Best NAS device of 2024
Network-attached storage for the home and office
Looking for the best NAS device? Understanding your storage needs is crucial.
Unlike the best external hard drive or the best portable SSD, NAS devices offer a unique advantage: internet connectivity. This allows you to access your stored files remotely, ensuring you have the convenience to retrieve data from anywhere in the world.
This remote accessibility feature of NAS devices trumps traditional storage methods. Rather than carrying around an external hard drive or the best flash drive, you can securely retrieve files from any internet-connected device. Additionally, NAS devices can serve as a centralized storage hub within your network. Whether for work or personal use, every computer on the network can utilize the NAS as if it were an internal drive. This centralized approach ensures that even if one PC fails, the stored data remains intact and secure in the NAS.
If security, accessibility, and centralized storage are priorities for you, a NAS device might be the best solution. It seamlessly integrates with the best cloud storage and best cloud backup services. Moreover, if you're into photography, it might be worth looking into the best photo storage options. And to maximize your device's connectivity, consider pairing it with the best mesh WiFi system or the best WiFi router.
The world of NAS devices can be a bit daunting, though, so we're here to help you navigate it with our guide to finding the best NAS device for your needs and budget. We've extensively tested all the best network-attached storage solutions, and pulled the best of the best together in one place to help you find the device you're looking for.
The best NAS device of 2024 in full:
Why you can trust TechRadar
Below you'll find full write-ups for each pick for the best NAS device on our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best NAS device for personal use
1. WD My Cloud Personal NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
WD has attained significant success with its unashamedly consumer-friendly My Cloud products, which can stream to any DLNA-compliant device and be accessed via mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Advertised as a 'personal cloud,' this WD is one of the best NAS drives by any other name and starts at 2TB of storage (you can also get it in 3 or 4TB). Because it's a one-bay unit, it can't back itself up since there's only one drive. However, it can back up to an external hard drive thanks to a USB port on the back.
Read the full review: WD My Cloud Personal.
The best low-profile NAS device
2. Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Continuing with the 'personal cloud' theme, this unit from Seagate takes its lead from My Cloud while offering far larger capacities, along with dual bays for two hard drives. This allows the Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS device to mirror the files from one hard drive to a second one, securing your files in case one of those drives fails.
We also appreciate the no-fuss appearance of this unit, meaning it fits easily under a router or on a shelf. Plus, it can work with cloud accounts – like Dropbox and Google Drive – and you can also use an app to share content with streamers, such as Chromecast and Roku.
Read the full review: Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay.
The best NAS device for media files
3. QNAP TS-251A NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The QNAP TS-251A is an extraordinary NAS device that has more features than you can shake a stick – or the included remote control – at. It includes dual Ethernet ports, an HDMI out for connecting it to a TV, and respectable hardware like the dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron CPU and 4GB of RAM for hardware transcoding media files.
The QTS OS also lets you effortlessly install various apps, from the Plex Media Server and file-sharing apps to, surprisingly, a karaoke app, as well as running Ubuntu Linux for added flexibility.
Long story short: this is an incredible NAS device, even if you do have to purchase the hard drives separately. Just factor that into the overall cost.
The best NAS device for file sharing
4. Buffalo LinkStation LS220D NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
As one of the best NAS drives out there, this 2TB dual-bay unit (also available in 4, 6, and 8TB capacities) comes courtesy of Buffalo, the company that also produces the TeraStation line of advanced NAS units.
The key selling point of this model is that it can integrate directly with BitTorrent, which means that it can download files for you even when your PC is not on. You won’t need to worry as much about your downloads getting interrupted. Like many of the other devices listed, you can also stream to it via various devices, it's platform agnostic, and you can use it as an iTunes server.
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay
The best NAS device for beginners
5. Synology DiskStation DS1817 NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Every now and then, a product comes along that challenges the conventions of its product category. The DS1817 is one such product. Most NAS devices that occupy the ‘value’ space tend to be underpowered and have little to no room for expansion. The DS1817 breaks the norms by letting users fill the included eight drive bays with whatever they desire to get as much (or as little) storage as they want. On top of this massive expandability, which helps rank it as one of the best NAS drives available, the 10GbE LAN and Quad-Core CPU also mean that you’ll never be left wanting for performance.
Read the full review: Synology DiskStation DS181 .
The best NAS device for backups
6. WD My Cloud Mirror NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
This two-bay unit can produce a mirrored data backup, duplicating your files on both drives using RAID configuration. That's quite an advanced feature for a consumer unit. Remember that you end up paying quite a lot for that capability and WD's user-friendly presentation, including an easy-to-master, browser-based control screen.
This is a 4TB unit, though 6, 8, and 16TB units are also available. You can also back up the contents to Dropbox for extra peace of mind.
The best NAS device for professionals
7. Synology DiskStation DS1517 NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Anyone looking at purely technical specs instantly falls in love with the Synology DiskStation DS1517. Thanks to its quad-core CPU and 8GB of RAM, this NAS can reach sequential speeds of 111.4 MB/s write and 110.3 MB/s read without trouble. Combining that raw performance with the DS1517’s expandability, you have a formula for a NAS device that has undeniably earned its spot among the best NAS drives on the market. Just know that the DS1517 isn’t cheap, and unless you’re a creative professional or looking for a NAS for a small business, it might be a bit too much.
Read the full review: Synology DiskStation DS1517.
The best NAS device for small business
8. WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
This box is designed for small business use, featuring RAID capabilities found in pricier and more intricate NAS devices, as well as Microsoft Active Directory support. That’s without mentioning that it can also act as a file server, FTP server, backup server, and P2P download server.
In addition, WD's EX series is available in diskless variants, though this price is for the 4TB version. 8TB, 12TB, and 16TB units are also available. If you don't need any extra stuff, go with the My Cloud Mirror.
The best NAS device for cloud storage integration
9. Western Digital DL4100 NAS drive
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If you're looking for one of the best NAS drives to help manage your backup needs, the DL4100 might be worth a look. One of the coolest features of this device is its web dashboard, which provides users options for backing up to cloud services such as Dropbox and Box. Additionally, it has the ability to set up SMS and email alerts in case the system fails for whatever reason.
Regarding storage options, the DL4100 is equipped with four drive bays and comes with your choice of four configurations. Despite some annoying issues with wireless transfers, the DL4100's 1.7GHz dual-core Atom processor and 2GB of RAM (configurable up to 6GB) perform admirably. Combine this with a simple setup and cloud-connected web apps, and you have an interesting backup device on your hands.
Read our full review: Western Digital DL4100 review.
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra
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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.