UGREEN NASync DXP2800
2 bays, up to 2.5 GbE, and software suited to everyday backups.
Best NAS devices for the way you use them
For home backups, photos and a simple two or four-drive setup, begin with the UGREEN NASync DXP2800. Move to the Synology DiskStation DS225+ if media serving, camera recording or faster networking makes the hardware the deciding factor. The matcher below screens the hard requirements first.
Quick picks
- Best NAS for Plex transcoding
UGREEN NASync DXP2800
The catch: Only two SATA bays means limited growth and no parity layouts.
See price & reviews on Amazon - Best NAS for a family’s photos
Synology DiskStation DS225+
The catch: The unit has no M.2 slots.
See price & reviews on Amazon - Best NAS with 10GbE
TerraMaster F4-424 Max
The catch: Light backup work does not make use of the CPU and dual 10GbE.
See price & reviews on Amazon
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NAS device finder
What do you need from a NAS device?
Tap as many as apply. The list re-sorts as you go.
Work out your drives before you pick a NASEnter my measurements
Enter the usable storage, drive size, protection level, network and main job. Boxes that are too small or poorly equipped drop out of the result.
Synology DiskStation DS225+
2 bays, up to 2.5 GbE, and software suited to everyday backups.
Synology DiskStation DS223j
2 bays, up to 1 GbE, and software suited to everyday backups.
This checks capacity only. Check the maker's approved drive list for compatibility and keep a separate backup.
Tap what applies to find your match
32 models listed. UGREEN NASync DXP2800 is shown first.
Position 1
UGREEN, DXP2800
UGREEN NASync DXP2800
This is a 2-bay chassis, and 2.5 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forhost Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Only two SATA bays means limited growth and no parity layouts.
- With one network port, there is no second wired path.
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Position 2
Synology, DS225+
Synology DiskStation DS225+
A 2-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps.
Best forkeep family photos safe on a two-drive starting setup
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- The unit has no M.2 slots.
- Confirm that your disks are compatible before buying.
Position 3
The DS925+ appears here with the optional DX525 expansion unit. Drives and the DX525 are sold separately.
Synology, DS925+
Synology DiskStation DS925+
This is a 4-bay chassis, and 2.5 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forkeep family photos safe and hold camera recordings
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- Nothing documents hardware Plex transcoding for this model.
What you give up
- No integrated media engine on the CPU means no hardware transcoding.
- Expanding gives you more bays. It does not add 10GbE.
Position 4
QNAP, TS-464-8G-US
QNAP TS-464-8G-US
A 4-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps.
Best forhost Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Setup takes care given the interface's many controls.
- A separate PCIe adapter is required for 10GbE.
Position 5
Synology, DS223j
Synology DiskStation DS223j
This is a 2-bay chassis, and 1 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forkeep family photos safe and back up two computers
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- For networking, the fastest documented path is 1 Gbps.
- Nothing documents hardware Plex transcoding for this model.
What you give up
- Memory is locked at 1GB, so apps have little room.
- Gigabit networking and an ARM chip point to basic storage use.
Position 6
UGREEN, DXP4800 Plus
UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus
A 4-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 10 Gbps.
Best forwork on large video files and handle 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- Documentation lists 10 Gbps as its fastest network path.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- UGOS Pro's app catalog is newer than Synology DSM's.
- Four SATA bays is the limit for this chassis.
Position 7
TerraMaster, F4-424 Pro
TerraMaster F4-424 Pro 32GB
This is a 4-bay chassis, and 2.5 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forhandle 4K transcoding on a four-drive starting setup
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- That particular 32GB variation is overkill for basic file storage.
- 10GbE is not built in.
Position 8
ASUSTOR, AS5404T
ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 Gen2
A 4-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps.
Best forhost Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Running many apps may call for more than the base memory.
- A native 10GbE port is not included.
Position 9
UGREEN, DH2300
UGREEN NASync DH2300
This is a 2-bay chassis, and 1 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forkeep family photos safe on a two-drive starting setup
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- For networking, the fastest documented path is 1 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Large transfers are held back by the gigabit port.
- Heavier server apps will find little room in the fixed memory.
Position 10
UGREEN, DH4300 Plus
UGREEN NASync DH4300 Plus
A 4-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps.
Best forkeep family photos safe on a four-drive starting setup
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Demanding virtual machines are not what the ARM processor is meant for.
- Without M.2 slots, you cannot add cache or fast SSD storage.
Position 11
UGREEN, DXP4800 Pro
UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Pro
This is a 4-bay chassis, and 10 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forwork on large video files and handle 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- Documentation lists 10 Gbps as its fastest network path.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- If all you do is back up files, the stronger CPU goes to waste.
- Four SATA bays is the fixed limit.
Position 12
Synology, DS425+
Synology DiskStation DS425+
A 4-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps.
Best forkeep family photos safe on a four-drive starting setup
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Many apps will find the 2GB base memory modest.
- 10GbE is not available as an upgrade.
Position 13
Synology, DS1525+
Synology DiskStation DS1525+
It offers five SATA bays, dual native 2.5GbE and ECC memory, plus a separate 10GbE mini-module for upgrading the network.
Best forhold camera recordings while sharing with a small team
Why it suits you
- Two M.2 NVMe slots plus five SATA bays
- The optional E10G22-T1-Mini brings 10GbE on top of two native 2.5GbE ports
- Supplied with 8 GB ECC memory and a 32 GB maximum
What you give up
- Hardware media transcoding is a weak point.
- You need extra hardware to get 10GbE or additional bays.
Position 14
Synology, DS223
Synology DiskStation DS223
A 2-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 1 Gbps.
Best forkeep family photos safe and back up two computers
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- For networking, the fastest documented path is 1 Gbps.
- Nothing documents hardware Plex transcoding for this model.
What you give up
- Virtual machines are a poor fit for the fixed memory.
- Gigabit limits how fast large files copy.
Position 15
TerraMaster, F2-424
TerraMaster F2-424
This is a 2-bay chassis, and 2.5 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forhost Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- With two bays, RAID 5 and RAID 6 are out.
- Compared with a simple personal cloud, the software offers less hand-holding.
Position 16
TerraMaster, F4-424 Max
TerraMaster F4-424 Max
A 4-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 10 Gbps.
Best foredit large video files over my 10GbE network
Why it suits you
- Storage fits in a 4-bay chassis.
- Documentation lists 10 Gbps as its fastest network path.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Light backup work does not make use of the CPU and dual 10GbE.
- The ceiling stays fixed at four SATA bays.
Position 17
QNAP, TS-264-8G-US
QNAP TS-264-8G-US
This is a 2-bay chassis, and 2.5 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forhost Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- No single-parity layout fits in two bays.
- QTS may seem complicated to someone new to NAS.
Position 18
ASUSTOR, AS5402T
ASUSTOR Nimbustor 2 Gen2
A 2-bay chassis whose fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps.
Best forhost Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- Although there are four NVMe slots, just two SATA bays are available.
- Unless the network can use it, the expansion hardware does not help.
Position 19
ASUSTOR, AS6702T
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 2 Gen2
This is a 2-bay chassis, and 10 Gbps is the fastest network path documented for it.
Best forhost Plex at home with 4K transcoding
Why it suits you
- Storage comes in a 2-bay chassis.
- Documentation lists 10 Gbps as its fastest network path.
- It supports serving media through Plex.
What you give up
- A two-bay SATA ceiling holds back its expansion options.
- 10GbE takes up the PCIe path and costs extra.
Position 20
ASUSTOR, FS6706T
ASUSTOR Flashstor 6
Its fastest documented network path is 2.5 Gbps, and the chassis offers 6 primary M.2 NVMe storage slots.
Best forput together an all-SSD NAS that stays compact and quiet
Why it suits you
- Storage comes from 6 primary M.2 NVMe slots in the chassis.
- The fastest network path documented for it runs at 2.5 Gbps.
- Nothing documents hardware Plex transcoding for this model.
What you give up
- Total capacity depends heavily on which drives you pick, since an all-NVMe pool takes six M.2 drives.
- The six SSD slots may be held back by dual 2.5GbE.
Position 21
TerraMaster, F2-425
F2-425
With 2.5GbE and 4GB memory, this is a two-drive server for photos and backups. It fits when a mirrored pair is enough and you do not need M.2 storage.
Best forA small home archive on two drives
Why it suits you
- 0 M.2 slots alongside 2 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 2.5GbE
- Comes with 4GB of RAM, expandable to 16GB
What you give up
- You cannot put a third data drive in this chassis, since it has two SATA bays.
- Storage drives are sold separately, and the chassis has no M.2 slots.
Position 22
TerraMaster, F4-425
F4-425
Compared with a two-bay mirror, four SATA bays leave a growing archive more RAID layouts to choose from. Having a single 2.5GbE port and 4GB memory keeps the specs aimed at file storage.
Best forA family archive that is growing, on four drives
Why it suits you
- 0 M.2 slots alongside 4 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 2.5GbE
- Comes with 4GB of RAM, expandable to 16GB
What you give up
- That single network port is capped at 2.5GbE.
- The listing shows no M.2 storage slots, and because the enclosure is diskless you need to budget for drives separately.
Position 23
TerraMaster, F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
F2-425 Plus N150 8GB
Two SATA bays, three M.2 slots and two 5GbE ports come in a compact hybrid NAS. It works for a small SSD workspace alongside a bulk-storage mirror.
Best forTwo hard drives alongside a dedicated SSD workspace
Why it suits you
- 3 M.2 slots alongside 2 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 5GbE
- Comes with 8GB of RAM, expandable to 32GB
What you give up
- Three M.2 slots will not make a four-drive hard-disk array out of the two SATA bays.
- To get the faster port rate, both the client and the switch must support 5GbE. Drives are not included.
Position 24
TerraMaster, F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
F4-425 Plus N150 16GB
A bulk array and SSD-backed applications both fit here, thanks to four SATA bays, three M.2 slots and 16GB supplied memory. Dual 5GbE ports are a good match for an upgraded home or small-office network.
Best forAn SSD application pool next to a four-drive archive
Why it suits you
- 3 M.2 slots alongside 4 SATA drive bays
- Fastest network port included: 5GbE
- Comes with 16GB of RAM, expandable to 32GB
What you give up
- A 10GbE client cannot link at 10GbE to this chassis, since 5GbE is the fastest port included.
- What is described here is the N150 16GB listing. Check the N95 and other memory variants on their own. Drives are not included.
Position 25
UGREEN, DXP6800 Pro
UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro
It has two native 10GbE ports, six SATA bays, two NVMe sockets and a supported memory ceiling of 64 GB.
Best forSix drives for an archive plus two fast wired connections, with no NAS network card to add
Why it suits you
- Two M.2 NVMe slots and six SATA bays
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports and two native 10GbE RJ45 ports
- Maximum memory is 64 GB, with 8 GB DDR5 supplied
What you give up
- You buy the storage drives and any memory upgrade separately.
- A four-NVMe layout is out of reach with just two M.2 sockets.
Position 26
UGREEN, DXP8800 Plus
UGREEN NASync DXP8800 Plus
One chassis holds eight SATA bays and two NVMe sockets, with dual native 10GbE, for a larger drive plan.
Best forAn eight-drive archive with built-in 10GbE, where a supported 64 GB memory upgrade fits
Why it suits you
- Two M.2 NVMe slots and eight SATA bays
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports and two native 10GbE RJ45 ports
- Maximum memory is 64 GB, with 8 GB DDR5 supplied
What you give up
- Plan the physical space and power for the eight-bay chassis and the drives you buy separately.
- Eight SATA bays come with just two onboard NVMe sockets.
Position 27
Synology, DS725+
Synology DiskStation DS725+
This two-bay DSM system has ECC memory and two NVMe sockets, with a separate DX525 as the expansion path.
Best forA two-drive mirror to start, with supported memory, NVMe and external-bay upgrades still open later
Why it suits you
- Two M.2 2280 NVMe slots and two SATA bays
- Maximum memory is 32 GB, with 4 GB DDR4 ECC supplied
- One Gigabit Ethernet port and one 2.5GbE port
What you give up
- The original chassis holds just two SATA bays, and a separate DX525 is needed for extra ones.
- On board, there is one 2.5GbE port and one Gigabit port.
Position 28
Synology, DS1825+
Synology DiskStation DS1825+
ECC memory and eight SATA bays, plus a supported PCIe route to 10GbE or 25GbE networking.
Best forAn eight-drive DSM archive, with faster networking as an option and separate DX525 expansion units
Why it suits you
- Two M.2 NVMe slots and eight SATA bays
- Supplied with 8 GB DDR4 ECC and a maximum memory of 32 GB
- A PCIe Gen3 x8 slot with an x4 link and two native 2.5GbE ports
What you give up
- Ethernet ports that come with it run at 2.5GbE, so faster networking takes a compatible add-in card.
- Supported memory tops out at 32 GB.
Position 29
ASUSTOR, AS6704T v2
Lockerstor 4 Gen2+ AS6704T v2
A four-bay body holds a hard-drive archive and a separate SSD workspace, with native 5GbE for a desk that can use it. Settle the network upgrade before you fill the SSD slots, since the optional 10GbE card takes the place of their board.
Best forA home archive on four drives plus an SSD workspace, on a 2.5GbE or 5GbE network
Why it suits you
- Four M.2 2280 NVMe slots plus four SATA bays, each M.2 slot at PCIe 3.0 x1.
- Two native 5GbE ports that also work with 2.5GbE and 1GbE.
- An Intel Celeron N5105, with 4GB DDR4 supplied and 16GB as the maximum.
What you give up
- The optional 10GbE card goes in only after the M.2 daughterboard comes out, so you cannot have four internal NVMe drives and that upgrade together.
- It ships with 4GB RAM and tops out at 16GB. How many applications run comfortably is not set by storage capacity.
Position 30
ASUSTOR, AS6706T v2
Lockerstor 6 Gen2+ AS6706T v2
Use the extra room to keep a removable MyArchive backup next to a four-drive archive, or to grow the main array past four disks. What the wider enclosure adds is drive positions. Its network ports and processor are the same as the four-bay Gen2+.
Best forA family or work archive that keeps growing, with internal drive positions to spare
Why it suits you
- Four M.2 2280 NVMe slots at PCIe 3.0 x1 each, along with six SATA bays.
- Intel Celeron N5105 and two native 5GbE ports.
- 16GB maximum, with 8GB DDR4 supplied.
What you give up
- Every SATA bay is taken once the main array has six drives, so hold back a bay from the start if you want a removable MyArchive disk.
- Fitting the optional 10GbE card means taking out the M.2 daughterboard, and that displaces all four built-in NVMe slots.
Position 31
ASUSTOR, AS6804T
Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T
Native 10GbE sits alongside all four NVMe positions and your hard-drive archive, so you give up nothing. USB4 handles compatible external storage, though it will not make the NAS a directly attached USB4 drive for your laptop.
Best forAn editing desk on 10GbE that also calls for its own internal SSD layout
Why it suits you
- Four M.2 2280 NVMe slots at PCIe 4.0 x1 each, along with four SATA bays.
- Two 5GbE ports and two native 10GbE ports.
- AMD Ryzen V3C14 with 16GB ECC DDR5 supplied, up to a 64GB maximum.
What you give up
- USB4 offers no direct host-to-host link to a Mac or PC, so plan on an Ethernet connection.
- There is no HDMI output. The Ryzen processor is not a universal media upgrade, so verify the media application you intend to use.
Position 32
ASUSTOR, AS6806T
Lockerstor 6 Gen3 AS6806T
The native 10GbE and four-NVMe layout match the four-bay Gen3, and two more SATA positions allow archive growth or a planned removable backup. The processor and memory ceiling do not improve with those extra bays.
Best forEither a six-drive archive or a four-drive array that leaves space for removable backups
Why it suits you
- Four M.2 2280 NVMe slots at PCIe 4.0 x1 each, plus six SATA bays.
- Two 5GbE ports and two native 10GbE ports.
- AMD Ryzen V3C14 with 16GB ECC DDR5 supplied, up to a 64GB maximum.
What you give up
- At 233 mm wide, it is bigger than the four-bay Gen3 at 170 mm. Leave extra room for ventilation and access beyond the body dimensions.
- There is no HDMI output, and USB4 cannot link directly to a Mac or PC as host-to-host storage.
Buying advice
What to look for in a NAS device
These factors change which model suits you.
Usable space matters more than raw capacity
Bays given over to drive protection do not hold files, and file-system overhead and snapshots take a further share of the space.
Bay count comes before processor choice
A faster processor will not give you a bay that is not there. Plan the storage layout and expected growth first.
Plex puts more demand on the processor
Converting video on the fly may call for supported hardware transcoding or a separate media computer, while direct play is undemanding.
Speed depends on the whole network path
A quicker NAS port gains nothing unless the switch, cabling and client can keep up.
Recording cameras has limits of its own
Look at included licenses, camera support, retention space and the maker's channel cap.
Store a copy elsewhere
A NAS keeps your data available, but it is no substitute for an offline or off-site backup.
Guides
Narrow it down
Weigh two popular models against each other, or start from a shortlist built for one job.