Best NAS System Prices

A NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a small always-on device holding hard drives that everyone on your network can access. It's ideal for centralized backups, a personal media server (Plex/Jellyfin), photo libraries, and file sharing. If you have multiple devices, want automatic backups, or want to stream your own media library, a NAS is worth it. Note: the drives are usually bought separately.

A 2-bay NAS (in RAID 1) gives one drive's worth of storage with full redundancy — ideal for most homes. A 4-bay NAS with RAID 5 gives more usable capacity and resilience, suited to media servers and small businesses. Start with 2-bay unless you need 20TB+ usable or run heavy workloads like multiple Plex transcodes.

Synology's DSM software is the most polished and beginner-friendly, with excellent backup and photo apps — the best choice for most home users. QNAP offers more hardware for the money (faster CPUs, 2.5GbE, M.2 slots at lower price points) and more flexibility, suiting power users comfortable with a busier interface. Both are reliable; pick Synology for simplicity, QNAP for raw value.

Direct Play (no transcoding): almost any modern 2-bay NAS can stream 4K to a Plex client that supports the codec — the NAS just serves the file. 4K Transcoding (converting on-the-fly): requires a NAS with an Intel Quick Sync-capable CPU (e.g., Synology DS923+, DS1522+) — these can transcode one 4K stream in real time. The Synology DS923+ with an Intel Celeron J4125 handles 1–2 simultaneous 4K transcodes. Budget ARM-based NAS units cannot transcode 4K at all.

Drives are almost always sold separately from the NAS enclosure. Buy the NAS enclosure (Synology, QNAP) and the drives (WD Red Plus, Seagate IronWolf) separately and install them yourself — it takes 10 minutes. Pre-loaded bundles exist but cost more than buying separately. Synology sells drives in 'HAT' series that are tested and qualified for their enclosures, but any CMR NAS-rated drive from WD or Seagate works equally well.

A 2-bay Synology DS223 enclosure runs $170–200. Two 4TB WD Red Plus drives cost $60–70 each. Total: $290–340 for an 8TB raw (4TB usable in RAID 1) home NAS. A 4-bay setup with Synology DS423+ (~$350) and four 4TB drives (~$240 total) costs roughly $590 for 12TB usable capacity in RAID 5. Cloud backup for 4TB (e.g., Backblaze B2) adds ~$8/month as an off-site redundancy layer.