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What are the best NAS enclosures under $300?

8

Options
Considered

80

User
Recs.

Aug 21, 2021

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

7 Options Considered

Best NAS enclosures under $300	Price	RAM	CPU
89 Synology DS216+II	$289.00	1 or 2GB DDR3	Intel® Celeron® Processor N3060 (2M Cache, up to 2.48 GHz) with AES-NI hardware encryption engine
71 Netgear ReadyNAS 212	$285.80	2 ( DDR3 )	ARM Cortex A15 1,4GHz Quad Core
69 Western Digital My Cloud EX2 Ultra	$159	1GB ( DDR3 )	Marvell® ARMADA® 385 1.3GHz Dual Core
68 QNAP TS-128	$139	1GB DDR3	ARM V7 1.1GHz Dual Core
-- Western Digital 4TB My Cloud	$158.85	256MB ( DDR3 )	Cortex-A9 ARM 0,650GHz Dual Core CPU

Synology DS216+II

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Top Pro

Single-button press backup functionality (ports and button on the front)

This function is called USBCopy. You just need to attach your media to the front, press the Copy button (labeled C on this version) and wait untill it's done (no need to have it attached to any PC and no need to login to the NAS as well). By default, the backups get compressed to a single archive per backup and are named after their device name and timestamp attached (changeable within the settings). Older/other versions also had an SD-Card reader, this one doesn't (but it seems to have an eSATA port) so you might search for an alternative if you need the SD-Card reader. See More

Top Con

Too many variants, pricing is not always logical

With, without an SD-Card reader; with, without a copy button and front ports. Model numbers also don't seem to follow any logic so you have to be careful when buying here. Also with some, you can switch the RAM model yourself while on many others it's soldered to the mainboard. You don't need the latest model. Be careful selecting one to fit your needs and pocket when buying (they're pretty good even when they're used - just use new HDDs and you're fine). See More

Specs

RAM:1 or 2GB DDR3

CPU:Intel® Celeron® Processor N3060 (2M Cache, up to 2.48 GHz) with AES-NI hardware encryption engine

Maximum total storage volume:108 TB for a single volume

SSD support:Yes (with TRIM)

Top Pro

DiskStation Manager OS is rock solid

DiskStation Manager OS is by far the best commercial NAS-OS out there when it comes to expandability, usability, and stability. No other system comes close, unless you build one yourself and use an Open-Source NAS-OS that you fine-tune to your needs. See More

Top Con

Not made for 4K streaming addicts (PLEX)

Yet so are typical other NAS from other manufacturers unless they are tailored for the purpose. Synology calls these NAS boxes "play" e. g. DS216play. They often have other drawbacks. You have to spend more to get hardware level support for proper media-streaming. This is, however, not the usual task for a NAS and is only interesting if you need to stream 4K files (most often other bottlenecks are in-place like a slow network connection anyway). For streaming 1080p this NAS should be fine. If you need serious streaming look elsewhere. See More

Top Pro

Synology has by far the best LTS of any comparable manufacturer

Even 10-year-old NAS storages still get updates for their OS (called DSM). The only thing that limits you is the hardware. See More

Top Con

Requires a bit of work if you want to get the most out of it

It's clearly not made for people that want to buy a device and just use it but those that take some time to set it up. Once you're done, it runs, and runs, and runs (till you want to do more, which you can since it has Package-Management built in that enables you to download new packages and extend the functionality of your simple NAS). See More

Top Pro

Full flegged x86 CPU

See this for tech-spec. See More

Top Con

Expensive

While the cost is not as high as some, there are similar storage size options for cheaper prices. This price tag, like most, is for branding and the high quality product you get from Synology. See More

Top Pro

AES-NI hardware encryption engine

Encryption performance at over 113.01 MB/s reading, 111.66 MB/s writing. See More

Top Con

Slow support

Technical support is not the go to option for a solution, with long wait times, and open cases taking up to weeks to resolve (that is with persistent follow up). See More

Top Pro

Company-level advanced BTRFS file system with built-in data integrity check

See further details on Synology's page See More

Top Pro

Usability (WebOS)

Product and software work seamlessly with any operating system (since it's a WebOS running in the browser). Product software has easy to follow icons and GUI that allow users to use it as a VPN, time machine, media server, etc. See More

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Netgear ReadyNAS 212

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Top Pro

Great as a media server

It can stream Full HD multimedia files to your computer, smartphone, tablet or smart TV with ease. It can handle video transcoding as well, unlike less powerful NAS units. The large storage volume (16TB) also ensures that you will have more than enough space for your movie and music collection. See More

Top Con

Transcoding capabilities are limited

Although it can flawlessly transcode a single Full HD video stream, it cannot do the same with Ultra HD/4K video files. It also cannot transcode to multiple client devices at once. See More

Specs

CPU:ARM Cortex A15 1,4GHz Quad Core

SSD support:2.5" SSD

Data redundancy possibilities:RAID0, RAID1

Top Pro

Affordably priced quad-core option

This is one of the most affordable quad-core NAS units available. Virtually all other quad-core options are slightly more expensive while only offering little advantage. When compared to Netgear’s corresponding dual-core model, the 212’s media transcoding performance is twice as fast. See More

Top Pro

Good connectivity for fast data transfer

The Netgear ReadyNAS 212 has three USB 3.0 ports and an eSATA port, useful for attaching extra peripheral storage to the device. While USB 3.0 ports are common on NAS units, eSATA ports are somewhat less common. This is an advantage because eSATA based storage devices are both very popular and powerful (eSATA provides faster data transfer speeds than USB 3.0). See More

Western Digital My Cloud EX2 Ultra

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Top Pro

Very affordable for a two-bay device

At $159, this two-bay NAS device offers great value. It's virtually impossible to find another solution close to this price with such a good performance. See More

Top Con

Not as many third-party apps as those found for more well established NAS brands

Western Digital is quite new to the NAS market, so it doesn’t have as many third party applications as other brands. Key applications like Plex Media Server, ARCUS and Dropbox are supported, but you may want to check app availability first before buying this unit. See More

Specs

RAM:1GB ( DDR3 )

CPU:Marvell® ARMADA® 385 1.3GHz Dual Core

Maximum total storage volume:16TB ( 2 x 8TB )

Top Pro

Users can choose between safety and storage maximization

This unit has two hard disk bays which can support RAID0 and RAID1 configurations. This gives you the choice of maximizing available storage, or halving your storage space in exchange for single-drive failure security. See More

Top Con

No offline storage or data migration via USB

Most NAS units typically come with USB ports for connecting storage. However, this unit does not offer USB connectivity, which would have been useful for offline storage or data migration. See More

Top Pro

Save money by choosing one of the pre-populated versions

You can buy this device pre populated with Western Digital hard drives. You can choose between 4TB, 8TB, 12TB or 16TB storage space. This options is more convenient and cheaper than purchasing the hard drives separately. See More

Top Con

Official documentation is incomplete and unclear

Key aspects such as power consumption or read/write speeds are not available on the official documentation. On top of that, the list of features is unclear and not explained well. See More

Top Pro

Simple set-up process

Setting up this NAS is as straightforward as it can get. You can get it running within a couple of minutes, even if you have no previous experience. Inserting the hard disks, plugging it in and filling out a form on mycloud.com is all that it takes. See More

Top Pro

More than capable of managing typical home use

This two-bay unit has a 1.3GHz dual-core Marvell CPU and 1GB of DDR3 RAM. This is more than enough for typical home use, such as web browsing or movie watching. Media transcoding also works great with this device - Full HD videos have a nice and smooth playback. See More

QNAP TS-128

Top Pro

Good value for money

This is one of the cheapest dual core, 1GB (RAM) single-bay NAS units you can get. See More

Top Con

Lost data can’t be recovered

When buying a single bay NAS unit, keep in mind that a drive failure will result in total and permanent data loss. To avoid this, consider investing in a DAS (direct-attached storage) as well. The DAS can be attached to the QNAP TS-128 via USB. It has built-in software to allow you to actually set up automatic NAS backups to DAS (such as once a week). This ensures your data remains safe, though it also entails extra costs. See More

Specs

CPU:ARM V7 1.1GHz Dual Core

Maximum total storage volume:1 x 16TB

Top Pro

Intuitive, easy set-up process

This unit doesn't come with hard disks preinstalled. To get it set up, you just have to insert the hard disks, plug in the unit, connect it to your router and switch it on. After that, just log on to myQNAPcloud and you’ll have full access to the NAS through the web interface. The interface is extremely intuitive and user friendly. Even a beginner will enjoy it. See More

Top Pro

Performance is enough for casual home use

This unit comes with a 1.1GHz dual core ARM processor and 1GB of DDR3 RAM. Its specs are enough for casual home use, like web browsing or movie watching. On the other hand, more demanding tasks, like media transcoding, would require something beefier in terms of performance. See More

Top Pro

Integrates with cloud services

This NAS can integrate with popular cloud services, like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Yandex Disk, and others, making data transfers very quick and hassle-free. See More

Top Pro

Can be turned into a media server

Plex media server software is available for this NAS and can effectively turn it into a media server. Though note that the NAS won't be performant enough to transcode media on the fly. See More

Top Pro

Can be used for surveillance

The TS-128 comes with two free surveillance camera licenses and can store data from up to eight surveillance cameras. See More

Top Pro

Impressive third-party application support

The amount of available third-party applications is quite impressive. There's a varied selection, including media applications, cloud storage apps, as well as mobile and desktop companion apps. See More

Top Pro

Low power consumption

Running this unit 24/7 doesn't cost much: it idles at 5.03 Watts and operates at approximately 8.96 Watts. Even in operational mode, this unit would consume approximately 78.5 KWh total in one year. See More

Western Digital 4TB My Cloud

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Top Pro

Offers excellent value for money

This NAS unit comes with a 4TB Western Digital Red Hard Disk pre-installed. Considering that a similar 4TB HDD would cost $150 by itself, this $160 NAS offers great value. See More

Top Con

Slow GUI

GUI is almost unusable due to lag. Moving files around and organizing files already on the drive is a headache. See More

Specs

RAM:256MB ( DDR3 )

CPU:Cortex-A9 ARM 0,650GHz Dual Core CPU

Data redundancy possibilities:No

Top Pro

Easy access via browser control panel

It has a user-friendly control panel that can be easily accessed with a standard web browser. See More

Top Con

Available with Western Digital hard disks only

Buying this NAS pre-installed with non-Western Digital hard disks is not possible. See More

Top Pro

USB connectivity

If you hook up a USB storage device, you can access its stored files as a regular NAS storage volume. See More

Top Con

No data protection features

As with most single-bay NAS units, you risk losing all of your stored data in the event of a disk failure. You can still use an external USB drive to manually backup your files every once in a while, though. See More

Top Con

Official documentation leaves much to be desired

The documentation lacks important technical parameters such as CPU, RAM size and type, power consumption and even read/write speed. The Western Digital web resource also doesn’t include a list of compatible applications. See More

WD 2TB My Cloud Personal NAS

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Top Con

Software lacks depth

The WD software is simple, and rudimentary enough to get the job done. The software specifically lacks functionality in security settings, OSX compatibility, idle control and power/sleep settings. Keep an eye out for updates from WD, there is a decent bit of room for improvement here. See More

Top Pro

Supports syncing

Any updates that are done to files are automatically updated on the device, allowing for up to date access from all devices. See More

Specs

Weight:2.1 lbs.

Size:2 TB (upgradeable to 6 TB)

Dimensions:5.5 x 1.9 x 6.7 inches

Platforms:PC; MAC

Top Con

Entry level

This is really an entry level product for those looking to get started with large personal storage and security. There are many other options as far as security and storage. If you are looking to get started and see how this kind of hardware can work for you? Then by all means, make sure you have the two day free shipping! See More

Top Pro

Good bang for your buck

At roughly $120, the 2TB My Cloud is a great start to building an at home storage that is both reliable and easy to interact with. See More

Top Pro

Reliability

Easy to setup, user friendly, reliable tech support, and overall a simple experience. Great for people just getting started with large personal storage at home or in a small business. See More

Top Pro

Companion App

The MyCloud app allows you to wirelessly transfer your videos, pictures, and files onto your device while connected to any internet. See More

Apple Time Capsule

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Top Con

Combining multiple needs increases impact during a failure

With both router and backup / NAS in one device, if either part fails you risk losing both services. I had one and had the hard drive fail, which would have meant losing my wireless service while it was out to be repaired, so in the end I lost my backup / central network share capability. See More

Top Pro

Its a time capsule

The software is set up to integrate more transparently with Apple's Time Capsule features of MacOS and iOS, reducing some of the setup needed for a non-Apple brand NAS. See More

Specs

Weight:3.26 lbs.

Dimensions:3.85 x 3.85 x 6.6 inches

Platforms:Mac; iOS Devices; PCs

Top Con

Cross compatibility issues with PCs

Apple is notorious for not allowing easy cross compatibility with PC's. That doesn't stop you from connecting your PC to it, you just have to go through some extra steps. See More

Top Pro

An Apple a day...

This is the perfect solution if you are a heavy Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV user. Store movies, music, backups, and more using Time Machine. Access all of that information just as simply, using the built in software for Mac. It really is a calming feeling when all of your tech just talks to each other without you having to go through extra effort. See More

Top Con

Lack of storage

Not much a way of upgrade options. Unless you are savvy and willing to forgo a manufacturers warranty, then the sky is the limit. See More

QNAP TS-451+

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