MAZENHARD NAS GUIDE · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026

Best 4-Bay NAS for Storage, Plex, Creators & Homelabs

Four bays give you more usable capacity, better RAID choices and room to grow. We matched five leading NAS systems to the buyers they serve best.

See the winners Compare specifications

4Drive baysMore capacity and flexible RAID

5Shortlisted modelsEach matched to a different buyer

USAmazon destinationsLive price and seller verification

THE SHORTLIST

Our best 4-bay NAS picks

Product prices and sellers change. Every button opens Amazon US so visitors can confirm the current offer.

Best overall

DS425+

SYNOLOGY

DiskStation DS425+

The best four-bay NAS for most families and small offices because DSM combines approachable setup with excellent backup, photo and file-management tools.

Private cloudHome officePhotosBackup

CPU: Intel Celeron J4125, 4-core
Memory: 2GB DDR4; maximum 6GB
Network: 1× 2.5GbE + 1× 1GbE
Expansion: 2× M.2 NVMe
RAID: SHR, 0/1/5/6/10, JBOD
Warranty: 3 years; extension available

Why it wins

Polished DSM software and mobile apps
Btrfs snapshots, Synology Photos and Hyper Backup
Flexible SHR and broad backup capabilities
Up to 96TB advertised raw capacity

Limitations

Only 2GB memory included
Older processor than performance rivals
Verify drives on Synology’s compatibility list

Check price on Amazon ↗Verified diskless listing · ASIN B0F895RV3K

Best hardware value

DXP4800+

UGREEN

NASync DXP4800 Plus

The strongest creator value: a five-core Intel CPU, 10GbE, DDR5 and useful file-ingest ports in a premium enclosure.

Creators10GbEPlex

CPU: Intel Pentium Gold 8505
Memory: 8GB DDR5; up to 64GB
Network: 10GbE + 2.5GbE
Expansion: 2× M.2 + 128GB system SSD

Advantages

Fastest hardware value in its class
SD reader, HDMI and USB-C
Docker and VM support

Consider

UGOS Pro has a smaller app ecosystem
Amazon may surface accessory bundles

View Amazon listing ↗ASIN B0GSW6V8NQ · Current result includes a cable; confirm seller and contents

Best for Plex

TS-464

QNAP

TS-464-8G

A flexible Plex and Jellyfin server with Intel graphics, HDMI, dual multi-gig networking and PCIe expansion.

PlexJellyfinContainers

CPU: Intel Celeron N5095, 4-core
Memory: 8GB
Network: 2× 2.5GbE
Expansion: 2× M.2 + PCIe + HDMI

Advantages

Strong media and container features
PCIe enables future network expansion
Dual 2.5GbE port trunking

Consider

QTS is more complex than DSM
Do not confuse TS-464 with rackmount TS-464U

See current Amazon offers ↗Desktop diskless listing varies; verify model TS-464-8G-US

Performance value

F4-425+

TERRAMASTER

F4-425 Plus

High specifications for advanced home users and small teams, with 16GB DDR5, dual 5GbE and three NVMe slots.

Performance5GbETeamwork

CPU: Intel N150, up to 3.6GHz
Memory: 16GB DDR5
Network: 2× 5GbE
Expansion: 3× M.2 NVMe

Advantages

Generous memory and fast networking
Up to 144TB combined storage claim
TOS 6, TRAID and snapshot features

Consider

No HDMI, USB4 or Thunderbolt
Software less polished than Synology
US stock can vary

Check Amazon availability ↗ASIN B0FLHTF2PQ · Confirm a US seller and diskless configuration

Best for homelab

AS6804T

ASUSTOR

Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T

A premium creator and homelab platform with Ryzen power, ECC memory, USB4, four NVMe slots and exceptional networking.

HomelabUSB4ECC

CPU: AMD Ryzen quad-core, 2.3GHz
Memory: 16GB ECC DDR5
Network: Dual 10GbE + dual 5GbE
Expansion: 4× M.2 NVMe + USB4

Advantages

Best networking in this comparison
ECC memory for demanding workloads
Excellent creator and lab connectivity

Consider

Premium price and higher power use
Overkill for simple family backup
No Intel Quick Sync

Check Amazon availability ↗ASIN B0DBYXXH9M · Availability varies by Amazon marketplace

SIDE-BY-SIDE

Compare all five 4-bay NAS systems

Swipe horizontally on a phone. Ratings show fit for the use case, not laboratory benchmarks.

Model	Best for	CPU	RAM	Network	M.2	Video	Ease
Synology DS425+	Most people	J4125	2GB	2.5GbE + 1GbE	2	No HDMI	5/5
UGREEN DXP4800 Plus	Hardware value	8505	8GB DDR5	10GbE + 2.5GbE	2	4K HDMI	4/5
QNAP TS-464-8G	Plex	N5095	8GB	2× 2.5GbE	2	HDMI	3/5
TerraMaster F4-425 Plus	Performance value	N150	16GB DDR5	2× 5GbE	3	No HDMI	3/5
ASUSTOR AS6804T	Homelab	Ryzen	16GB ECC	2×10 + 2×5GbE	4	USB4	3/5

DECISION GUIDE

Choose by what you actually need

Easy private cloud

Synology DS425+

Best when backups, photos, remote access and simple administration matter more than maximum hardware.

Creator value

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus

Best for fast file transfers, photo/video ingest, 10GbE and powerful hardware at a sensible price.

Plex & Jellyfin

QNAP TS-464-8G

Best for media apps, Intel transcoding, HDMI, containers and flexible expansion.

Fast small team

TerraMaster F4-425 Plus

Best when 16GB memory, dual 5GbE and multiple NVMe drives outweigh software polish.

Advanced homelab

ASUSTOR AS6804T

Best for premium networking, ECC memory, USB4, VMs, containers and demanding creator workflows.

Large archive?

Consider 6–8 bays

More bays can improve usable capacity, expansion flexibility and fault-tolerance options.

Explore 6–8 Bay NAS →

BUYER EDUCATION

Why buy four bays instead of two?

More usable capacity

Four 12TB drives in RAID 5 provide roughly 36TB before formatting, compared with about 12TB from two 12TB drives mirrored in RAID 1.

Flexible RAID choices

Four bays commonly support RAID 5, RAID 6 and RAID 10, giving you more ways to balance capacity, performance and resilience.

Easier growth

You can sometimes begin with fewer drives and add compatible drives later, depending on the chosen RAID type and manufacturer.

Better multitasking

Four-bay models often include stronger processors, more memory and faster networking for apps, users, media and backups.

Media libraries

The extra capacity makes four bays a natural fit for Plex, Jellyfin, family video archives and large music collections.

Longer useful life

Extra capacity and expansion can postpone replacement, although drives, memory and software-support policies still matter.

FAQ

4-bay NAS questions

Should I buy a 2-bay or 4-bay NAS?+

Choose two bays for affordable mirrored backup and a moderate library. Choose four bays when you expect growth, want RAID 5/6/10, need more usable capacity or plan to run heavier media and server workloads.

Do these Amazon listings include hard drives?+

Most recommended enclosures are diskless. Some Amazon sellers create bundles with drives or accessories. Always check the exact title, seller, included items, drive models and warranty before ordering.

Which RAID is best for four drives?+

RAID 5 prioritizes capacity with one-drive fault tolerance. RAID 6 sacrifices more capacity for two-drive tolerance. RAID 10 provides mirrored performance. Your workload and backup plan should determine the choice.

Is RAID a backup?+

No. RAID improves availability after certain drive failures, but it does not protect against deletion, ransomware, theft, fire or every hardware failure. Keep at least one separate backup.

Which 4-bay NAS is best for Plex?+

The QNAP TS-464 is the clearest Plex specialist here because of its Intel graphics, HDMI and expansion. The UGREEN also offers strong Intel hardware. Transcoding depends on codec, resolution, client compatibility and software licensing.

Do I need 10GbE?+

Most homes are well served by 2.5GbE. 10GbE is valuable for large creative files, SSD storage or several busy users, but the computers, switch and cabling must also support it.

Can I start with only two drives?

Often yes, but later expansion rules depend on the RAID type and NAS operating system. Plan the target array before buying drives, and check the manufacturer’s migration documentation.

HOW WE CHOSE

Use-case fit before raw specifications

We compared current manufacturer specifications with Amazon US search results, separating stable diskless listings from accessory and preconfigured-drive bundles. Awards consider software, processor, memory, networking, expansion, media capability, warranty and the buyer each model serves best.

Best 4-Bay NAS for Storage, Plex, Creators & Homelabs