There are heaps of NAS options out there, so we’ve rounded up the ones we consider to be the best. From the premium storage options with integrated processors and RAM to budget backups, these are our top picks right now. And if you’re not satisfied with our recommendations, we’ve also included a quick guide about what you should look for in a network-attached storage solution.
TL;DR – These are the Best Network-Attached Storage Solutions:
- Synology Diskstation DS218+
- Synology DS120j
- Asustor AS5202T
- Synology Diskstation DS1618+
- WD My Cloud
- QNAP TS-251A
1. Synology Diskstation DS218+
Best Network-Attached Storage
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With two drive bays and zippy-fast write speeds, the Synology Diskstation DS218+ offers a lot for a reasonable price. Inside you’ll find a dual-core 2.0 GHz Intel Celeron processor and 2GB of DDR3L memory, which is expandable up to 6GB.
Like most NAS devices, it comes running a Linux-based interface called DiskStation Manager which is pretty easy to navigate, and Synology has its own apps for streaming media through. You can also use Synology’s cloud service to access your files remotely. Overall it’s fast, reliable, and easy to operate.
2. Synology DS120j
Best Budget Network-Attached Storage
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If you’re looking to start off small or have more meager needs, we recommend the Synology DS120j. Firstly, it’s just $100, making it the cheapest NAS device on our list. Secondly, it’s super easy to use, making it a great pick for NAS first-timers.
It’s a single-bay device, so it’s also more limited than others on this list. There’s also no hardware-based video transcoding (which means some files will need to be converted beforehand), nor does it work with Plex. In sum, there are much better options if media streaming is your priority; but for more basic use, the DS120j does the job nicely.
3. Asustor AS5202T
Best Network-Attached Storage for Power Users
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Two drive bays. Two 2.5Gb LAN ports. A 1.0GHz Intel Celeron J4005 CPU. And yes, a big price tag – but the Asustor AS5202T is perfect for heavy users thanks to its sheer power. The 2GB of DDR4 RAM can be expanded up to 8GB, and there’s 4GB of flash memory to play with. Plus, the LAN ports give you the option of link aggregation for zippy 5Gb Ethernet, too.
We also like the Asustor Data Master operating system, which has heaps of apps for media and productivity. The drawbacks? It’s very expensive, and there are no drives included.
4. Synology Diskstation DS1618+
Best Multi-Bay Network-Attached Storage
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Ok, this is the juggernaut, but if you have a media library that’s grown out of control then it’s absolutely warranted. There’s a powerful quad-core 2.1GHz CPU and 4GB of memory inside (expandable up to 32GB), but the big story is the six-bay drives you get with it. Theoretically, you could pump this thing with up to 84TB of storage.
That’s obviously going to be an insane amount for most people, but it’s good to know it’s there. We also really like the Synology DSM operating system, which is jam-packed with apps and functionality.
5. WD My Cloud
Best Network-Attached Storage With Included Disks
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Available in a variety of drive sizes, The WD My Cloud NAS comes with its disks built-in, meaning everything is ready to go out of the box. There’s USB 3.0 support (for adding more hard drives) and it’s ready to work with both PC and Mac from the get-go.
Overall, it’s good value, but you can also pick up the Mirror version, which comes with two drives and will create a copy of the backup on each (hence the name).
6. QNAP TS-251A
Best Network-Attached Storage for Media Streaming
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If media and streaming are your chief reasons for buying a NAS device, we recommend the QNAP TS-251A. It’s a powerful machine, with a dual-core Intel Celeron N3060 processor and 4GB of DDRL3 RAM (in the configuration we recommend, but you can get it with 2GB).
But it’s the media tricks that really impress us. Chiefly, it comes with a remote for playback control, which is unusual for a NAS device. It offers 4K media transcoding, and there’s an HDMI out so you can connect it directly to your 4K TV. Works great as a Plex server and won’t look out of place on your TV stand either. You will have to purchase the drives separately, however.
What to Look For in Network-Attached Storage
Not everyone needs Network-Attached-Storage, but it can be used to cure certain networking headaches. Do you and your family/housemates all share the same network? A NAS device allows you to share files with all of those computers from one central unit. Don’t want to backup all of your family’s computers individually? A NAS device gives you a way to do it all on one drive.
What are you using it for?
If either of the above scenarios resonates with you a NAS device may be worth considering. If you find yourself in a situation where multiple devices in your home need to access the same tools or files, a NAS device can do that. So it’s not just about storing things but accessing them too.
The other reason for a NAS device is that you have a huge media library that you’d like to be able to access from multiple computers/TVs/tablets/etc. You could turn your NAS into a Plex server, so everyone in the home has swift access to the same movies, TV shows, and music.
Go diskless? How many bays?
You’ll find that most NAS devices come without disk drives, which means you’ll need to purchase them separately. There are exceptions to this, however, such as the WD My Cloud Personal Network Attached Storage – which considering it’s made by Western Digital, makes a bit more sense.
But in many cases NAS makers don’t make hard drives, so they’ll sell their device without any disks included. You may already own some disk drives, in which case a diskless system poses less of a problem, but check the manufacturer’s recommendations as some brands of disks may work better than others.
Bays are what the disk drives go into, so the higher the number of bays the NAS has, the more potential capacity there is. Generally, two or more bays are best; multimedia systems will often have more.
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Hugh Langley is a tech journalist who’s fascinated by wearables, health tech, the smart home, and more. You can find him tweeting (often nonsense) over at @hughlangley.