NAS drives can be used to back up and store files such as music, documents, video and a lot more. You can even install apps on them so they do things like run your home security cameras, download files automatically and even host a website.
Synology is well-known for making some of the best NAS drives, but there are plenty of great alternatives that are often cheaper from the likes of QNAP, TerraMaster, Western Digital and others. Sadly, the competition isn’t so strong these days with nothing new from the likes of Drobo, Netgear, Seagate or Buffalo.
We’ve reviewed and ranked them here so these are the best NAS drives for Plex at home, back up in the office and many more uses. Need a more traditional drive? Check our chart of the best SSDs and best portable hard drives and SSDs.
Best NAS drives 2023
How to choose a NAS drive
NAS stands for Network Attached Storage. Put simply, it’s a big hard drive that connects to your router so you don’t need to plug directly into it to access the storage.
Affordable Easy to use Upgraded processor
Limited RAM
This is still one of the best options on the market thanks to its continued accessibility and ease of use. The extra processor power and memory speed things up nicely making this the perfect device to sync files from multiple computers and distribute media around the home.
Those looking for extra bays and power should look at the DS4 range.
Stylish QTS 5.
0 coming soon 2GB of RAM SSD Caching
Some apps need extra licenses Fewer apps than Synology
Not only does it offer a design that isn’t the boring old black or silver box, but it’s also got 2GB of DDR4 RAM as standard to run applications smoothly. For some, the wider range of apps on Synology’s platform along with BTRFS might swing it.
Still, even on EXT4, the TS-230 is an excellent value NAS drive that’s easy to use and perfect for home or small office use.
Powerful platform Dual 2.
5GbE LAN 8GB DDR4 RAM Silent operation
Zero upgrades No M.
2 slot for caching Remote control not included
This NAS looks more like a set-top box and fittingly so since it’s designed as a multimedia centre for your home. It will look perfectly at home in your TV unit and fit far better than a traditional NAS.
It runs silently, outputs 4K via HDMI and has impressive specs along with a powerful platform. The lack of an included remote control will be the main downside for most users.
2.
5GbE LAN port Plenty of apps Powerful power
Can't upgrade RAM Can't use SSDs as cache
It isn’t a cheap NAS but offers enhanced LAN performance for those using 2.5GbE and the latest ADM 4.0 operating system is a nice upgrade offering a responsive interface and plenty of functionality.
Asustor and third-party applications are available for a wide range of uses, but make sure these include the functionality you need for your deployment.
Compact HDMI output Versatile
Behind Synology on apps
QNAP might be a little behind Synology on the app front, but the selection is still decent and we’re increasingly impressed with the user interface.
Combined with a powerful processor and HDMI output, this can be used like a tiny PC. It’s a great media player and you can even run office software on it if you like.
Cheap Easy to use Versatile
Limited performance for encrypted storage
Importantly, it offers much of the same specs and features that you’ll find on much more expensive rivals such as Synology. If you just want a fairly simple NAS drive for home or small office use without spending too much then this is a great option.
The F2-210 is perfect for tasks like basic file serving, backup and management.
Good value User friendly Quad-core processor
No extra RAM Similar to predecessor
That’s because it’s extremely similar to the older DS418j that it replaces. What you get here is a quad-core processor instead of dual-core helping with running lots of apps simultaneously. However, there’s no additional RAM so look to the DS418 (flagship model without the j) if you need more performance.
The DS420j still comes recommended by us, just check the price of the DS418j now it’s the older model – especially if you won’t make use of the more powerful chip here.
Powerful 10GbE LAN Upgradeable to 12GB RAM Five Bays
Lacks USB 3.
2 Gen 2 ports No PCIe slot Tricky RAM upgrade
While the F5-422 might just seem like a 5-bay version of the F4 for more money, there’s a lot that can be done with an extra drive. It doesn’t have a PCIe slot or USB 3.2 Gen 2 but you can cleverly use it as a local storage device as well as a network resource.
With 10GbE LAN, plenty of processing power and the ability to upgrade the RAM to 12GB if you like all add to the charm. The TOS 4.2 OS has got a lot better over time, too.
Better CPU Four NVMe slots for storage or cache HMDI 2.
0 output USB 3. 2 Gen 2
Full installation requires disassembly A little expensive
There is a delicate balance between the components here that demonstrates that those designing these machines use them regularly and understand where the performance pinch points exist. It’s perfect if you have one or two very large drives combined with the speedy USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.
There are also plenty of versatile NVMe slots, HDMI, 2.5GbE ports and more making it a great NAS for a range of situations. It’s just a little expensive and troublesome to dismantle but you’ll likely only do that once.
Compact & stylish DLNA support Storage built-in
Can't expand storage
The underlying platform is a solid one for which WD hardware engineers should be proud, and the software team needs to better support.
The My Cloud Home can provide DLNA storage to access with a smart TV or a personal cloud solution, but those that want more should consider Synology, QNAP or the higher-end WD My Cloud products.
They make it easy to access your music, movies, photos and documents anywhere at all times. One of the most popular reasons to buy a NAS drive is for media playback. Your personal video library can be viewed on your TV, without having to connect a laptop. A bit like having your own Netflix.
Similarly, you can use an app on your phone to control music playback, much like your own personal Spotify. A NAS drive will use much less power than a regular PC, too. For ease of setup and ease of use, a dedicated NAS drive is hard to beat.
The advantage is that you can choose the drives you want and easily upgrade them later on.
You can now get disks up to 12TB in size, and you can expect to pay around $250/£300 for one. A 4TB drive specifically for NAS use will set you back about $100/£100. NAS drives usually cost slightly more than normal PC hard drives, but it’s worth spending the extra because they’re designed to run constantly and tend to have a better warranty.
Hard disks designed for NAS use include more secure construction providing more resistance to vibration, which makes a lot of sense for a drive that’s designed to be on the whole time. They also offer power management so they can adjust performance based on their temperature.
However, you should choose an SSD designed for use in a NAS drive such as the Seagate IronWolf or Western Digital Red SA500. Thanks to things like DuraWrite technology, they are purpose-built for continuous use, which is critical inside a NAS.
The downside of choosing SSDs is the limited capacity as they typically max out at 4TB. The other drawback is the much higher cost.
Most NAS drives will offer at least two bays, which means that you can set them up as RAID 1. In this scenario, the second drive is a mirror of the first, so if one drive fails completely all your data is safe on the other. You can then replace the faulty disk, and rebuild the RAID array.
RAID 5 requires at least three drives and offers parity data. That means a RAID 5 array can withstand a single drive failure without losing data or access to data. As data is ‘striped’ across three drives, reads are fast, but at the expense of slower writes because of having to also write the parity data.
RAID 6 meanwhile requires four drives but offers both striped and dual parity, so two drives could fail and the RAID could still recover.
Whichever you choose however, don’t consider your NAS to be the only backup of your data. If the box just dies, or if something catastrophic happens like a fire, you’ll still lose all your data. To mitigate this you’ll want another external backup, preferably to the cloud.
Some NAS drives also offer apps for Android and iOS, which make it a lot easier to get to your photos, videos and music from your phone or tablet.
Our reviews explain exactly which apps you get with each NAS.
Previously this required signing up to a third-party DNS service, but these days with most NAS drives you can just sign up for an account with the manufacturer as you set up the drive. Log into the account and they’ll handle the connectivity to your box at home using their own servers.
This means that any media files can be converted on the fly into a format that’s playable by your TV or set-top box, so you don’t have to worry if it can’t play the file as it exists on your NAS.
It can also be useful if your videos are a higher resolution than your TV can handle, so look out for the ability to transcode 4K to Full HD in real-time.
And if your TV can’t play video from a network source you’ll need a separate media streamer.
For the best performance, go for a model with Gigabit Ethernet, which is 10x as quick as 10/100 Ethernet. Look out for front-mounted USB ports and SD slots too. And on the USB front look for 3.2 Gen 2 which can handle up to 10Gbps.
Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
