs. RAID: Pros and cons

JBOD pros

• Lower cost of entry: No specialized hardware or RAID controllers are required, making JBOD a cost-effective way to expand capacity.
• Simple scalability: Adding additional disks is straightforward, which is beneficial for organizations with rapidly growing storage needs.
• Independent disk usage: If one disk fails, only the data on that drive is lost, and other drives remain fully accessible.
• Good for bulk or archival storage: Suited for non-critical workloads, such as media archives or secondary backups that don’t require real-time access or redundancy.

JBOD cons

• No built-in redundancy: JBOD provides no fault tolerance or data recovery options in the event of a disk failure without an external backup or BCDR solution. In plain English, using a JBOD configuration stores your data but doesn’t protect it.
• Not aligned with compliance standards: Unlike RAID, JBOD typically does not meet the redundancy expectations found in regulated industries or enterprise data retention policies.
• Limited performance benefits: Because drives aren’t striped or mirrored, JBOD does not deliver any speed improvements.
• Manual data management: MSPs must handle data distribution and recovery manually, which can increase administrative overhead.

RAID pros

• Built-in redundancy: Most RAID levels (1, 5, 6, 10) include fault tolerance, which plays a key role in data loss prevention during drive failures.
• Enhanced performance: RAID levels such as 0, 5, and 10 improve read/write speeds through data striping.
• Optimized for critical workloads: Designed for high-availability environments where uptime and rapid recovery are essential.
• Data recovery with parity: Parity-based RAID levels (5, 6) enable recovery from single or dual drive failures, reducing the risk of data loss.
• Aligned with storage best practices: RAID follows proven architecture for reliable data protection and is a foundational element in BCDR strategies.
• Supports compliance standards: Many companies have data storage policies that require RAID-level protection. JBOD typically does not meet these requirements.

RAID cons

• Higher cost: RAID often requires additional drives and controllers, which increases hardware investment.
• Increased complexity: Configuration and management are more advanced, especially for parity-based RAID levels.
• Rebuild time risks: Rebuilding a failed drive in parity-based RAID can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

How to choose between JBOD and RAID

While RAID is widely considered the preferred and default choice for most modern IT environments, especially those subject to compliance or uptime requirements, JBOD still plays a strategic role for storing non-critical data in a cost-effective way. Many MSPs and IT teams implement both configurations to balance performance, fault tolerance, and budget.

For example, RAID is ideal for systems where resilience, speed, and policy compliance are non-negotiable. JBOD, on the other hand, is often used for bulk archival storage or workloads with minimal availability requirements, but must be paired with a reliable BCDR solution to close the gap in data protection.

Use the table below to evaluate when JBOD, RAID, or a hybrid approach is the best fit based on your clients' workloads and risk profiles.