A NAS is the local, in-your-house half of a proper backup. Here are the boxes worth buying — for every budget — with clear verdicts. Pair one with a cloud backup and you’ve nailed the 3-2-1 rule.
The one we point most people at: two drive bays, brilliant software, and a genuine set-and-forget backup target that lives in your house.
Best for power users & small bizFour bays, expandable, and fast enough to run backups for a whole small business — still with Synology’s superb software.
Best for features & speedMore raw power and ports than the Synology equivalents — if you like options and don’t mind busier software.
Best value newcomerA surprisingly capable, affordable 2-bay from a newcomer — strong hardware, with software that’s still maturing.
Simplest entry NASComes with the drives in the box and keeps things simple — a gentle way into NAS backup, if a bit limited.
Best budget 4-bayFour bays for noticeably less than the big names — capable hardware, with TOS software that’s decent but not class-leading.