Best NAS hard drives in 2024

PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID

The best NAS hard drives are a great way to store and share a lot of data with multiple users in a reliable and secure manner.

Network attached storage drives are effectively an information hub accessed by lots of different users, anywhere in the world, any time of day. Because of their size and flexible nature, they're popular among businesses and enterprises as both a primary storage device, and as a backup for important files. NAS drives for the home, meanwhile, are favorite choice for those who want to access media libraries like Plex across devices.

But what makes a good NAS drive? And should you look at more than just capacity, speed, and connectivity? After checking out the best NAS devices, we wanted to know - so we put these hard drives to the test. Benchmarking performances, poring over read/write speeds, comparing size, capacity, and features like enhanced cache and vibration protection, our team of data experts have rounded up the very best NAS hard drives for home, work, and on-the-go. 

The best NAS hard drive in 2024

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Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best NAS hard drive picks in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

The best NAS hard drive overall

Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB

Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB (Image credit: Seagate Technology LLC)
Oodles of storage for the network

Specifications

Interface: SATA 6Gbps
Capacity: 4 - 20TB
Cache: 256MB
RPM: 7200

Reasons to buy

+
High storage capacity
+
Modest price increase for 20TB version

Reasons to avoid

-
300TB/y workload

Amazingly, cramming ten 2TB platters and 20 heads into a 3.5-inch drive package is possible. But Seagate achieved this using CMR technology and replacing the atmosphere inside the drive with Helium.

On the plus side of this equation, the new IronWolf Pro 20TB is 2TB bigger than the 18TB model, about 25MB/s faster at reading and writing, and it's more power-efficient. All these advantages come at a price that is only marginally more than the 18TB option. So it's a no-brainer for commercial and enterprise NAS to support the needs of creative professionals and large businesses, indeed?

The blot on this landscape is the yearly workload limit of 300TB, which could quickly be eaten by regular integrity testing, not to mention actual use. With data center drives offering 550TB workload limits at a very similar price and nearly identical performance, the IronWolf Pro might not be the best drive for the job, depending on your NAS profile.

Read our full Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB review

The best budget NAS hard drive

Western Digital Red NAS Hard Disk Drive

Western Digital Red NAS Hard Disk Drive (Image credit: Western Digital)

2. Western Digital Red

A simple hard disk focused on maximising storage space

Specifications

Interface: SATA 6Gbps
Capacity: 2 – 6TB
Cache: 64MB
RPM: 5400
Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

+
Large capacity hard drive
+
Performs better than rival 4TB models

Reasons to avoid

-
Average multi-drive small block sequential transfer speeds

It was only a few years ago that Western Digital’s 6TB NAS was the pack leader, offering more storage space than you could get from competing models. While that’s no longer the case, it’s still a unit with capacious storage space. Designed for businesses and consumers, it offers fast performance, especially in multi-drive environments with strong large-block sequential read and write speeds.

The best NAS hard drive for enterprise

WD Gold 4TB Enterprise Class Hard Disk Drive

WD Gold 4TB Enterprise Class Hard Disk Drive (Image credit: Western Digital)

3. WD Gold 4TB Enterprise Class

The top 12TB NAS hard drive deal around

Specifications

Interface: SATA 6Gbps
Capacity: 1 – 22TB
Cache: 128MB
RPM: 7200

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent performance
+
Smartly priced

Reasons to avoid

-
Support is not as robust as rivals’

If your business requires storing large files (or just lots of them), WD's Gold series stretches to a massive 12TB. And they boast some exciting traits: not least being filled with helium to protect tiny components inside that can become damaged by atmospheric turbulence. It's on par with Seagate's 12TB offerings regarding reading and write performance and offers many of its rival drives' features at no extra cost.

The best NAS hard drive for features

WD Red Pro WD6003FFBX 6TB

WD Red Pro WD6003FFBX 6TB (Image credit: Western Digital)

4. WD Red Pro WD6003FFBX 6TB

Packed with useful extras

Specifications

Interface: SATA 6Gbps
Capacity: 2 – 22TB
Cache: 256MB
RPM: 7200

Reasons to buy

+
Great performance
+
Highly reliable

Reasons to avoid

-
10TB drive is quite loud

WD’s Red Pro continues the company’s mantra of offering affordable and reliable storage that reduces the total cost of ownership. It packs 3D Active Balance Plugs tech, which is said to improve the over-drive performance and reliability significantly. That’s in addition to NASware tech, designed to improve reliability and system performance, reduce downtime and simplify the integration process while offering robust data protection.

The best high-capacity NAS hard drive for enterprise

Seagate EXOS 20TB

Seagate EXOS 20TB (Image credit: Seagate Inc.)
An Enterprise-class 20TB NAS drive

Specifications

Interface: 6Gbps SATA / 12GB/s SAS
Capacity: 18TB, 20TB
Cache: 256MB
RPM: 7200

Reasons to buy

+
Affordable
+
550TB/y workload

Reasons to avoid

-
Regular integrity tests could exceed workload

Another Seagate drive with ten 2TB platters in the classic 3.5-inch form factor to sit alongside the new IronWolf Pro 20TB. The only significant difference on the outside is that the EXOS comes in a SAS flavor in addition to a conventional SATA variety model.

The EXOS drive beats the IronWolf Pro with a workload limit of 550TB, a significant improvement over the 300TB of its brother mechanism. These are the same workload limits as the Western Digital UltraStar DC HC560 20TB and WD Gold 20TB.

Tuned for data center use, the EXOS 20TB is designed for high-capacity servers, enterprise NAS systems, and bulk storage. While the cost is higher than the 18TB models, it is slightly faster and offers enhanced rack space efficiency. Until the rumored microwave-assisted switching (MAS-MAMR) drives come along, the EXOS 20TB is as big a hard drive as you can buy.

Read our full Seagate EXOS 20TB review

Best NAS hard drives: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a NAS drive?

A network attached storage (NAS) drive is a physical storage unit that lets multiple users and devices access data around the clock. Sitting at the center of a data storage spider web, NAS drives are a good option for businesses and enterprises who need to reliably and securely serve up lots of data to lots of users all at once. 

What is bits per cell?

From SSD and memory specialist Silicon Power, Anthony Spence answers this question.

Flash memory cells are the basic building blocks of NAND Flash. Data is stored as bits in the cells, the bits represent an electrical charge contained within the cell that can be readily switched on and off by means of an electrical charge. Adding bits to the cell increases the number of states a cell can have, thereby exponentially increasing its capacity.

Additionally, the number of bits a cell contains serves as one of the primary ways to classify NAND Flash:

Single-Level Cell (SLC): They can only store one bit per cell and take up to two levels of charge. SLC NAND offers the highest performance, reliability and endurance (up to 100K P/E (program/erase) cycles). However, the memory density is the lowest among the variants and the price per GB is considerably higher than the other types. SLC is only available in 2D format and mostly used in enterprise setups.

Multi-Level Cell (MLC): MLC takes up to 2-bits per cell and four levels of charge. Available both in 2D and 3D variants, MLC offers good performance, reliability and endurance at a cheaper price than SLC. 3D NAND variants can reach P/E cycles in the range of 30K.

Triple-Level Cell (TLC): TLC stores 3-bits per cell for up to eight levels of charge. Commonly used for consumer grade products, TLC has a lower performance, reliability and endurance to the previous two. However a cheaper price and higher memory density make up for the drop in performance. The 3D variant can reach up to 3K P/E cycles.

Quadruple-Level Cell (QLC): Similarly to TLC, QLC is also commonly found in consumer grade products. QLC stores 4-bits per cell and can take up to 16 levels of charge. Among the 4 variants listed, it has the highest memory density and cheapest price. However, the lower price comes at a cost in performance, reliability and endurance (up to 1K P/E). 

Penta-Level Cell (PLC): Announced in 2019, PLC has been hailed as the logical next step in solid state storage technology. With the capacity to store 5-bits per cell and up to 32 (2^5) levels, PLC is expected to knock down HDD’s last line of defense, namely high storage capacity at affordable prices. PLC will ease the production of high capacity low cost SSDs; however the drawbacks in terms of endurance, speed and reliability found in QLC will still persist.

What are the benefits of using a NAS hard drive?

There are several benefits to using a NAS hard drive, including the ability to access and share stored data from any device on the same network, automatic data backup, and improved data security. NAS hard drives also offer the convenience of being able to access stored data remotely, as long as you have an internet connection.

Can I use a NAS hard drive as a primary storage device?

While NAS hard drives can be used as a primary storage device, they are typically used as an additional storage option or for file sharing. They may not be suitable for use as a primary storage device for larger files or for high-performance applications, as they may not have the same level of speed and performance as a local hard drive. If you'd like to know more about the different options for primary storage, check out our 'What is an SSD' and 'Is an SSD a hard drive?' explainers for a deeper breakdown.

Can I use my NAS hard drive for backup purposes?

Yes, many NAS hard drives offer automatic backup capabilities, allowing you to easily and securely store important data as a backup. Some NAS hard drives also offer cloud backup options, allowing you to store data. It's a good idea to supplement any existing with the best cloud storage or the best cloud backup. We also recommend additional backups via any of the best SSD options for faster performance, or the best external hard drives.  

How to choose the best NAS hard drive for you

When selecting a NAS hard drive, it is important to consider the capacity, speed, and connectivity options that best meet your needs. Larger capacity hard drives can store more data, while faster hard drives can improve data transfer speeds. It is also important to consider the connectivity options, such as whether the hard drive supports Ethernet or WiFi, as well as the type of data interface (e.g. USB, SATA).

Collin Probst

Former TechRadar Pro B2B Hardware Editor, Collin has been in journalism for years, with experience in small and large markets, including Gearadical, DailyBeast, FutureNet, and more.

With contributions from