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The Best Plex NAS device is what you need if you want to store files on and off your local network. It works like a server that stands on its own. But some NAS devices from QNAP and Synology come with their own operating system (OS).
List of the Best Plex NAS in 2023. The Plex is a media server that will keep all of your media in one place. The most interesting thing about Plex is that you can access all of your media files from anywhere on any device.
Then, you can add your media, stream it, and manage it with an easy-to-use interface. To use Plex media, you need to download the best Plex NAS to your device and then you can use it from anywhere, at any time.
Best Plex NAS Comparison Table
| Name | Platform | Dimension | Width | Price | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QNAP TS-464 | QTS | 177.5 x 180 x 235.4 mm | 7.0″ | $499 | Visit Website |
| Synology DiskStation DS723+ | DiskStation Manager | 232.2 x 157.5 x 88.4 mm | N/A | $599.99 | Visit Website |
| Asustor AS5202T | ADM | 165 x 102 x 218 mm | 8.62″ | $379 | Visit Website |
| Synology 2 Bay DS220 | DiskStation Manager | 165 x 108 x 232.2 mm | N/A | $299.99 | Visit Website |
| ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 (AS6704T) | ADM | 170 x 174 x 230 mm | 6.69″ | $849 | Visit Website |
| TerraMaster F2-221 | TOS | 227 x 119 x 133 mm | 4.92″ | $249.99 | Visit Website |
QNAP TS-464
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J3455 quad-core 1.5 GHz processor |
| Memory | 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR3L RAM |
| Drive Bays | 4 x 3.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s, 3Gb/s |
| Max. Internal Raw Capacity | 64 TB (16 TB drive x 4) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| LAN Port | 2 x Gigabit RJ45 LAN ports |
| USB Port | 5 x USB 3.0 Type-A ports |
If you want best Plex NAS with good specs and a fair price, you should get the QNAP TS-464. It has a 4-core Intel Celeron N5095 processor that can go as fast as 2.9GHz. With NAS drives in the four drive bays, you can store more than 80TB of information.
Two more M.2 slots can be used to cache SSDs or add more storage space. By default, there are 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and QNAP says that this can be increased to 16GB. Plex Media Server works great on a Celeron N5095 processor.
The Good
- High-performance processor with four cores
- Large amount of memory
- Multiple USB 3.0 ports for storage devices from the outside
- Dual LAN ports for network redundancy and link aggregation
The Bad
- Costs more than other NAS options.
- May be too much for use at home or in a small office
Synology DiskStation DS723+
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core 2.0 GHz processor |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR4 non-ECC SODIMM (expandable up to 8 GB) |
| Drive Bays | 2 x 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD |
| Max. Internal Raw Capacity | 32 TB (16 TB drive x 2) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| LAN Port | 2 x 1GbE RJ-45 |
| USB Port | 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A ports |
Synology is trying something new with the DiskStation DS723+. Instead of the long-standing Intel Celeron series, the 2-bay NAS has AMD’s Ryzen R1600 instead. The best Plex NAS is Ryzen hardware is a lot more powerful than what Intel has to offer, so this move has its own benefits.
This is great because the DS723+ is much faster than its predecessor, the DS720+, and other printers like the DS220+. Most modern devices already have the codec needed to play videos through Plex, so this shouldn’t be a problem for most users.
The Good
- Powerful quad-core processor
- Memory that can be increased
- Small size makes it easy to place
- Dual LAN ports for network redundancy and link aggregation
The Bad
- Compared to other models, it has less drive bays.
- Costs more than some other choices
Asustor AS5202T
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4005 dual-core 2.0 GHz processor |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR4-2400 (expandable up to 8 GB) |
| Drive Bays | 2 x 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD |
| Max. Internal Raw Capacity | 32 TB (16 TB drive x 2) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| LAN Port | 2 x Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| USB Port | 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports |
Asustor has been trying to catch up to Synology for a while, and the AS5202T is best Plex NAS of how it can offer something cheaper and better than the market leader.
This NAS, which is also called The Nimbustor 2, has a 2GHz Intel Gemini Lake Celeron J4005 CPU and 2GB of DDR4-2400 memory to give Plex the performance it needs. You can get up to 8GB of memory by taking out the 2GB and putting in two 4GB SoDIMM DDR4 modules in the empty slots.
The Good
- Dual LAN ports for network redundancy and link aggregation
- Memory that can be increased
- External storage devices can connect to multiple USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.
- Small size makes it easy to place
The Bad
- Compared to other models, it has less drive bays.
- Costs more than some other choices
Synology 2 Bay DS220
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Realtek RTD1296 quad-core 1.4 GHz processor |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR4 |
| Drive Bays | 2 x 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD |
| Max. Internal Raw Capacity | 32 TB (16 TB drive x 2) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| LAN Port | 1 x Gigabit Ethernet port |
| USB Port | 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A ports |
The Synology 2 Bay DS220 is an affordable enterprise-class best Plex NAS that has all the benefits of a traditional NAS system but costs only a fraction of what it would cost to buy a traditional NAS system. This two-bay NAS is easy to set up and use.
It has firewalls, hardware encryption, remote access, a variety of applications, and strong data protection built in. The Synology DS220 is fast and comes with different backup and syncing options. It also has mobile apps for managing files, streaming them, and sharing them.
The Good
- Affordable price point
- Small size makes it easy to place
- Multiple USB 3.0 ports for storage devices from the outside
The Bad
- Only one LAN port
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 (AS6704T)
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core 2.0 GHz processor |
| Memory | 4 GB DDR4-2400 (expandable up to 16 GB) |
| Drive Bays | 4 x 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD |
| Max. Internal Raw Capacity | 72 TB (18 TB drive x 4) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| LAN Port | 2 x 2.5GbE ports |
| USB Port | 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports |
The best Plex NAS is AS6704 ASUSTOR Lockerstor Gen2 has everything. ASUSTOR decided to turn everything up to 11 on its four-bay NAS. Let’s start with the processor, which is a reliable Intel Celeron N5105.
There are four drive bays, and the best NAS hard drives can store up to 80TB. This can be made bigger with ASUSTOR’s expansion units, so the NAS and ASUSTOR ADM operating system can handle up to 12 bays.
The Good
- Powerful quad-core processor
- Multiple LAN ports for network redundancy and link aggregation
- Memory that can be increased
- Large number of drive bays
The Bad
- The price is higher than some other choices.
- May be too much for use at home or in a small office
TerraMaster F2-221
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core 2.0 GHz processor |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR3 |
| Drive Bays | 2 x 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD |
| Max. Internal Raw Capacity | 32 TB (16 TB drive x 2) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
| LAN Port | 1 x Gigabit Ethernet port |
| USB Port | 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A ports |
The best Plex NAS low-cost, high-performance 2-bay NAS for home and small office/home office (SOHO) users that runs the latest TOS 4.2 OS. Read and write speeds of more than 114 MB/s on an ARM v8 quad-core 1.4GHz CPU with 1GB RAM.
Supports Emby and Plex media servers, which keep your videos, music, and photos nicely organized and ready to stream on-demand to your PC, mobile device, smart TV, or games console.
The Good
- Affordable price point
- Small size makes it easy to place
- Multiple USB 3.0 ports for storage devices from the outside
The Bad
- Compared to some other models, it has a small number of drive bays.
- Less powerful dual-core processor
FAQs
What is NAS Plex?
Plex NAS is a network-attached storage (NAS) device that works best with the Plex media server software. It lets you keep all of your media files in one place and stream them to your devices from anywhere.
What kind of hardware does Plex need to run on a NAS?
Depending on how many media streams you want to support and the resolution of the media files you want to stream, the system requirements for running Plex on a NAS can be different. Most of the time, a NAS with at least 2GB of RAM and a quad-core processor is best for streaming media at home.
What are some recommended NAS devices that work with Plex?
- Synology DS920+
- QNAP TS-453D
- Asustor AS5202T
- TerraMaster F2-210
- Western Digital My Cloud Pro PR2100