Best 4-Bay NAS Enclosure 2026: Synology DS923+, QNAP TS-464, UGREEN DXP4800, and Terramaster F4-424 Ranked

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The 4-bay NAS is the home lab sweet spot for a reason.

Two bays feels tight the moment you start expanding. Six bays is expensive without a clear use. Four is the mainstream storage-to-price sweet spot for family photos, Plex libraries, Time Machine backups, and Immich hosting. This guide ranks the 4-bay NAS enclosures that actually make sense in 2026, from the $450 Terramaster budget tier up to the $700 Synology flagship, with the specs that separate a smart buy from a regret.

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The 4-bay NAS tiers

  1. Budget entry ($300-450) — Terramaster F4-424, Asustor Drivestor 4 Pro. Basic apps ecosystem, single 2.5GbE NIC, ARM or entry-level Celeron CPU. Right for a first NAS or a Plex-only server.
  2. Mainstream mid-tier ($500-700) — UGREEN DXP4800 or DXP4800 Plus, QNAP TS-464. Better CPU (N100/N305/Celeron J-series), dual 2.5GbE, better app ecosystem. Sweet spot for most home labs.
  3. Premium ($700-950) — Synology DS923+, QNAP TS-464 Cell (i5). Real dashboard, Synology Drive/Photos/Surveillance ecosystem, dual 10GbE optional. Right for someone who values the OS more than the hardware.

Fastest way to pick

  • Best budget 4-bay ~$300-450: Terramaster F4-424 or Asustor Drivestor 4 Pro (AS3304T v2). Solid entry point for $400.
  • Best value mid-tier ~$500-650: UGREEN DXP4800 or DXP4800 Plus (N100, dual 2.5GbE, one M.2). Highest hardware-per-dollar in the category.
  • Best mainstream premium ~$550-700: QNAP TS-464 (Celeron N5105, 8 GB, dual 2.5GbE, two M.2). Best all-round pick if you want the Q’s app ecosystem.
  • Best OS ecosystem ~$650-800: Synology DS923+ (Ryzen R1600, 4 GB DDR4, dual 1GbE, two M.2). The DSM OS is the ranked-highest NAS software experience.
  • Best DIY / OS-flexible ~$500-700: UGREEN DXP4800 running TrueNAS Scale or Unraid instead of UGOS. Best of both worlds if you want NAS hardware but Proxmox-style OS control.

The specs that actually matter for a 4-bay NAS in 2026

  • CPU generation and transcoding — if Plex or Jellyfin hardware transcoding matters, you need Intel Quick Sync (Celeron J or N-series) or AMD equivalent. ARM CPUs (older Terramaster and Synology J-series) transcode by software only. Slow.
  • RAM ceiling — check the max supported memory before buying. Some units cap at 8 GB soldered. Others accept 32-64 GB SO-DIMM. For Plex + Immich + Docker + a couple of VMs, 16 GB is the practical minimum.
  • NIC speed — single 2.5GbE is the 2026 baseline. Dual 2.5GbE with link aggregation is preferable. 10GbE is optional (QNAP has SFP+ variants, Synology needs expansion card). Gigabit is now the “budget” tier.
  • M.2 NVMe slots — for SSD read/write cache or app tier storage. UGREEN DXP4800 has one; DXP4800 Plus has two. QNAP TS-464 has two. Synology DS923+ has two (Synology-only NVMe unless you patch DSM).
  • PCIe expansion — Synology DS923+ has a proprietary E10G22-T1-Mini slot for 10GbE. QNAP TS-464 has a full PCIe slot for 10GbE add-in. Terramaster and UGREEN generally do not.
  • OS: proprietary vs open — Synology DSM and QNAP QuTS Hero are proprietary and polished. UGREEN UGOS is decent and improving. Terramaster TOS is functional but less refined. All support installing TrueNAS Scale, Unraid, or Proxmox if you want to bypass the vendor OS entirely.
  • Ecosystem apps — Synology Drive, Photos, and Surveillance Station are the gold standard. QNAP’s app catalog is bigger but less polished. UGREEN has fewer apps but decent Plex support. Terramaster is functional for basic Plex + backups.

Best 4-bay NAS by tier

Best budget: Terramaster F4-424 and Asustor Drivestor 4 Pro

The $350-450 tier. Terramaster F4-424 ($430) has an Intel N95, 8 GB DDR5, one 2.5GbE, and one M.2 slot. Asustor Drivestor 4 Pro (AS3304T v2, $380) has a Realtek RTD1619B ARM SoC, 2 GB DDR4, and a single 2.5GbE. Both work for basic NAS + Plex use.

Where they rank lower: less mature app ecosystem, thinner support docs, and Terramaster’s TOS has had ransomware/CVE issues historically (patched, but community trust runs behind Synology). Asustor’s ARM CPU can transcode 1080p but not 4K.

Best value mid-tier: UGREEN DXP4800 and DXP4800 Plus

The 2024-2026 disruptor. UGREEN DXP4800 ($550) has Intel N100, 8 GB DDR5, dual 2.5GbE, one M.2 NVMe slot. DXP4800 Plus ($700) upgrades to Intel Pentium Gold 8505, 8 GB DDR5, dual 2.5GbE, and two M.2 slots. Both run UGOS by default; both cheerfully accept TrueNAS Scale or Unraid via USB install.

Where they win: best hardware-per-dollar in the 4-bay category. UGOS keeps improving with the DXP line but is behind Synology/QNAP on polish. If you value hardware ceiling more than OS refinement, or plan to install TrueNAS/Unraid anyway, this is the pick.

Best mainstream premium: QNAP TS-464

The $550-700 mid-premium sweet spot. QNAP TS-464 has Intel Celeron N5105, 8 GB DDR4, dual 2.5GbE, two M.2 NVMe slots, and one PCIe Gen3 x2 slot for 10GbE upgrade. QuTS Hero option (ZFS-based) is available. Q’s app catalog is huge if fragmented.

Where it ranks lower than Synology on OS polish, higher on hardware flexibility. The PCIe slot alone is a differentiator — you can add a 10GbE card later without buying a new NAS.

Best OS ecosystem: Synology DS923+

The Synology DSM OS is the ranked-highest NAS software experience — polished UI, comprehensive first-party apps (Drive, Photos, Surveillance Station, Note Station), rock-solid stability. DS923+ ($700) uses AMD Ryzen R1600, 4 GB DDR4 ECC standard (up to 32 GB), dual 1GbE, two M.2 NVMe slots (Synology-only NVMe by default), and an expansion port for 10GbE via Synology’s E10G22-T1-Mini card.

Where it ranks lower: dual 1GbE in 2026 is stingy at this price. Synology-only NVMe is a lock-in unless you patch DSM (community mod). The Ryzen R1600 is slower than the QNAP N5105 at Plex transcoding. You pay for the OS, not the hardware.

Best DIY / OS-flexible: UGREEN DXP4800 running TrueNAS Scale or Unraid

The best-hardware-plus-best-OS combination. Buy a UGREEN DXP4800 for the hardware value, then install TrueNAS Scale or Unraid to bypass UGOS. ZFS-native storage, Docker/Kubernetes app support, VM hosting via built-in KVM. Note: warranty implications vary by vendor; check before you commit.

Trade-off is a slightly steeper learning curve than a plug-and-play Synology. Reward is a hardware ceiling and OS flexibility that no vendor NAS can match at the price.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Buying a 2-bay when you meant a 4-bay. Two bays feels tight within 12 months. A 4-bay costs $100-200 more and gives 3x usable space in RAID-Z1.
  • Assuming ARM = fine for Plex. ARM CPUs cannot hardware-transcode 4K. If Plex is a primary use case, insist on Intel Quick Sync (Celeron J, N-series) or newer AMD.
  • Ignoring NIC speed. Gigabit maxes at 125 MB/s. Dual 2.5GbE (250 MB/s aggregate) is the 2026 baseline. Buy it now to future-proof.
  • Skipping ECC RAM for ZFS. ZFS on ECC gets you real corruption detection. Synology DS923+ has ECC. QNAP and Terramaster generally do not. If ZFS is a hard requirement, Synology or a DIY build wins.
  • Underestimating RAM needs. Plex + Immich + Docker containers eats RAM fast. 8 GB is a starter, 16 GB is comfortable, 32 GB is ideal.
  • Buying Synology-only NVMe drives for a Synology cache. The Synology-branded SSDs are 2-3x the price of equivalent WD/Samsung. Community patches let you use any NVMe; on stock DSM you are locked in.

Frequently asked questions

How much usable storage do I get with 4 bays?

RAID-Z1 (SHR-1 on Synology): 3 drives worth of storage, 1 for parity. With 4 x 12 TB drives: ~34 TB usable. RAID-Z2 or SHR-2: 2 drives of storage, 2 for parity. With 4 x 12 TB: ~22 TB usable but survives 2 drive failures.

Synology vs QNAP vs UGREEN vs Terramaster: which OS should I trust?

OS polish ranking: Synology DSM > QNAP QTS > UGREEN UGOS > Terramaster TOS. Security track record: Synology > QNAP > UGREEN > Terramaster (based on public CVE history). Community trust: Synology > QNAP > UGREEN > Terramaster. Hardware value inverted: UGREEN > Terramaster > QNAP > Synology.

Can I install TrueNAS or Unraid on any of these?

UGREEN and Terramaster: yes, community documented. QNAP: possible but voids warranty. Synology: technically possible on DS923+ but not community-standard. If OS flexibility matters, buy UGREEN or Terramaster.

Do I need a 10GbE NAS?

Only if you have a 10GbE client (workstation with X550 or M2/M4 Mac with Thunderbolt-to-10GbE adapter) and want single-file transfer speeds above 250 MB/s. Most home labs run 2.5GbE and are content.

What drives should I put in a 4-bay NAS?

Enterprise-grade CMR drives sized 8-20 TB. Seagate Ironwolf, WD Red Plus/Pro, Toshiba MG series. Never use SMR drives in a RAID array (WD Red non-Plus, Seagate consumer). See our separate NAS HDD pillar for details.

Bottom line

The right 4-bay NAS depends on what you value most. Best OS: Synology DS923+. Best hardware-per-dollar: UGREEN DXP4800/Plus. Best expandability with 10GbE optional: QNAP TS-464. Best budget entry: Terramaster F4-424. Best DIY route: UGREEN + TrueNAS or Unraid. Match the NAS to what you actually want to do with it and the buyer’s regret window narrows to zero.

See also: Best 8-Bay NAS 2026: Synology DS1823+ vs QNAP TS-873A vs TrueNAS Mini X+ Compared

More home lab picks like this? HomeNode covers networking, NAS, mini PCs, and self-hosting for the price-conscious home lab crowd. Bookmark the home page for the latest guides.

Building a homelab or self-hosting content site? Auburn AI has practical kits:

Frequently asked questions

How were these products selected?

This guide is a research-based synthesis of product specs, brand reputation, current Amazon reviews, and category trends. It is not a hands-on review – use it to narrow options before you buy.

What price range should I expect?

Prices vary significantly across the categories above. Entry options start at the lower end of each tier listed, while premium picks can be several times more. Amazon pricing changes frequently, so confirm current numbers on the product listings.

Should I always buy the most expensive option?

Not necessarily. Premium products offer better materials, longer warranties, and higher-end features, but mid-tier picks meet the needs of most buyers. Match the pick to your actual use case rather than defaulting to the top of the price range.

How often is this guide updated?

This guide is refreshed as new products launch and older picks are discontinued. Amazon pricing and stock change daily – always confirm current price and availability on Amazon before purchase.

Where is the best place to buy?

Amazon is linked throughout this guide because it typically has broad selection, current pricing, and standardized return policies. Direct manufacturer sites and specialty retailers are also options depending on category and preference.


For general informational purposes only; not professional advice. Posts may contain affiliate links. Learn more.
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