OWC
SoftRAID Lite
RAID Utility Software for for Mac & Windows
The Best RAID Solution in the Universe
The powerful and intuitive software RAID utility for macOS and Windows that offers maximum volume capacity, optimum drive performance, data protection, or a combination of attributes with selectable RAID levels.
SoftRAID Lite is the powerful and intuitive software RAID utility for macOS and Windows that offers you the choice of maximum volume capacity, optimum drive performance, data protection (redundancy), or a combination of those attributes via selectable RAID levels. Packed with data center-level features like active predictive disk failure monitoring and multiple array volume spanning, SoftRAID Lite is ideal for anyone who needs to safely store and backup massive amounts of data including videographers, editors, audio producers, photographers, database and media managers, advertisers, archivers, and more.
SoftRAID Lite Highlights
- Flexible: create RAID 0 and 1 volumes with SoftRAID Lite (Windows and Mac)
- Verify: volume validation ensures sectors can be read, parity is correct, and any potential volume failure is minimized
- Certified: drives are validated before use to ensure they are safe for data storage
- System-wide predictive disk-failure analysis
- Vigilant: predictive warnings help protect against unexpected drive failure
- Cross-platform ready: SoftRAID Lite includes built-in MacDrive technology that lets you read/write SoftRAID RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays and use them interchangeably with Windows and macOS computers
- Outperforms: up to 86% faster than AppleRAID
- Thorough: full TRIM support improves internal and external SSD performance in all RAID levels
- Risk-free: 30-day free trial of fully functional application
Highlights
- Create, monitor, and managing RAID 0, 1 volumes
- Built-in MacDrive technology lets you read/write RAID 0, 1 and share volumes on both macOS and Windows
- Enterprise-class drive health monitoring
- System-wide predictive disk-failure analysis
- Drive Certification
- Receive desktop notifications of drive health issues
Improving A Proven History
As a leading developer of external drives over the past two decades, OWC began offering multi-drive units pre-configured with SoftRAID for enhanced data storage capabilities. Since SoftRAID provided many of the same features customers expected from its hardware, OWC acquired SoftRAID in 2014. Combining our hardware and software teams has resulted in to the easiest to use, most fully featured software RAID package and RAID solutions available.
The Security of Advanced Monitoring
Getting work done fast while keeping your data safe is paramount. When it comes to protection, SoftRAID was designed to keep you working worry-free. SoftRAID validates that new disks are error-free before use, warns you when a disk is about to fail, and even keeps you working if you lose a drive1. All these advanced monitoring tools work in the background to ensure you're constantly protected from a catastrophic, project-killing data loss.
Boost Productivity with 24/7 Monitoring
SoftRAID constantly checks the health of your disks and volumes and will immediately email you a warning when an issue is detected such as a volume is almost full, or a disk is failing. 24/7 monitoring boosts your productivity and confidence your computer can be left unattended while it processes data intensive tasks and project renders. SoftRAID email notifications are also perfect for IT professionals managing server volumes as they can alert to potentially malicious attacks with real-time notifications for high network traffic and high CPU loads.
SoftRAID makes you SMARTer
Don’t just rely on S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) to learn if your data is at risk. SoftRAID goes further by constantly monitoring your disks with a combination of S.M.A.R.T. attributes along with its own I/O statistics. This deeper disk health analysis provides a much richer data set to predict potential problems before you lose data.
The Cross-Platform Workflow Consolidator
For the first time ever SoftRAID Lite enables you to share SoftRAID volumes between a Mac and a PC. Built with MacDrive (another OWC brand), SoftRAID Lite allows you to create, read, and write HFS+ RAID 0 and RAID 1 sets on both macOS and Windows computers. Sharing data between Macs and PCs has never been easier.
Unchains Hardware RAID Limitations
SoftRAID unchains you from expensive hardware RAID technology that’s not upgradeable or expandable and gives you access to your data wherever you are. A SoftRAID license gives you full control of RAID volumes including creation, management and deletion. If other users need to access data, simply install SoftRAID for read/write access.
SoftRAID also enables you to spread volumes over two or more drive enclosures for mind-boggling performance over a single hardware RAID device. Additionally, SoftRAID utilizes your computer’s advanced processing power versus the slow processors found in most hardware RAID enclosures. The result is a fast and flexible RAID array that has negligible impact on your computer system or applications.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of SoftRAID over a hardware RAID is that it you’re not locked into specific hardware in order to access your data. With SoftRAID, you can replace a bad enclosure or upgrade to a new enclosure, the drives can then be moved, and you can access your data without skipping a beat. In contrast, if a hardware RAID system fails and it’s out of production or is no longer supported, all the data could be lost!
Easy Management Interface
SoftRAID’s intuitive interface makes creating and managing RAID volumes easy. All you have to do is decide what the RAID volume will be used for and how much space to use (with hints from the application) to put your RAID plan into action.
Try SoftRAID for Free for 30 Days
Sudden disk failure can cost time, money, and gulp…quite possibly your business. Eliminate that risk by trying SoftRAID completely free for 30 days and see firsthand how it can protect you and your data. Fully functional with no features disabled, this SoftRAID trial provides all the great disk checking and monitoring and easy volume creation attributes that made SoftRAID the most popular RAID setup and management app for years.
- NOTE: The full version of SoftRAID is Mac only. SoftRAID Lite (RAID 0, 1) works with both Mac and Windows.
Product Specifications:
Manufacturer Part Number
Mac OS Compatibility
- OS X 10.10 Yosemite
- OS X 10.11 El Capitan
- macOS 10.12 Sierra
- macOS 10.13 High Sierra
- macOS 10.14 Mojave
- macOS 10.15 Catalina
PC OS Compatibility
- Windows 10 64-bit Edition
Other Requirements
- SoftRAID for Mac requires OS 10.10.5 or later
Manufacturer provided specifications for SoftRAID p/n SOFTRAIDLDVD UPC#: 851382006025
Includes
- (1) SoftRAID Lite Software Installation DVD
- (1) SoftRAID Serial Number (required for installation)
- (1) Quickstart Guide
- (1) Release Notes
Customer Ratings
Write a Review
3.7 / 5
12 out of 18 (67%) reviewers would recommend this product
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: rollacansada
Rating: 4/5
Expensive! but good
September 22, 2022
After paying more than $400 USD forthe software to run on Non-OWC enclosures, I think the message is clear-- buy an expensive OWC enclosure! I would recommend this item to a friend! This review is from OWC SoftRAID XT Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Response from OWC, Support
September 22, 2022
If you have another version of SoftRAID you can get a discount off of the Pro version so you're not paying full price entirely, if you have any questions please reach us at support@owc.com!
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: igor_karpov
Rating: 3/5
Mediocre buying experience and strange software.
September 6, 2022
Firstly, I was surprised when I've found out that Ukraine is missing from the drop-down list. I had to use my Amazon U.S. address to buy it, paying US tax. This is strange at least.
Secondly, there is no RAID 6 support yet. Gents, it is 2022. What are you waiting for? This review is from OWC SoftRAID XT Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Response from OWC, Support
September 8, 2022
Hello Igor, apologies about Ukraine missing from the shipping list. Currently we have a suspension on shipping as our carriers UPS, FedEX, and DHL all will not ship there currently. We do have options but you typically need to call in to speak to a shipping specialist in order to get it taken care of. As for RAID 6, it's currently in it's Beta stage and is being worked on, it should be released shortly and I do apologize for the time that it has taken to do so.
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: AdorableCoyote-94583
Rating: 1/5
Footage held for ransom
August 27, 2022
OWC sells enclosures but fails to mention that if you don’t pay them for continual software upgrades (even if you don’t use their software) they will lock you out of your drives unless you pay their ransom (or an upgrade, as they call it). Never again buying from these scammers. This review is from OWC SoftRAID XT Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: SteveU75
Rating: 1/5
I have had this product for over 3 years. It has been down more than it has been up.
March 13, 2022
OWC Sold it to me when they knew that there was a bug with Catalina that would not allow it to work.
Every time Apple releases an update it stops working.
I understand that some things are out of OWC's Control and that there are challenges working with Apple but I have work to do.
I would not recommend buying it. It throws off enough heat that I had to get a fan for my office.
It was able to mount with the Beta software but when I installed the shipping version of the Beta it will not mount.
Sigh!! This review is from OWC SoftRAID Pro Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Response from OWC, Support
March 15, 2022
Thank you for contacting OWC! We are sorry to hear about your experience with SoftRAID software. We would like to try and and troubleshoot with you further on this matter. We will be reaching out to your shortly.
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: usma68
Rating: 5/5
SoftRaid
February 22, 2022
Works well with both Windows and Mac Os I would recommend this item to a friend! This review is from OWC SoftRAID XT Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Response from OWC, Support
February 22, 2022
Thank you for providing us with your feedback! Please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team if further assistance is needed.
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: rrnowell
Rating: 2/5
SoftRAID 6.2 Needs Improvement
December 15, 2021
I am a long time SoftRAID user. I like the product and want to see it excel. The SoftRAID 6 release is welcome, even though the promised RAID 6 is still a promise. Having said this, I am concerned with SoftRAID now as the OWC purchase or any purchase of a product often leads to its' decline and demise. I feel as I am begging to see this already. There is problem where a RAID 0 disk set doesn't realize consistent throughput enhancements when disks are added to the array. I almost have the sense that SoftRAID tech support is blaming the SSDs. If SoftRAID is going to support only OWC products it is a dead product. I hope this is not going to be the future, but there are a lot of examples of this. When SoftRAID was independent of OWC it was a product that served its' users not a particular storage vendor. I don't know that this is happening, but I am concerned.
If you presume an average SSD read/write speed of 500MB/s and you would have the following Raid 0 maximum limits as expectations...
2 SSDs 1000MB/s
3 SSDs 1500MB/s
4 SSDs 2000MB/s
5 SSDs 2500MB/s
6 SSDs 3000MB/s
7 SSDs 3500MB/s
8 SSDs 4000MB/s
I am seeing the following....
2 SSDs 0999MB/s
3 SSDs 1046MB/s
4 SSDs 1365MB/s
The good thing is that this is agreed to be a problem so as long as it is pursued there is hope it can be resolved. I do see new releases of SoftRAID with improvements and I do recognize that Apple puts their customers through too much for often a very small return and a return that is more about the Apple Ecosystem than it is customer satisfaction. SoftRAID is a great product and I hope these problems can be resolved soon. For now I will limp along hoping the next release at least fixes all the easiest problems/cases. I very much want to see SoftRAID succeed. For me right now just getting Raid 0 and Raid 10 to work optimally and then Raid 4 and 5 is more important than Raid 6.
I would recommend SoftRAID, but I could recommend it more strongly IF the Raid 0 and Raid 10 and Raid 4/5 worked with all the major SSD mfgs most importantly: Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital, SanDisk, Seagate, and others in order of marketshare. I would recommend this item to a friend! This review is from OWC SoftRAID Pro Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Response from OWC, Support
December 17, 2021
Thank you for taking the time to communicate your concerns. Your opinion and experiences are very important to us. We are so very sorry for any troubles or inconvenience this has caused you. We will let our team know of these issues pointed out! Please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team if further assistance is needed.
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: cmj
Rating: 2/5
ARCHAIC system
June 4, 2021
After my trial was up I purchased with enthusiasm a copy of SoftRaid XT. I gave them my email and credit card to pay in full. While I thought like most digital downloads the transaction was immediate, It states that I may have to wait 24 hours for my serial number and download. In the meantime I immediately got a slew of advertisements and junk emails from them immediately...while I still wait for my download...unable to work due to waiting to create a new raid set....GRRRRRR. who waits to send serials for a digital download??!!! This review is from OWC SoftRAID XT Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: CineVideoSolutions
Rating: 2/5
Version 6 has yet to function with my M1 Mac!
May 25, 2021
Being a LONG TIME USER of more than 12 OWC quad raids and SoftRAID, Version 6 has yet to function with my M1 Mac! I have been corresponding with OWC tech support for weeks now!!! We have tried EVERYTHING! This review is from OWC SoftRAID XT Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows.
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: jeancass
Location: coosbay oregon
Age: 55-65
Experience Level: Home User
Owned Product: 3-4 months
Rating: 5/5
Great for Certifying Disks
September 7, 2018
I bought this to certify new disks. Works like a charm. Easy to figure out, and is a great tool at a great price! I would recommend this item to a friend!
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: JBBob
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
Age: Over 65
Experience Level: Power User
Owned Product: less than a month
Rating: 5/5
SoftRAID Line & Mercury enclosure are a great combination!
November 2, 2017
I had used SoftRAID Lite to create a RAID1 for my main TimeMachine using another enclosure and was not happy with the fact that the drives, nor the fans in that enclosure never shut down, even when the computer was asleep. Fortunately, I created the RAID using the independent mode of the enclosure and SoftRAID Lite. I ordered a Mercury Elite Pro Dual RAID USB 3.0 enclosure to move my backup to and was worried I would have to reformat and start my TimeMachine over from scratch. Fortunately when I received the Mercury enclosure all I had to do was install the drives. . . they came back up running RAID1 and my TimeMachine was only off line for less than thirty minutes. This Mercury enclosure shuts down the drives and its fans when not in use.
SoftRAID Line and the Mercury Elite Pro Dual RAID USB 3.0 enclosure are a great combination. Like most everything Mac; They Just Work!
I would recommend this item to a friend!
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: macsrwe
Location: Arizona
Age: 55-65
Experience Level: IT Professional
Owned Product: less than a month
Rating: 4/5
Hobbled version of a great product
November 8, 2016
As far as the SoftRaid software goes, I really like its feature set, interface, and reliability. First rate.
When I bought this particular product, I understood it to be a version discounted as a bundled premium for also purchasing a Thunderbolt bay. I was wrong -- it was a hobbled product that works only with disks in a Thunderbolt bay. The webpage really does not make this clear.
Had I known this, I would have opted for the regular SoftRAID Lite product instead. It is my intention to occasionally pair up a third drive temporarily to each volume in rotation, to store as an offsite backup, for which I was going to use an open-top Drive Dock when necessary, but this version doesn't allow me to do this.
I thought I would make sure other customers are aware that this limitation exists.
This review is from OWC SoftRAID Lite XT Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS and Windows - Physical Disc (DVD).
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: Anonymous
Location: Cupertino, CA
Experience Level: Power User
Owned Product: 1-3 months
Rating: 5/5
A must for critical applications - easy to use as well
July 21, 2016
I bought this along with a used Mac Pro which I then outfitted with an SSD boot drive and four other HDDs. This allowed me to try out various RAID configurations.
SoftRAID was very easy to use and had even more advantages over Apple’s RAID administration: it will verify a disk before its use, and monitor it to warn you if it starts going bad. It also can validate the condition of a RAID volume.
I had a lot of fun trying the various RAID levels. RAID0 (striped) approached 3G SSD speeds. Using four disks, I set up two RAID1s and them mapped them into a RAID0, giving me the reliability of the former and the speed of the latter.
Note: verifying a disk takes a looong time (days), but you’ll want to do this if you plan to use them for critical applications.
I would recommend this item to a friend! This review is from OWC SoftRAID Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS - Physical Disc (DVD).
Verified Buyer Top 250 Contributor
Reviewer: Anonymous
Rating: 5/5
Works good
June 26, 2016
Good alternative to not having RAID within iMac. Glad price was lower than usual. I don't like adding third party software unless I have to. But this works great. I use RAID0. Although some are apprehensive about 0, but it works and I have three backups as I do photography. I would recommend this item to a friend!
Verified Buyer Top 50 Contributor
Reviewer: Anonymous
Location: Palm Bay, FL
Age: 55-65
Experience Level: IT Professional
Owned Product: 1-3 months
Rating: 5/5
Working great
March 4, 2016
I have no complaints about this software. In fact it does more than I expected as it gives you a great report on the status of your hardware, disk errors, etc...
If you would like to use software raid on your Mac, this is the package to get since the Mac OS does not support any sort of Raid 5 or better directly.
I would recommend this item to a friend! This review is from OWC SoftRAID Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS - Physical Disc (DVD).
Verified Buyer
Reviewer: Anonymous
Location: Switzerland
Age: 55-65
Experience Level: IT Professional
Owned Product: 1-3 months
Rating: 5/5
RAID 0 is back in El Capitan!
January 5, 2016
My trusted 2009 MacPro has2 SSD in RAID 0 as system disk and 4 WD HD in RAID 0 as working storage. SoftRAID lite has enabled me to finally upgrade to El Capitan ... and promptly flagged one HD as "will fail soon". Nice to be able to swap in a new HD and save myself the task of restoring terabytes of data. I would recommend this item to a friend!
Verified Buyer Top 250 Contributor
Reviewer: Anonymous
Location: Franklin, PA
Age: 35-44
Experience Level: IT Professional
Owned Product: 1-3 months
Rating: 4/5
Does what I need it to do
December 5, 2015
I got this to replace the now missing OSX RAID abilities. This does the basics; I just needed some RAID 0 and 1, with no fancy stuff. I would recommend this item to a friend!
Verified Buyer Top 250 Contributor
Reviewer: Valobal
Location: Mexico DF
Age: 35-44
Experience Level: Power User
Owned Product: 1-3 months
Rating: 5/5
Great RAID solution
April 2, 2015
It has a possibility to setup disk on RAID 5, and more over a MacPro OSX. It works great without problema until now and since 3 months ago. I would recommend this item to a friend! This review is from OWC SoftRAID Advanced RAID Management Utility for macOS - Physical Disc (DVD).
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