The best home network attached storage (NAS) server gives you the flexibility to store all your precious data in a single location, and it has powerful tools that let you make the most of your media collection. NAS servers are particularly useful if you have a large music or media library; you can easily stream content to all connected devices, and the accessibility makes it highly convenient.
There’s so much more you can do with a NAS; the servers highlighted below make it effortlessly easy to back up photos and videos from all of your phones, back up documents and any other data from your Windows or macOS machines, and so much more.
So if you’ve already dabbled in this segment or are looking to get your hands on your first NAS, you’ll find plenty of great choices below. I highlighted servers that are ideally suited for home users, whether that’s media streaming via Plex, backing up data, or getting started with a budget NAS that has the essentials.
At a glance
1. Synology DiskStation DS224+
Best overall
The DiskStation DS224+ continues to be the best choice if you need a home NAS in 2024. It has terrific hardware, the best software in this segment, and plenty of useful additions. If you need a reliable 2-bay NAS with an extensive feature-set, you cannot go wrong with the DS224+.
2. Synology DiskStation DS223j
Best budget NAS
The DiskStation DS223j is a terrific choice if you need a value-focused NAS that still excels at the basics. The NAS has similar software features as its costlier siblings, and while the hardware isn’t the most powerful, it is adequate for most home usage scenarios.
3. Synology BeeStation 4TB
Best beginner NAS
The BeeStation is an all-in-one unit comes with a 4TB hard drive, and it effortlessly backs up photos and videos, as well as any other data. It doesn’t have media streaming or any of the software features that you get with most other NAS servers, but if you just need local storage, it is ideal.
Best hardware
If you need a home NAS with the best hardware, ASUSTOR’s AS5402T should be at the top of your list. This 2-bay NAS has four M.2 slots, dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, and powerful Intel hardware that makes it a terrific media streamer.
5. Synology DiskStation DS423+
Best for media streaming
The DiskStation DS423+ is a 4-bay NAS that is ideally suited for Plex media streaming. The powerful hardware is great for transcodes, you get dual M.2 slots to add SSD storage, and the DS423+ has the best software features in this segment.
Best SSD NAS
UGREEN is making its debut in the NAS segment with the DXP480T Plus, and this all-flash NAS combines outstanding hardware, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity in a diminutive package.
Best overall
The DiskStation DS224+ is still the best home NAS around, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. It’s not a single thing that gives the DS224+ an edge; instead, it’s a combination of hardware, software features, and positioning. The hardware isn’t the best you’ll find in this segment as it doesn’t have any 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports or M.2 SSD slots, but those are minor limitations that ultimately have a bearing in daily use.
That said, the rest of the hardware is terrific; the DS224+ is powered by the Intel Celeron J4125, and it is the default choice for the best Plex NAS servers. It even has the ability to transcode Plex content, making it that much more enticing. So if you have a large media library and want to set up a NAS, you should pick up the DS224+. The 2-bay NAS has 2GB of RAM out of the box, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two USB 3.0 ports.
The biggest differentiator for the DS224+ is the software; the DiskStation Manager interface has a polished design and plenty of features, and best of all, it’s easy to use. You can set up Synology Photos and have a Google Photos alternative that stores data in your own house, and the utility by itself makes the DS224+ worthy. In a similar vein, you can back up data from just about any device automatically, access your media library when you’re away from your home, and a whole lot more.
Ultimately, the DS224+ has the requisite hardware and software to truly stand out, and it is an easy choice if you need a powerful home NAS server.
Best budget NAS
Don’t need all the extras that the DS224+ has to offer? Then you’ll want to take a look at the DiskStation DS223j. This is also a 2-bay NAS, but it doesn’t have the same caliber of hardware; it is powered by a Realtek RTD1619B chip, has 1GB of memory, and a single Gigabit Ethernet port at the back.
The upside is that it costs under $200, and that makes it highly enticing. You still get most of the software features that are present in the DS224+, and while you miss out on containerization and virtual machines, those aren’t features that make a difference to home users anyway.
While there are plenty of budget NAS servers, I always recommend the DS223j for the proven software. It is significantly easier to use, and Synology’s mobile apps allow you to stream your media from anywhere in the world. And the best part is that it has a native Plex client, so you can set up a media server without any issues.
If you just need a NAS to store data in a single location and stream media on a budget, the DS223j is the best choice available today.
Best beginner NAS
You need a reliable way to store photos and valuable data, but don’t want to invest in a full-fledged NAS. That’s where the BeeStation comes in; this is an all-in-one unit that houses a 4TB hard drive (a HAT3300 Plus), so you can get started straight away. The goal with the BeeStation is to target consumers that don’t yet have a NAS and are looking to get affordable local storage that’s connected to the network.
Therefore, you don’t get a lot of software features; there’s the ability to back up photos and videos, and files from any of your connected machines. That’s it. You don’t get the usual DiskStation Manager software, and the interface is as barebones as it can get. That said, the BeePhotos mobile client makes it easy to back up photos and videos, and in the four months that I used the BeeStation, it has proven to be reliable.
The biggest limitation is the lack of media streaming. You can store your media library on the device, but you can’t do much with it. The BeeStation is instead designed as a private cloud solution; instead of storing photos and documents on Google Drive and other public cloud providers, the idea is that you back it up to this device.
To that effect, the BeeStation integrates with Google Drive and other storage providers, and you can transfer the data from those services to the BeeStation easily. So if you need an easy way to back up photos and videos and don’t need many additional features, the BeeStation is a good choice.
Best hardware
ASUSTOR is doing all the right things with its home NAS servers, and the AS5402T is a testament to how far the brand has come in the last two years. The 2-bay NAS has the best hardware package in this category; it is powered by Intel’s Celeron J5105, has 4GB of RAM with the ability to upgrade to 16GB, four M.2 slots in total, two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
There’s also an HDMI port at the back that lets you connect the AS5402T to a TV, and the Intel hardware makes the NAS a standout choice if you need a powerful Plex server. It easily handles transcodes and playback without any issues, and in my testing, it did a better job than just about any other 2-bay NAS.
But it’s the connectivity that allows it to stand out; with two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, the AS5402T is future-proof, and you don’t need to switch to another NAS when you upgrade your home network. ASUSTOR’s software still isn’t as polished or easy to use, but it has gotten better over the last two years, and it comes with much better security this time around.
Best for media streaming
The DiskStation DS423+ is similar to the DiskStation DS920+, but there are a few minor changes. It is powered by the Intel Celeron J4125, has 2GB of RAM, four drive bays that hold a total of 72TB of storage, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two M.2 slots that allows you to add SSD storage.
In short, the DS423+ is the go-to choice if you need a powerful Plex media server. I prefer it to the DiskStation DS923+ as it comes with the ability to handle Plex transcodes, and that is its biggest advantage. It does a fantastic job playing back high bitrate 4K content via Plex or any other media streaming solution, and the four drive bays give you plenty of room to upgrade drives down the line.
You get the same great software features as the DS224+, and while I would have liked to see multi-Gigabit connectivity, the DS423+ is a great choice nonetheless.
Best SSD NAS
The DXP480T Plus is a unique NAS in that it doesn’t have traditional hard drive bays — you instead get four M.2 2280 slots to house SSDs. The all-flash NAS is aimed at enthusiasts, and if you don’t want to use mechanical drives and are instead looking to go all in on SSD storage, this is the best choice.
The biggest differentiator for the DXP480T Plus is the hardware; it has a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U combined with 8GB of RAM, 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity at the back, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity as well. The hardware is overkill for most home usage scenarios, but if you have a lot of valuable data and need blazing-fast transfers, the DXP480T Plus is in a league of its own.
UGREEN hasn’t sorted out the software just yet, but that’s set to change by the end of May, and that is when the DXP480T Plus will be available in general sale. Until then, you can get it for a lot less than its retail price via the crowdfunded route.
I’m still partial to mechanical HDDs, but having used the DXP480T Plus extensively, I will admit that the all-flash NAS is a terrific choice if you want to move to SSD storage.
How to choose
If you’re looking for the best NAS for home use, the DiskStation DS224+ is the best overall choice right now. The upgraded hardware makes it an ideal option for just about any use case, and with DSM 7.2, you get the most polished software interface of any brand in this segment.
Need more drive bays? The DiskStation DS423+ is the ideal choice. If you want a NAS with an HDMI port to connect directly to your TV, the AS5402T is a fantastic choice. The 2-bay NAS has powerful hardware and gives you great value for your money.
What is the best NAS drive for home use?
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As a NAS server is designed to run 24/7, you can’t use a standard hard drive. Thankfully, there are drives designed just for NAS use, and I’ve rounded up the best hard drives for NAS in a standalone article.
At a high-level overview, you’ll need to buy either Seagate’s IronWolf or IronWolf Pro series or Western Digital’s Red Plus or Red Pro hard drives. I’ve used all of these drives for nearly a decade now, and they’ve proven to be reliable.
If I had to suggest a drive for home use, it would be the Seagate IronWolf. I have over 50TB of IronWolf drives in various servers, and it is hands-down the most reliable NAS drive that I have used. It starts off at 2TB and goes up to 18TB, and for home use, anything over 4TB should be an ideal choice.