Best NAS for Home Servers in 2026
Quick Recommendation
For most self-hosters, buy a Synology DS423+. It costs $450, runs Docker natively, has Intel Quick Sync for Plex transcoding, supports NVMe caching, and Synology’s DSM software is the most polished NAS OS on the market. Pair it with two 8 TB Seagate IronWolf drives ($150 each) in SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) and you have a 8 TB usable, fault-tolerant storage server for about $750 total.
If you want maximum control and flexibility, build a DIY NAS with TrueNAS SCALE or Unraid. You’ll get more hardware for your money, but you’ll spend more time configuring it. See our DIY NAS Build Guide.
What to Look For
Drive Bays
More bays = more storage and better redundancy options. Here’s the practical breakdown:
- 2-bay: 4–36 TB usable (with RAID 1 / SHR-1). Good for getting started. Limited expansion.
- 4-bay: 8–72 TB usable (with RAID 5 / SHR-1). The sweet spot for most home users. Lose one drive without data loss.
- 6+ bay: For serious storage needs. Supports RAID 6 / SHR-2 (survive two simultaneous drive failures).
Our recommendation: Start with 4 bays. You can fill two now and add two later.
CPU
The CPU determines whether your NAS can run Docker containers, transcode video, and handle encryption without slowing to a crawl.
- Intel (with Quick Sync): Required for Plex/Jellyfin hardware transcoding. Synology DS423+ and DS224+ both have Intel CPUs with Quick Sync.
- AMD: Better raw compute per watt, but no hardware transcoding. Synology DS923+ uses AMD Ryzen — great for everything except Plex transcoding.
- ARM: Cheap Synology models (DS120j, DS220j) use ARM chips. Avoid these for self-hosting — too slow for Docker containers and zero transcoding support.
RAM
- 2 GB: Barely enough for the NAS OS. Don’t run Docker on this.
- 4 GB: Minimum for light Docker use (Pi-hole, a few small containers).
- 8+ GB: Recommended. Lets you run a full Docker stack comfortably. Synology models are upgradeable — buy the base config and add RAM yourself for half the cost.
Networking
- 1 GbE: Standard. Fine for streaming and normal file access. Bottleneck for large file transfers.
- 2.5 GbE: The new standard. Synology DS925+ has it built in. Otherwise, add it via USB adapter.
- 10 GbE: Overkill for most homes. Matters for video editing or multi-user environments. Available via PCIe expansion on DS923+ and DS1621+.
Docker Support
Not all NAS devices support Docker. Synology runs Docker via Container Manager (formerly Docker package). QNAP runs Docker via Container Station. TrueNAS SCALE runs Docker natively on Linux. TrueNAS CORE (FreeBSD) does NOT run Docker — it uses jails.
Top Picks
1. Synology DS423+ — Best Overall
The DS423+ is a 4-bay NAS with an Intel Celeron J4125 and hardware Quick Sync. It handles Plex 4K→1080p transcoding, runs Docker containers, and Synology’s DSM software makes administration painless.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Drive bays | 4x 3.5”/2.5” SATA |
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4125 (4C/4T, 2.0–2.7 GHz) |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR4 (expandable to 8 GB) |
| NVMe cache | 2x M.2 2280 NVMe slots |
| Networking | 2x 1 GbE |
| USB | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Transcoding | Intel Quick Sync (HEVC, H.264) |
| Power (HDD sleep) | ~15 W |
| Power (typical) | ~30 W |
| Price | ~$450 (diskless, as of Feb 2026) |
Pros:
- Intel Quick Sync — the only 4-bay Synology with hardware transcoding under $600
- NVMe cache slots for faster random I/O
- DSM is the best NAS OS for ease of use
- Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) lets you mix drive sizes
- Active Directory, Hyper Backup, Surveillance Station, Drive (Dropbox-like sync)
- Huge app ecosystem (Plex, Jellyfin, Docker, Tailscale, everything)
Cons:
- Only 2 GB base RAM — upgrade to 8 GB immediately (~$25)
- No 2.5 GbE built in (need USB adapter)
- Synology locks some features to their branded drives (warnings, not hard blocks)
- No PCIe expansion slot (can’t add 10 GbE)
Best for: Most self-hosters. Especially Plex/Jellyfin users who need hardware transcoding in a NAS form factor.
2. Synology DS923+ — Best for Power Users
The DS923+ uses an AMD Ryzen R1600 and adds a PCIe expansion slot for 10 GbE or NVMe. More powerful than the DS423+ for compute-heavy tasks, but no Intel Quick Sync.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Drive bays | 4x 3.5”/2.5” SATA (expandable to 9 with DX517) |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen R1600 (2C/4T, 2.6 GHz) |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 ECC (expandable to 32 GB) |
| NVMe cache | 2x M.2 2280 NVMe slots |
| Networking | 2x 1 GbE |
| PCIe | 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 (for 10 GbE or NVMe) |
| Transcoding | None (AMD — no Quick Sync) |
| Power (typical) | ~30 W |
| Price | ~$600 (diskless, as of Feb 2026) |
Pros:
- ECC RAM support — important for ZFS/Btrfs data integrity
- PCIe slot for 10 GbE NIC
- Expandable to 9 bays with DX517
- Stronger CPU for Docker containers and surveillance
- 32 GB max RAM for VM and container-heavy setups
Cons:
- No hardware transcoding — Plex will software-transcode (slow with 4K)
- $150 more than the DS423+
- PCIe slot is only x1 — limits 10 GbE adapter options
Best for: Users who don’t need Plex transcoding but want maximum expansion, ECC RAM, and 10 GbE capability.
3. Synology DS224+ — Best Budget
A 2-bay version of the DS423+ at ~$300. Same Intel CPU with Quick Sync, same DSM software. Start here if you’re new to NAS and want to keep costs low.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Drive bays | 2x 3.5”/2.5” SATA |
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4125 (4C/4T) |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR4 (expandable to 8 GB) |
| NVMe cache | 2x M.2 2280 |
| Networking | 2x 1 GbE |
| Price | ~$300 (diskless, as of Feb 2026) |
Best for: Entry-level NAS users. Pair with two 4 TB drives for a ~$450 total setup.
4. DIY NAS with TrueNAS SCALE — Best for Maximum Control
Build your own using a Jonsbo N3 case (8 bays), an Intel N305 motherboard, and 32 GB DDR5. Run TrueNAS SCALE for ZFS with native Docker support.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Drive bays | 8x 3.5” (Jonsbo N3 case) |
| CPU | Intel i3-N305 (8C/8T) |
| RAM | 32 GB DDR5 |
| Networking | 2x 2.5 GbE |
| Storage | 8x SATA + 2x M.2 NVMe |
| Power (typical) | ~20–40 W (varies with drives) |
| Total cost | ~$400–600 (diskless, as of Feb 2026) |
Pros:
- More storage capacity than any pre-built under $1,000
- ZFS — the gold standard for data integrity
- Full Docker/Kubernetes support on TrueNAS SCALE
- No vendor lock-in
- 8 cores for heavy container workloads
Cons:
- You build and maintain it yourself
- TrueNAS has a steeper learning curve than DSM
- No mobile app ecosystem like Synology Drive/Photos
- No hardware warranty on the complete system
Best for: Experienced users who want ZFS, maximum storage density, and full control. See our DIY NAS Build Guide for step-by-step instructions.
5. Unraid on Any x86 Hardware — Best Flexibility
Unraid isn’t hardware — it’s an OS. Install it on any x86 PC (old desktop, mini PC, server). Its killer feature: mix any size drives in a single array. Add a 4 TB today, an 8 TB tomorrow, a 16 TB next month. No rebuilding, no matching.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| License | $59 (Basic, 6 drives) / $89 (Plus, 12 drives) / $129 (Pro, unlimited) |
| Requirements | Any 64-bit x86 CPU, 4 GB+ RAM, USB drive for boot |
| File system | XFS/Btrfs per drive, parity-based protection |
| Docker | Native support via Docker engine |
| VMs | KVM-based with GPU passthrough |
Pros:
- Mix any drive sizes — no RAID rebuild when adding storage
- Excellent Docker and VM support
- Huge community with a plugin ecosystem (Community Applications)
- GPU passthrough for Plex transcoding or AI workloads
- Simple web UI
Cons:
- $59–129 license cost
- Not ZFS — less data integrity protection than TrueNAS
- Parity-based redundancy is slow for writes
- Array access speed limited by single-drive read speed (cache helps)
Best for: Homelabbers who accumulate drives over time and want painless expansion. See our Synology vs Unraid and TrueNAS vs Unraid comparisons.
Full Comparison Table
| DS423+ | DS923+ | DS224+ | DIY TrueNAS | Unraid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drive bays | 4 | 4 (exp. to 9) | 2 | 8+ (your choice) | Unlimited |
| CPU | Intel J4125 | AMD R1600 | Intel J4125 | Intel N305 | Your choice |
| RAM | 2 GB (to 8) | 4 GB ECC (to 32) | 2 GB (to 8) | 32 GB+ | Your choice |
| Quick Sync | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Depends on CPU |
| Docker | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| File system | Btrfs/ext4 | Btrfs/ext4 | Btrfs/ext4 | ZFS | XFS/Btrfs |
| 10 GbE | No | PCIe | No | Motherboard-dependent | Depends on hardware |
| Price (diskless) | ~$450 | ~$600 | ~$300 | ~$400–600 | $59–129 + hardware |
| Ease of use | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Good |
Power Consumption and Running Costs
NAS power consumption depends heavily on the number and type of drives installed:
| Configuration | Idle (W) | Annual Cost ($0.12/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| DS224+ with 2x HDD | ~18 W | $18.92 |
| DS423+ with 4x HDD | ~30 W | $31.54 |
| DS923+ with 4x HDD | ~32 W | $33.64 |
| DIY 8-bay with 8x HDD | ~50–70 W | $52.56–73.58 |
| Each additional HDD | +5–8 W | +$5.26–8.41 |
| SSD instead of HDD | -3–5 W per drive | Saves $3.15–5.26/year/drive |
Tip: Enable HDD hibernation for drives that aren’t accessed frequently. A 4-bay NAS with two drives sleeping drops from 30W to 20W.
What Can You Run on a NAS?
Every NAS (2+ GB RAM):
- File sharing (SMB, NFS, AFP)
- Automated backups (Hyper Backup, rsync, Borg)
- Syncthing — file sync across devices
4+ GB RAM NAS:
- Plex or Jellyfin — media server (Intel CPU recommended for transcoding)
- Nextcloud — file sync, calendar, contacts
- Pi-hole or AdGuard Home — DNS ad blocking
- Vaultwarden — password management
- Immich — photo management (needs 4+ GB, Intel CPU preferred)
8+ GB RAM NAS:
- Everything above, plus:
- Home Assistant — home automation
- BookStack — wiki/knowledge base
- Uptime Kuma — monitoring
- Multiple databases (PostgreSQL, MariaDB)
16+ GB RAM (DIY/Unraid):
- Everything above, plus:
- Virtual machines
- Immich with ML processing
- CI/CD runners
- Large Nextcloud instances with full-text search
FAQ
Should I buy a Synology or build my own?
Buy a Synology if you value your time and want everything to “just work.” Build your own if you want maximum storage per dollar, ZFS, or specific hardware requirements. The DS423+ at $450 is hard to beat for convenience. A DIY 8-bay build costs $400–600 but gives you twice the capacity.
How many drives should I start with?
Start with two drives in a 4-bay NAS. Use SHR/RAID 1 for redundancy (you get one drive’s worth of usable space). Add more drives as you need them. Starting with two 8 TB drives gives you 8 TB usable for ~$300.
Do I need a NAS if I have a mini PC?
They complement each other. Use a mini PC for compute (Docker containers, VMs, transcoding) and a NAS for bulk storage (media, backups, photos). Connect them over your LAN with NFS or SMB mounts. This separation is cleaner and more reliable than trying to do everything on one device.
Which drives should I buy?
See our Best Hard Drives for NAS guide. Short answer: Seagate IronWolf or WD Red Plus in 8–16 TB capacities for the best price per TB.
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