Frank
Storage guide

Best NAS for a home media server

For most home media servers in 2026 the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus is the top pick, with a quad-core x86 chip and Intel quick sync that handles Plex and Jellyfin transcoding far better than anything else near its price.

Updated June 2026 · 6 picks compared · every weakness listed

Picking a NAS for a home media server comes down to one question most buying guides dodge: can the box actually transcode your library, or are you betting your whole setup on direct play. We weighted real transcoding capability (Intel Quick Sync versus ARM versus AMD), software maturity, noise, and price, and we were honest about the tradeoffs. The cheap ARM boxes look great on a spec sheet until you point a 4K HDR file at a phone and watch it choke. The polished ecosystems (Synology) charge a premium and have been quietly locking down drive compatibility. There is no single right answer, so we ranked by who each box is actually for.

Trust scores on this page are our editorial judgement. For scores built from the latest sources, ask Frank for a live report.

Side by side

The short version

Product comparison
Product Trust Price Best for Buy
#1
 91 $600 to $700 (diskless) Most people who want strong Plex/Jellyfin transcoding without overpaying Check price →
#2
 84 $300 to $340 (diskless) People who value rock-solid software and mostly direct-play their media Check price →
#3
QNAP TS-464
Best for tinkerers
 82 $500 to $560 (diskless) Tinkerers who want flexible hardware and run their own container stack Check price →
#4
 83 $800 to $900 (diskless) Buyers who want high-end networking and an enthusiast media feature set Check price →
#5
 78 $450 to $520 (diskless) Budget-minded buyers comfortable installing Jellyfin or a custom OS Check price →
#6
 80 $580 to $640 (diskless) Quiet-room setups where clients direct-play and software polish matters most Check price →

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The picks

Every choice, with its trade-offs

#1 Top pick

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus

Intel quick sync plus four bays and 8GB of upgradeable RAM make this the best transcoding value for most people.

Trust 91
91/100

What holds up

  • +Intel N100 (DXP4800) or Pentium Gold 8505 (Plus) gives real Quick Sync hardware transcoding, including 4K HDR tone mapping
  • +Four bays plus two M.2 NVMe slots and a 10GbE port on the Plus model
  • +RAM is a standard SODIMM you can upgrade yourself (no proprietary modules)
  • +Open enough to run Jellyfin, Plex, or even wipe it and install your own OS

Where it falls short

  • −UGOS software is newer and less mature than Synology's, with occasional rough edges and a smaller community
  • −Fans can be audible under sustained load, so it is not ideal for a quiet bedroom
Best for Most people who want strong Plex/Jellyfin transcoding without overpaying $600 to $700 (diskless)
Check price
#2 Best software

Synology DiskStation DS224+

The most polished NAS software you can buy, but the Celeron chip means transcoding is a weak spot.

Trust 84
84/100

What holds up

  • +DSM is the most mature, stable, and well-documented NAS operating system available
  • +Excellent first-party apps for backup, photos, and remote access
  • +Quiet and very power efficient
  • +Strong long-term update track record

Where it falls short

  • −Intel Celeron J4125 has weak Quick Sync and Synology has dropped hardware transcoding support in recent DSM versions, so 4K transcoding is effectively off the table
  • −Synology has been pushing drive compatibility lists that favor its own branded drives
  • −Premium price for fairly modest hardware
Best for People who value rock-solid software and mostly direct-play their media $300 to $340 (diskless)
Check price
#3 Best for tinkerers

QNAP TS-464

Powerful N5095 hardware with HDMI out and dual 2.5GbE, held back by a busy OS and a spotty security history.

Trust 82
82/100

What holds up

  • +Intel N5095 with solid Quick Sync handles 4K transcoding in Plex and Jellyfin
  • +Two M.2 NVMe slots, dual 2.5GbE, PCIe expansion, and HDMI output
  • +Strong Docker and virtualization support via Container Station and Virtualization Station

Where it falls short

  • −QTS software is cluttered and the app store pushes a lot of upsells
  • −QNAP has a poor track record on security, with several past ransomware and vulnerability incidents, so it must be kept off the open internet and patched promptly
Best for Tinkerers who want flexible hardware and run their own container stack $500 to $560 (diskless)
Check price
#4 Premium pick

Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen3 (AS6804T)

Fast, well-built, and media-focused, but you pay a clear premium over the UGREEN for similar capability.

Trust 83
83/100

What holds up

  • +Capable Intel processor with Quick Sync for smooth 4K transcoding
  • +Fast networking options (multi-gig and 10GbE on higher models) and quad M.2 slots on some configs
  • +ADM software is clean and the Portainer/Docker path is straightforward

Where it falls short

  • −Noticeably more expensive than the UGREEN for comparable real-world media performance
  • −Smaller community than Synology or QNAP, so troubleshooting can mean fewer search results
Best for Buyers who want high-end networking and an enthusiast media feature set $800 to $900 (diskless)
Check price
#5 Best value

TerraMaster F4-424 Pro

Strong Intel hardware for the money, but the stock software is the weakest of the group so plan to run your own OS.

Trust 78
78/100

What holds up

  • +Intel Core i3-N305 (eight cores) with Quick Sync is genuinely strong for transcoding at this price
  • +Four bays, dual M.2 slots, dual 2.5GbE, and easily upgradeable RAM
  • +Hardware is hard to beat per dollar and the box is friendly to TrueNAS or Unraid installs

Where it falls short

  • −TOS software has historically lagged on polish and has had past security concerns, so most enthusiasts replace it
  • −Build quality and support feel a step below the bigger brands
Best for Budget-minded buyers comfortable installing Jellyfin or a custom OS $450 to $520 (diskless)
Check price
#6 Quietest 4-bay

Synology DiskStation DS923+

A quiet, reliable four-bay for direct-play households, but the AMD chip has no iGPU so hardware transcoding is impossible.

Trust 80
80/100

What holds up

  • +Very quiet and power efficient, with excellent DSM software and ECC-capable AMD Ryzen platform
  • +Four bays plus 10GbE upgrade option and NVMe storage pool support
  • +Strong reliability and update history

Where it falls short

  • −AMD Ryzen R1600 has no integrated GPU, so there is zero hardware transcoding (every transcode is CPU-only and limited)
  • −Same drive-compatibility lock-in concerns as other recent Synology units
  • −Pricey for hardware that cannot transcode 4K
Best for Quiet-room setups where clients direct-play and software polish matters most $580 to $640 (diskless)
Check price
Straight answers

Questions worth asking first

Do I actually need hardware transcoding for Plex or Jellyfin?+

Only if your player and your file do not match. If every device direct-plays your files (same codec, container, and resolution they support), even a weak NAS is fine. The moment you stream a 4K HDR file to a phone, a browser, or over limited bandwidth, the server has to transcode. That is when an Intel Quick Sync iGPU (UGREEN, QNAP, Asustor, TerraMaster) matters and a chip without an iGPU (Synology DS923+) struggles. Be honest about your devices before deciding.

Why is Synology ranked behind cheaper boxes if its software is the best?+

Because this is a media-server guide, and transcoding is where Synology has gone backwards. Recent DSM versions dropped or limited hardware video transcoding, and the chips Synology ships are weak for it. The software is still the best in the business for backups, photos, and reliability, which is why the DS224+ still earns a high software score. But if your priority is Plex or Jellyfin transcoding, you are paying a premium for the wrong strengths.

Should I buy the NAS with drives included or diskless?+

Buy diskless and add your own drives. Prices here are diskless because that is how these are mostly sold and how you should buy them. Pick drives separately based on capacity and warranty (CMR drives, not SMR, for a NAS). One caution: Synology has been steering buyers toward its own branded drives through compatibility lists, so check the current list before committing if you go Synology.

How does Frank make money?+

We use affiliate links. If you buy through one of our search links, we may earn a small commission from the retailer at no extra cost to you. That commission never changes our rankings or scores. We rank on transcoding capability, software, noise, and price, and we call out every weakness, including on our top pick. If a product is not worth buying, we say so regardless of what it would pay us.

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