Top NAS Devices for Small Businesses: A Detailed Comparison Guide

 

Why Do You Need a NAS in 2025?

Modern NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices go beyond simple storage. They offer cloud integration, multimedia capabilities, data protection, and remote accessibility. Whether you need a NAS for home use, media streaming, business backup, or private cloud storage, choosing the right device is crucial.

 

Common NAS Use Cases:

  • Creative Professionals: Centralized storage for video editing and graphic design.
  • Small Businesses: Secure data backups and collaborative file sharing.
  • Home Users: Streaming 4K/8K content and managing personal cloud storage.
  • IT Professionals: Virtualization, remote access, and network security.

 

Top NAS Devices of 2025

DS1522+

  1. Synology DiskStation DS1522+

Best for Professionals and Small Businesses

Key Features:

  • 5 drive bays (expandable up to 15)
  • AMD Ryzen R1600 processor
  • 8GB DDR4 RAM (expandable to 32GB)
  • Dual 1GbE ports (upgradable to 10GbE)
  • Synology DSM 7.3 OS with powerful apps

Pros:

  • Exceptional software with advanced backup & security features.
  • Supports upgrade to 10GbE for fast transfers.
  • Great for virtualization and multimedia tasks.

Cons:

  • No native NVMe storage pools (only caching support).
  • Requires an additional upgrade for 10GbE networking.

Ideal For: Small businesses, content creators, and IT professionals.

QNAP TS-464

  1. QNAP TS-464

Best Budget-Friendly NAS for Home Users & Media Streaming

Key Features:

  • 4 drive bays
  • Intel Celeron N5105 quad-core processor
  • 4GB DDR4 RAM (expandable to 16GB)
  • Dual 2.5GbE ports
  • QTS 5.1 OS with extensive app library

Pros:

  • Affordable yet powerful.
  • Dual 2.5GbE ports for smooth performance.
  • Supports Plex for media streaming.

Cons:

  • No 10GbE support.
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners.

Ideal For: Home users, media enthusiasts, and small business backups.

AS6704T

  1. Asustor Lockerstor Gen 2 (AS6704T)

Best NAS for Multimedia Enthusiasts

Key Features:

  • 4 drive bays
  • Intel Celeron N5105 CPU
  • 4GB DDR4 RAM (expandable)
  • Dual 2.5GbE ports
  • ADM OS with cross-platform compatibility

Pros:

  • High performance for its price.
  • Ideal for 4K/8K media streaming.
  • Energy efficient.

Cons:

  • Smaller app ecosystem compared to Synology/QNAP.
  • Limited expandability.

Ideal For: Personal cloud storage and home entertainment.

F5-422

  1. TerraMaster F5-422

Best Budget NAS with 10GbE Support

Key Features:

  • 5 drive bays
  • Intel Celeron J3455 processor
  • 4GB RAM
  • Built-in 10GbE port
  • TOS 5.0 OS for efficient storage management

Pros:

  • Great price-to-performance ratio.
  • 10GbE for fast network speeds.
  • Strong data redundancy options.

Cons:

  • Basic OS compared to competitors.
  • Slightly older hardware.

Ideal For: Budget-conscious small businesses and IT professionals.

EX4100

  1. WD My Cloud EX4100

Best Entry-Level NAS for Home Users

Key Features:

  • 4 drive bays
  • Dual-core Marvell ARMADA 388 processor
  • 2GB DDR3 memory
  • Cloud-based management interface

Pros:

  • Affordable and beginner friendly.
  • Ideal for personal cloud storage.
  • It comes with pre-installed WD Red drives.

Cons:

  • Limited expandability and processing power.
  • Lacks advanced security and business features.

Ideal For: Home users looking for a simple, plug-and-play NAS.

 

NAS Device Comparison Table

Model Drive Bays Processor RAM Networking Best For
Synology DS1522+ 5 (expandable) AMD Ryzen R1600 8GB (32GB max) Dual 1GbE (upgradable to 10GbE) Professionals, SMBs
QNAP TS-464 4 Intel Celeron N5105 4GB (16GB max) Dual 2.5GbE Home users, media
Asustor AS6704T 4 Intel Celeron N5105 4GB (expandable) Dual 2.5GbE Multimedia users
TerraMaster F5-422 5 Intel Celeron J3455 4GB Built-in 10GbE Budget-conscious SMBs
WD My Cloud EX4100 4 Marvell ARMADA 388 2GB Standard Ethernet Home storage

 

Additional Buying Considerations

 

Security Features:

  • Synology DSM: Advanced backup solutions & ransomware protection.
  • QNAP QTS: AES 256-bit encryption & flexible access controls.
  • TerraMaster TOS: Efficient data backup but lacks enterprise security options.

 

RAID Configuration Recommendations:

  • RAID 1: Best for redundancy (mirrored drives).
  • RAID 5: Balances performance & data protection.
  • RAID 10: Best for speed and fault tolerance.

 

Budget Breakdown:

  • Entry-Level ($200–$400): WD My Cloud EX4100, TerraMaster F5-422.
  • Mid-Range ($400–$800): QNAP TS-464, Asustor Lockerstor.
  • High-End ($800+): Synology DS1522+.

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