Best Plex NAS in 2024

The Plex media server has become a popular media management tool. With Plex's proprietary media server software and apps, you can store, catalog, and stream all kinds of media — music, movies, shows, photos, and more — using the files you already own. Think of it as combining Spotify, Google Photos, Netflix, and OneDrive all into one service that doesn’t cost a monthly fee on your server. Using Plex itself is free, with an optional upgrade to unlock additional benefits, including hardware transcoding that works amazingly with a NAS device.

If you want to create your own streaming service or just juggle a massive personal media library, a NAS is increasingly the go-to solution. The models are diverse, meaning you can find a NAS device that matches your specific personal or professional use requirements. To help your search, this list of the best NAS for Plex will happily transcode and stream 4K movies and then some.

• Source: QNAP

  QNAP TS-464

  Best overall

• Source: Synology

  Synology DiskStation DS920+

  Premium pick

• Source:TerraMaster

  TerraMaster F2-212

  Best value

• Source: QNAP

  QNAP TVS-h674-i3

  Best processing power

• Source: Synology

  Synology DiskStation DS224+

  Best model for personal use

• See More

• Source: ASUSTOR

  ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 (AS6704T)

  Best four-bay Plex NAS

• Source: TerraMaster

  TerraMaster F2-221

  Best two-bay Plex NAS

• Source: Synology

  Synology DiskStation DS223j

  Best cloud-friendly

Plex NAS devices to build the ultimate media library

Best overall

QNAP TS-464

Top pick for running Plex on your NAS

The QNAP TS-464 balances price and performance excellently, delivering outstanding Plex-friendly functionality that even a NAS novice can master. It has a capable Intel Celeron N5095 quad-core processor, with an integrated GPU, required for efficient video transcoding. This four-bay NAS is compact and extremely user-friendly. The QTS operating system is intuitive and compatible with Windows, Linux, and other leading OS.

Pros

• Supports 4K transcoding

• Intel CPU

• PCI and M.2 slots

Cons

• Pricey

The QNAP TS-464 gets most of what one would require with a NAS for Plex right. It has an Intel Celeron processor with integrated graphics. It can handle 4K transcoding to client hardware that requires it, and there's an expansion slot and some M.2 slots thrown in for good measure. It's a little pricey, especially if this happens to be the first NAS purchase you plan on making, but it's well worth it should you have a large catalog of media to store and stream.

The 4GB of DDR4 RAM included as standard can even be expanded up to a whopping 16GB, which is considerably more than what many desktop computers have. The single PCIe 3.0 slots can be used to install expansion cards for faster networking (10GbE) or additional M.2 storage. There are two 2.5GbE connections natively found on the rear of the NAS, alongside an HDMI port that negates the need to transcode to a connected TV.

Premium pick

Synology DiskStation DS920+

Plex-friendly Intel chip and Quick Sync for media management

If you're serious about setting up a capable media server, the Synology DiskStation D920+ is an outstanding model. It boasts a Plex-friendly Intel Celeron J4125 Quad-Core 2.0GHz 4MB processor that makes consumer-grade data storage, organization, and retrieval a breeze. Capacity is assured with four bays available for HDD storage and USB and Ethernet ports to maximize connectivity.

Pros

• Intel Quick Sync for rapid video encoding and decoding

• Straightforward Plex setup using File Station with DiskStation Manager

• Robust backup solutions to protect your data

Cons

• Expensive

• Reporting can become excessive

• Setup can be tricky but support is available

This capable NAS is expensive, but an extremely popular model with Plex-users because of its hardware, which is increasingly hard to find in other NAS models. The Synology DS920+ is great because it is one of the few of its caliber with an Intel Celeron processor that is extremely good at encoding and decoding video — perfect for fast, hardware-based transcoding for anyone who accesses your Plex server. Yes, there is a more recent model, the DS923+, but it has an AMD chip that isn't so great, meaning that Plex fans are still hunting this DS920+.

Another plus point for Synology is its operating system, DiskStation Manager (DSM). It offers a user-friendly interface based on the EX4 and Btfs file management systems. DiskStation Manager will make organizing your media files easy. Setting up Plex is as simple as creating a Plex Media shared folder using File Station in DSM. Building a Plex media server is not for the fainthearted, but DSM gets you most of the way there. Additionally, you have the benefit of a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) and a robust schedule of backups to organize and protect your files long-term.

Best value

TerraMaster F2-212

Easy setup and ideal for personal or lifestyle use

The TerraMaster F2-212 is an entry-level 2-bay NAS that surprisingly packs the processing power to support your Plex compendium. The GPU scrapes by for the respectable 4K transcoding you need to stream your favorite movies. Though it cannot be used as a multi-user media server, its ridiculously low price makes it a great personal buy.

Pros

• GPU capable of 4K transcoding

• Compatible with Linux, Windows, iOS, Mac, Android devices

• Great for local streaming or direct play

Cons

• No expansion options

• Some connectivity and stability issues

• Plastic chassis may appear fragile

The TerraMaster F2-212 is available at such a low price that it makes a worthwhile buy for those considering a simple Plex server. It's just right for users who want to step up from juggling a PC with a million external hard drives. Two bays are more than enough for personal use and the F2-212's GPU is more than adequate for handling a variety of media content. Its wide-ranging compatibility, including Android, iOS, and twin USB and Ethernet ports, makes it easy to use the TerraMaster with common devices. The TerraMaster OS (TOS) requires a bit of thought, but once you navigate the control panel and set up user accounts and permissions, it's easy to set up your Plex server via the wizard in the TOS app center.

One limitation of this NAS is its plastic housing, which probably keeps production costs down. We're sure that this NAS is robust enough, but you can't help feeling trepidation when inserting or removing drives as it can seem a little shaky. The seams in the casing build may also allow moisture inside, so be cautious about where you locate this device. Overall, the specs are low, but the F2-212 delivers amazing value for money.

Best processing power

QNAP TVS-h674-i3

Unmatched NAS with an Intel Core CPU

The QNAP TVS-h674-i3 is a very powerful NAS. Inside is the same Intel Core i3-12100 processor that you'd find in more affordable desktop PCs, providing the QTS OS with plenty of performance headroom. The HDMI port, expansion slots, and upgradable RAM make it the perfect NAS for heavy Plex usage.

Pros

• Intel Core CPU

• 4K transcoding and HDMI

• QTS OS

Cons

• Expensive

• Overkill for most people

• Power-hungry

The Intel Core i3-12100 is a quad-core desktop-class processor you'd typically find in a PC, but here it is in the QNAP TVS-h674 NAS. This makes it an incredibly potent machine capable of supplying all your stored media without breaking a sweat and everything else you'd want to do on a NAS. I'm talking virtualization, big data processing, creator collaboration, and more. 16GB of RAM from the factory makes this possible, and you can push the capacity of system memory up to a whopping 64GB. In addition, six drive bays can be populated with the largest drives on the market for a capacity of more than 120TB. Two M.2 slots are also included for SSD caching or expanding the storage pool with rapid drives.

And yes, the TVS-h674 supports the addition of expansion units for even more drive bays. On the rear, you'll find two 2.5GbE ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2s, and an HDMI 1.4b port. Should you require them, two PCI slots are available inside the NAS that can be used for upgrading the network connectivity to 10GbE. This is about as good as you can get for a Plex NAS. Also, an Intel Core i5 version is available for even more performance.

Best model for personal use

Synology DiskStation DS224+

Save a little and enjoy a glorious NAS experience

The Synology DiskStation DS224+ is another excellent Plex-friendly NAS. Thanks to its capable quad-core Intel Celeron J4125 processor, you can enjoy the hardware-based transcoding that enhances the streaming experience. With hot-swappable drives, this two-bay NAS is more than enough for anyone who wants to build a personal media library, plus it runs cool and quiet thanks to its multimode fans.

Pros

• Intel Celeron CPU

• Supports 4K transcoding

• DSM OS

Cons

• Only two drive bays

• No expansion support

• 1GbE networking

The Synology DiskStation DS224+ replaced the incredibly popular DS220+, which we previously recommended as the best-value Plex NAS. This successor is just as good, if not better. The only real change here is the upgraded processor, consisting of the Intel Celeron J4125. It's a very capable NAS and is the same chip used inside the DS920+, which was also one of the best NAS models for running Plex Media Server. The 2GB of DDR4 RAM can be upgraded to 6GB, though we feel you won't require more than the default capacity.

The two drive bays may be a limiting factor for long-term Plex use, especially if your library of content grows at a considerable pace. There's no support for expansion through the use of external units, which means you'll need to buy a new NAS once you've completely exhausted the installed drives. Installing two 20TB drives would provide 20TB of space with RAID in use, so there's still a considerable amount of storage available. Where this NAS shines is with the operating system. DiskStation Manager (DSM) is widely considered one of the best OS for NAS.

Best four-bay Plex NAS

ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 (AS6704T)

Everything you need for running Plex

The ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 (AS6704T) is a very capable NAS for running Plex Media Server and then some, thanks to the Intel CPU, upgradable RAM, 2.5GbE networking, expansion support, and a great OS.

Pros

• Intel CPU

• Upgradable RAM

• Expansion support

Cons

• Pricey

The ASUSTOR Lockerstor Gen2 (AS6704) has it all. ASUSTOR decided to take its four-bay NAS and turn everything up to 11. Let's start with the CPU — the trusty Intel Celeron N5105. It's a quad-core processor capable of bursting up to 2.9GHz and supports hardware transcoding with an integrated GPU. 4GB of DDR4 RAM is pre-installed and can be expanded up to 16GB, though the base capacity is more than enough for most users, including running Plex Media Server. Four drive bays are included, storing up to 80TB using the best NAS hard drives. This can be expanded using ASUSTOR's expansion units, allowing the NAS and ASUSTOR ADM operating systems to handle up to 12 bays.

Knowing that it can be expanded when you inevitably run out of space with the default drive bays makes the ASUSTOR Lockerstor Gen2 (AS6704) perfect for starting your first Plex NAS. Four M.2 SSD slots can be used for SSD caching or storage, depending on your needs. Finally, there's a solid selection of ports, including HDMI out, which can be used to connect the server to the big screen directly. Overall, this is an immensely capable NAS enclosure and one of the best ASUSTOR NAS around.

Best two-bay Plex NAS

TerraMaster F2-221

One of the best Plex NAS with two drive bays

The TerraMaster F2-221 is an affordable two-bay NAS with enough power to run Plex Media Server and transcode some media. While 2GB of DDR4 RAM is present out of the factory, you can bump this up to 6GB. The Intel Celeron J3355 is a killer processor with two cores that can bump up to 2.5GHz and an integrated graphics processor that can handle 4K. The two drive bays will be a limiting factor, especially since this NAS doesn't have M.2 slots or expansion support.

Pros

• Intel CPU

• Supports 4K transcoding

• Upgradable RAM

Cons

• No expansion support

• Rougher OS experience

• No M.2 slots

TerraMaster is a unique NAS brand as its catalog of products usually undercuts the competition with just a few cut features. The TerraMaster F2-221 is a prime example of this, being a direct competitor to the Synology DiskStation DS220+. It has an Intel Celeron processor, supports up to 6GB of DDR4 RAM (2GB preinstalled), and even has an HDMI port on the rear (though you won't be able to enjoy media through it).

That makes this NAS a great value option for running Plex Media Server. TerraMaster's TOS operating system isn't as refined as Synology DSM, but it's more than capable of managing everything on the enclosure and then some. Various apps are available for download in the respective store too. These enclosures also rock a design unlike anything else on the market, which may fit better in your environment and make this one of the best TerraMaster NAS you can buy.

Best cloud-friendly

Synology DiskStation DS223j

Hassle-free syncing between your private and Sync files between your private and public cloud platforms

Synology's DiskStation DS223j is a great-value two-bay NAS that offers many Plex-friendly features. Not having an Intel processor keeps its cost low, but does mean that it may struggle with the most demanding graphics applications. But this stylish little NAS boasts excellent cloud integration to effortlessly sync data between your NAS and popular cloud-based platforms like Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox, using its NAS-novice-friendly Synology Cloud Sync.

Pros

• Affordable

• DSM OS

Cons

• ARM CPU

• 512MB DDR3 RAM

• Limited storage

The Synology DiskStation D223j is the most affordable NAS in our collection. It has the same two drive bays as the Synology DiskStation DS224+, so what's the difference between the two enclosures? This NAS has a quad-core Realtek ARM processor, which is considerably less powerful than the Intel chip, and it doesn't support hardware transcoding, so streaming 4K media will be out of the question if the client device is unable to handle it.

There's also only 1GB of DDR4 RAM and it cannot be expanded. The two drive bays can support up to 20TB each and when RAID is factored in that'll be a maximum capacity of 20TB. Ports-wise, you've got a single 1GbE port and a few USB connections for good measure. The best part about this NAS, like the other Synology enclosure, is the DSM OS. It's perfect as your first NAS for running Plex on the side.

What is Plex?

Plex is an online media streaming service, much like Netflix and Spotify. It specializes in providing TV shows, podcasts, DVR, music, and movies, but is capable of so much more. The Plex Media Server is a server package that can be run on a PC or NAS and is essentially a DIY media streaming service. So, if you've purchased movies, shows, or music in the past and need somewhere to catalog, store, and stream it all, Plex Media Server is made precisely for that.

It's capable of pulling art for albums, shows, and movies, as well as necessary metadata, descriptions, and genres. There's an optional account upgrade that unlocks hardware transcoding, which is vastly more efficient and powerful than software transcoding. The upgrade also can skip show credits and intros and so much more. If you're serious about creating your own media library, you'll want to consider using this service.

What is transcoding?

Transcoding is the process of taking a media file and converting it to a format that can be used on the receiving device. For example, you may have a 4K movie with all the HD bells and whistles, yet your TV doesn't support the format. Plex will then transcode the file while streaming it to the device in real-time. This takes a fair share of computing power, which can be alleviated through hardware transcoding.

Most Intel (and AMD, such as the one inside the Synology DiskStation DS1522+) processors in NAS enclosures can use hardware transcoding with accelerators. In contrast, more affordable servers with ARM CPUs will struggle to achieve similar results, especially with FHD (1080p) or UHD (2160p) files. Some NASs may have an HDMI port, which can connect the server to the recipient device and negate the need to transcode anything.

How to choose the best NAS for Plex

Some things to bear in mind when shopping for a Plex NAS:

• Brand: The brand isn't terribly important when it comes to choosing a NAS; all brands recommended here are among the best in the industry. There are differences in support, OS, and first-party app support, but your Plex experience will be similar for the most part.

• CPU: An Intel Celeron or higher CPU will be able to transcode up to a 4K file. Go with an ARM processor if you won't be transcoding much and want to stream music and photos more than anything else. An Intel Core processor would be overkill unless you transcode frequently or have other heavy apps running on the NAS.

• RAM: 1GB or higher is recommended for most NAS servers with more than one person accessing data or services at any given time. Before buying, make sure the NAS is capable of expanding available RAM if you plan to increase usage down the line. Some NAS will go beyond officially supported capacities.

• Drive bays: These are used to add storage capacity to the NAS. Each bay usually supports either a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drive the more bays, the higher the maximum storage capacity. To unlock additional bays, some NAS will allow adding expansion units that can be connected via USB.

• Ports: USB isn't too important regarding NAS, either. Your LAN will largely determine Ethernet speeds, and you'll find 1GbE or 2.5GbE ports unless you're prepared to spend the big bucks. HDMI ports are great for negating the need for the processor to transcode anything since you can connect the NAS directly to the big screen.

Plex and NAS are the perfect match, but...

...not all NAS servers are created equally. Plex compatibility is not a given, as you need storage and a processor capable of transcoding 4K directly. Many of the top NAS enclosures are designed for non-media business use and do not have a GPU that can handle encoding and decoding video at the required speed. Conversely, as you can see above, budget-oriented NAS models like the TerraMaster F2-212 are suitable for home users and can easily double up as Plex servers.

It's important to remember that transcoding is demanding on a NAS processor, so if you can afford it, choose a device with real processing power like the ever-popular Synology DS920+. But the top recommendation is the QNAP TS-464. It has an excellent Intel processor with integrated graphics, four drive bays, and M.2 slots for one powerful little server. QNAP has a great user interface, too, which ticks the box for one of the main reasons for upgrading to a NAS — convenience. So if you're ready to leave the cloud and ditch your 50 external hard drives, the TS-464 is the way to go.

Best Plex NAS

QNAP TS-464

Top pick for running Plex on your NAS

The QNAP TS-464 is a brilliant and powerful NAS, rocking an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM out of the box, and even two M.2 slots and a single PCIe expansion slot. It has everything you need to run a Plex Media Server, including dedicated HDMI output.