Network Attached Storage: Buying Advice, Tips, and News

Hate paying for cloud storage, but not ready to invest in a network-attached storage device? Here's how I turned my Raspberry Pi board into the brains of a wireless file-sharing system.

Ugreen's four-bay NASync DH4300 Plus delivers performance that parallels pricier NAS rivals. It's suitable for basic file storage, backups, and media streaming, though its limited app catalog and lack of M.2 slots keep its aspirations grounded.

If your NAS needs are basic, the two-bay Ugreen NASync DH2300 gets the job done, but its pedestrian speeds and limited app store keep it from punching above its price.

Network-attached storage is the most versatile way to store data, but that's just one of the many benefits of a NAS device. We've tested the top models: See which will work best for your home or small business.

The Zettlab D4 AI NAS is a four-bay network-attached-storage device that delivers snappy performance alongside AI-powered search and photo management features. Just mind the app store: It doesn’t offer a lot of choices.

The Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen2 is a dual-bay NAS that's an ideal server for your home network, with quick performance, 2.5GbE connectivity, and plenty of apps at a budget-friendly price.

With blazing-fast performance, dual 5GbE ports, four M.2 slots, and a deep app ecosystem, Asustor's Lockerstor 2 Gen2+ AS6702T v2 packs serious power-user credentials into a compact two-bay NAS.

The F2-425 Plus packs 5GbE networking, triple M.2 slots, and a strong CPU into a compact two-bay NAS. Only a small app ecosystem keeps it from being a NAS-class leader.

The Synology DS425+ NAS offers strong performance, a user-friendly OS, and a nice selection of apps; however, it lacks the robust multi-gigabit LAN and third-party M.2 SSD support that many small businesses need.

The Synology DS1525+ is an excellent five-bay NAS for small businesses thanks to speedy performance, a nice selection of apps, and the ability to expand as your network-attached storage needs evolve.

Our savvy readers are serious about their in-home internet connectivity, routers, modems, and other networking hardware, and these are the manufacturers they trust the most.

The Ugreen DXP2800 is a capable two-bay NAS that offers plenty of USB ports, but a minuscule app catalog limits its versatility, so it's best for simple data backups only.

The QNAP TS-432X-4G is a four-bay NAS with speedy performance and most of the features small businesses need, though it lacks built-in support for cutting-edge SSD acceleration.

The excellent Synology BeeStation doesn't have the deep feature set of a typical NAS device, but it's easy to use and can help you replace subscription-based cloud storage in a snap.

The ZimaCube Pro is a speedy six-bay NAS equipped with plenty of I/O ports, but it's difficult to set up and gets loud when accessing the drives.

The pricey Asustor AS6804T is among the best four-bay NAS devices we've tested, delivering speedy performance, high-speed I/O ports galore, and an extensive catalog of apps.

The QNAP TS-216G is an excellent two-bay NAS device that offers multi-gig connectivity and multiple USB ports at an affordable price.

The TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus is a compact eight-bay NAS device that uses M.2 NVMe media for storage. It’s a strong performer, but both it and the storage drives it requires are expensive, and it offers only a small selection of apps.

A two-bay desktop NAS drive for enthusiasts and small offices, the Synology DiskStation DS723+ is a good performer and easy to manage, but the lack of multi-gig LAN ports holds it back.

The Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Plus is a four-bay network attached storage (NAS) device that delivers fast file-transfer performance but doesn’t offer the robust app catalog we expect for its high price.