The 8 Best NAS Storage Devices of 2026, Ranked & Reviewed

Our verdict: Four bays and a 5-core Intel chip aimed at 4K media.

The UGREEN DXP4800 Plus is a four-bay diskless NAS built on an Intel Pentium Gold 8505 with five cores, in the $500+ tier. The listing positions it for strong 4K transcoding.

It takes first place because the hardware list is the best balance in the group. Four bays leave room to grow, and the Intel processor suits a media server. The Synology DS925+ matches the bay count and brings a more mature software platform, but gives you less on paper to justify its price. The DXP4800 GT swaps in an AMD chip with more memory.

Buy it if you stream and back up media at home. The caveat is that drives are sold separately, so budget for them. UGREEN's software is also younger than Synology's, which matters if you value long-established polish.

Bays

4, diskless

CPU

Intel Pentium Gold 8505

Cores

5

Price tier

$500+

Our verdict: Synology's current-generation 4-bay with the DSM ecosystem.

The Synology DS925+ is a four-bay diskless NAS running DSM, Synology's software ecosystem, in the $500+ tier. The listing calls it the current-generation DiskStation.

It ranks second because UGREEN's top pick lists stronger hardware, yet the DS925+ answers with a software suite that many people consider the benchmark for home NAS use. A current-generation model also has a longer support runway than the older DS425+ below, which makes it a safer bet for a device meant to last years.

Buy it if software polish and long-term support matter most. The tradeoff is that you pay a premium tier price without leading the group on processing power. Drives are sold separately, as they are on every unit here. If you simply want the most hardware for the money, the DXP4800 Plus is the stronger value.

Bays

4, diskless

Software

DSM

Generation

Current DiskStation

Price tier

$500+

Our verdict: Six bays and an Intel i3 for big libraries.

The UGREEN DXP6800 Plus is a six-bay desktop NAS with an Intel i3 1215U six-core CPU, in the $500+ tier. It has the highest bay count and capacity ceiling in this guide.

It lands third because most homes never need six bays, and the larger body and cost come with the territory. Against the four-bay models, though, it has the most room to grow, and the i3 gives it solid processing muscle for several users at once.

Buy it for a big media library or a small office where several people share files. Skip it if four bays are plenty, since the DXP4800 Plus is cheaper and does most of the same work. As with every unit on the list, drives are not included, so six bays can turn into a sizable purchase once you fill them.

Bays

6, diskless

CPU

Intel i3 1215U

Cores

6

Price tier

$500+

Our verdict: The most RAM among 4-bay picks, on an AMD platform.

The UGREEN DXP4800 GT is a four-bay desktop NAS with an AMD R2514 processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM, in the $500+ tier. The memory is the most among the four-bay picks.

It sits fourth because the Plus lists an Intel chip with a clear transcoding focus, while the GT is built around an AMD platform. Extra RAM helps when you run several services at once, such as containers, backups and file sharing, but it does not replace media handling.

Buy it if you run many services on one box and are comfortable with AMD hardware. Skip it if your priority is Intel transcoding for video streaming, since the DXP4800 Plus fits better. Drives are sold separately, so check what the total cost looks like. Ask whether your planned apps benefit from the extra memory before paying for it.

Bays

4, diskless

CPU

AMD R2514

RAM

8GB DDR4

Price tier

$500+

Our verdict: A 4-bay Synology positioned as a private cloud media server.

The Synology DS425+ is a four-bay diskless NAS with the DSM ecosystem, positioned as a private cloud media server, in the $500+ tier.

It ranks fifth because the DS925+ is the newer hardware with the same DSM platform, so the 425+ makes sense mainly if it is cheaper or easier to find. Against the UGREEN four-bay units it offers a more polished software experience, but it lists less hardware detail than the DXP4800 GT or Plus.

Buy it if you want a private cloud and trust Synology for the software. Skip it if you want the newest generation or the strongest listed processor. Drives are sold separately, and the older model may have a shorter support window than the DS925+, so factor that in. For most buyers the newer Synology is the safer pick of the two.

Bays

4, diskless

Software

DSM

Role

Private cloud media

Price tier

$500+

Our verdict: UGREEN's higher-tier 4-bay, with few details listed.

The UGREEN DXP4800 Pro is a four-bay diskless NAS positioned as UGREEN's higher-tier four-bay configuration, in the $500+ tier.

It ranks sixth because the listing gives far fewer specs than the Plus, so we cannot confirm what the upgrade actually buys. A higher tier usually means better internals, but without a processor or memory figure you are guessing. Against the DXP4800 Plus, the clearer spec sheet makes the Plus the safer buy.

Buy it if you plan to grow into the platform and can verify the specs with the seller before ordering. Skip it if you need confirmed numbers, because the page does not provide them. Like the other UGREEN units, it ships without drives. Compare its full listing with the Plus and GT before you pay extra for a name that suggests more than the data shows.

Bays

4, diskless

Tier

UGREEN higher-tier

Drives

Sold separately

Price tier

$500+

Our verdict: Two bays with an Intel CPU and hardware transcoding.

The Synology DS225+ is a two-bay diskless NAS with an Intel CPU, hardware transcoding and DSM, in the $200 to $500 tier.

It ranks seventh because two bays limit growth, and the bigger four-bay units give you more room for the money. But it costs less than any of them, and it brings the transcoding hardware that makes video streaming smoother. It sits above the DS223 because of that processor.

Buy it if you want DSM and media transcoding in a small footprint without paying for four bays. Skip it if you want to expand later, since two drives cap your capacity and redundancy options. As with every model here, drives are separate, so the total cost grows quickly. For a household that expects to keep adding files, the DS925+ is a better long-term investment.

Bays

2, diskless

CPU

Intel with transcoding

Software

DSM

Price tier

$200-500

Our verdict: The simplest, cheapest real NAS here.

The Synology DS223 is a two-bay diskless NAS positioned as a simple home and office backup hub, with DSM, in the $200 to $500 tier.

It lands last because it has the least headroom of the group, and it does not advertise media transcoding. What it has is price: it is the cheapest true entry-level NAS on the page, and the DSM software still gives you a capable backup tool. Against the DS225+, it is simpler and less capable.

Buy it if your goal is straightforward backups for a family or a small office. Skip it if you want to stream video or expect your storage needs to grow. Drives are sold separately, so remember to budget for them. If you can stretch to the DS225+, you gain a more flexible processor for little extra money.

Bays

2, diskless

Role

Backup hub

Software

DSM

Price tier

$200-500