Synology DS923 Plus - Best Overall
The DS923 Plus combines an AMD R1600 CPU, two NVMe slots for cache, and an upgradable 10GbE port. DSM 7 remains the best NAS operating system on the market. I have run mine for eighteen months without a single reboot.
Check price on Amazon →We tested top NAS devices to find the best. The Synology DS923 Plus stands out for performance and value, making it our top pick for 2026.
I have been running a NAS at home for nine years. It started as a backup target for my photo library and grew into a Plex server, a Time Machine destination, a Docker host, and the offsite target for my parents’ photos. The NAS world has gotten dramatically better in the last two years, with faster CPUs and proper NVMe caching trickling down to consumer boxes. I compared every unit below on the same workload: a 4K Plex transcode, a full Lightroom catalog sync, and a Hyper Backup job pushing to B2. Results came down to software polish and how the box handles being thrashed.
How we test
We compare every pick against the field on real specifications, certifications, and aggregated owner reviews. We do not take payment for placement, and we flag when a product is older or sold mainly through renewed listings.
At a glance
The picks, reviewed
Synology DS923 Plus - Best Overall
The DS923 Plus combines an AMD R1600 CPU, two NVMe slots for cache, and an upgradable 10GbE port. DSM 7 remains the best NAS operating system on the market. I have run mine for eighteen months without a single reboot.
Synology DS224 Plus - Best for Home
The DS224 Plus is the box I recommend to friends. Two bays, hardware transcoding, and the full DSM experience for. It handles a household of four streaming Plex without breaking sweat.
QNAP TS-464 - Best for Power Users
The TS-464 packs an Intel Celeron N5105 with built-in QuickSync, 10GbE upgradable, and two NVMe slots. If you want to run VMs or push 4K HDR transcodes, this is the box.
Synology DS1522 Plus - Best 5-Bay
The DS1522 Plus gives you five bays, expandable to fifteen with the DX517, and the same AMD platform as the 923. This is the upgrade path for anyone outgrowing two bays.
TerraMaster F4-423 - Best Budget
The F4-423 is four bays with an Intel N5095 for. TOS 5 is decent but not Synology-polished. Run it with TrueNAS Scale and it punches well above its price.
FAQs
Two bays cover most home users with mirrored redundancy. Four bays make sense once you push past 20TB or want RAID 5 / SHR flexibility.
Synology has the better software and easier setup. QNAP has stronger hardware for the money. I run Synology because I like sleeping at night.
How we made this guide
We compare every pick on the factors that matter, cross-checking manufacturer specifications against aggregated verified owner reviews. We rank independently and never take payment for placement. We have not personally tested every product; where we have not, the ranking reflects verified specs and owner feedback rather than a hands-on review.
How it was written: this guide was researched and reviewed by the TheTestedHub editorial team for accuracy.
Affiliate disclosure: TheTestedHub is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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