Buying Guide
The Best 4-Bay NAS for Home Offices: Our Picks
We looked at 8 4-bay NAS for home offices side by side, with the trade-offs that separate them and who each one suits.
By Jamie Cole, Lead Product Researcher
10 min read8 products evaluated
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A 4-bay NAS is the point where a home office storage setup graduates from a simple 2-drive mirror into real RAID flexibility, RAID 5, hybrid RAID, or RAID 10 all become options, each with a different balance of usable capacity, speed, and rebuild risk. That flexibility is also where the true cost of ownership stops being obvious, since the enclosure price is only part of what you'll actually spend.
99 diskless direct-attached enclosure to a $700 diskless Synology Plus-series NAS.
Quick Picks
Our 8 recommendations at a glance. Tap a pick for the full verdict.
Best Overall
UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay NAS, Intel Pentium Gold 8505
Home offices wanting Intel-level performance headroom in a 4-bay unit
Our take Check price for UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay NAS, Intel Pentium Gold 8505 (opens in a new tab)
Best for Drive Compatibility Peace of Mind
Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS925+ (Diskless)
Buyers who want Synology's software polish and are prepared for the drive compatibility tradeoff
Our take Check price for Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS925+ (Diskless) (opens in a new tab)
Best Value Synology
Synology DS423 4-Bay Diskless NAS
Budget-conscious buyers who still want Synology's DSM software
Our take Check price for Synology DS423 4-Bay Diskless NAS (opens in a new tab)
Best Direct-Attached Alternative
QNAP TR-004 4-Bay USB Type-C Direct Attached Storage (Diskless)
Single-computer setups that want 4-bay RAID without full NAS networking
Our take Check price for QNAP TR-004 4-Bay USB Type-C Direct Attached Storage (Diskless) (opens in a new tab)
Best Budget Enclosure
TERRAMASTER D4-320 External Hard Drive Enclosure, 4-Bay USB 3.2 Gen2
Buyers who want the cheapest 4-bay storage expansion for one workstation
Our take Check price for TERRAMASTER D4-320 External Hard Drive Enclosure, 4-Bay USB 3.2 Gen2 (opens in a new tab)
Best 2-Bay Alternative
UGREEN NAS DXP2800 2-Bay, Ideal for Content Creators
Buyers reconsidering whether they actually need 4 bays versus 2
Our take Check price for UGREEN NAS DXP2800 2-Bay, Ideal for Content Creators (opens in a new tab)
Best Budget 2-Bay Alternative
UGREEN NAS DH2300 2-Bay Desktop NAS, Supports 64TB
First-time NAS buyers deciding between 2-bay and 4-bay before committing
Our take Check price for UGREEN NAS DH2300 2-Bay Desktop NAS, Supports 64TB (opens in a new tab)
Best Simple Backup Alternative
Synology DS223 Home & Office Backup Hub (2-Bay Diskless NAS)
Buyers who conclude a simple 2-bay backup NAS covers their actual needs
Our take Check price for Synology DS223 Home & Office Backup Hub (2-Bay Diskless NAS) (opens in a new tab)
Our Picks
Best Overall1 of 8
UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay NAS, Intel Pentium Gold 8505 on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The DXP4800 Plus pairs a capable 5-core Intel Pentium Gold processor with 4 drive bays, enough compute headroom to run Plex transcoding, Docker containers, and RAID management simultaneously without the NAS becoming the bottleneck in your workflow.
Best for
- Home offices wanting Intel-level performance headroom in a 4-bay unit
Why we like it
As a diskless unit, the enclosure price is only the starting point, budget for 4 NAS-grade drives on top, but the Intel processor and expandable RAM give it a longer useful life than value-tier ARM-based 4-bay units as your home office needs grow.
Full RAID flexibility including RAID 5 and RAID 10.
Key dimensions & specs
- 4 bays, diskless
- Intel Pentium Gold 8505, 5-core CPU
- Supports RAID 0/1/5/10/hybrid
- Docker and virtualization capable
- Expandable RAM
Pros
- capable Intel CPU for transcoding and multitasking
- Full RAID flexibility including RAID 5 and RAID 10
- Expandable RAM for future workloads
- Docker/container support for advanced home office use
Cons
- Diskless, drives are a significant added cost
- Overkill CPU if you only need basic file backup
- Setup complexity higher than a simpler 2-bay unit
Best for Drive Compatibility Peace of Mind2 of 8
Synology 4-Bay DiskStation DS925+ (Diskless) on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The DS925+ is Synology's current Plus-series 4-bay, running DSM's polished software with Hybrid RAID (SHR) support that lets you mix and expand drive sizes over time rather than committing to matched drives upfront.
Best for
- Buyers who want Synology's software polish and are prepared for the drive compatibility tradeoff
Why we like it
That gradual upgrade path is a real advantage over standard RAID 5 for a home office that grows incrementally.
Be aware that Synology's 2024-and-newer Plus-series models show compatibility warnings for non-Synology-branded drives in DSM. The NAS still functions with third-party NAS drives, but Synology-branded drives avoid the warning at a 15-30% price premium.
Key dimensions & specs
- 4 bays, diskless
- Hybrid RAID (SHR) support
- DSM software ecosystem
- 2024+ drive compatibility warnings for non-Synology drives
- Expandable via Synology add-on units
Pros
- Hybrid RAID allows gradual drive size upgrades
- Mature, polished DSM software
- Strong app ecosystem for backup and file sharing
- Long track record of firmware support
Cons
- Most expensive pick in this list before drives
- Third-party drives trigger compatibility warnings on this generation
- Synology-branded drives cost more than equivalent third-party drives
Best Value Synology3 of 8
Synology DS423 4-Bay Diskless NAS on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The DS423 brings Synology's DSM software and 4-bay flexibility to a lower price point than the DS925+, aimed at family and small home office backup, file sharing, and basic video surveillance storage rather than heavy transcoding workloads.
Best for
- Budget-conscious buyers who still want Synology's DSM software
Why we like it
As a value-series model, it predates the strictest 2024+ drive compatibility warnings, giving more third-party drive flexibility than the newer DS925+. Pair it with 4 NAS-grade drives for a complete, budget-conscious 4-bay setup.
More relaxed third-party drive compatibility.
Key dimensions & specs
- 4 bays, diskless
- DSM software
- File sharing, backup, and surveillance apps
- More lenient third-party drive compatibility than 2024+ Plus models
- Compact desktop form factor
Pros
- Lower cost than the DS925+ while keeping DSM software
- More relaxed third-party drive compatibility
- Good fit for family and small office backup
- Compact footprint for a home office desk or shelf
Cons
- Less CPU headroom than the Intel-based DXP4800 Plus
- No SHR/hybrid RAID drive-size mixing on this model line
- Diskless price still requires 4 drives on top
Best Direct-Attached Alternative4 of 8
QNAP TR-004 4-Bay USB Type-C Direct Attached Storage (Diskless) on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
It's worth being clear about what the TR-004 actually is: a direct-attached storage enclosure connected via USB-C to a single computer, not a network-attached NAS that multiple devices can access over Ethernet.
Best for
- Single-computer setups that want 4-bay RAID without full NAS networking
Why we like it
If your home office is a single-user setup, this distinction may not matter much in practice.
Hardware RAID across 4 bays gives it real redundancy options despite the USB connection, and it's a cheaper way to get 4-bay RAID storage if you don't need multi-device network access. It can also serve as expansion storage attached to a QNAP NAS.
Key dimensions & specs
- 4 bays, diskless
- USB Type-C direct attached storage
- Hardware RAID support
- Single-computer connection, not network storage
- Can serve as expansion for a QNAP NAS
Pros
- Lower cost than a full network NAS enclosure
- Hardware RAID redundancy despite USB connection
- Simple single-computer setup, no network configuration
- Useful as expansion storage for an existing QNAP NAS
Cons
- Not network-attached, only one computer connects at a time
- No remote access or multi-user file sharing without a host NAS
- Requires the host computer to be on for other devices to see it
Best Budget Enclosure5 of 8
TERRAMASTER D4-320 External Hard Drive Enclosure, 4-Bay USB 3.2 Gen2 on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
2 Gen2 at up to 10Gbps.
Best for
- Buyers who want the cheapest 4-bay storage expansion for one workstation
Why we like it
It's the cheapest 4-bay storage expansion option in this list.
Hot-swap bays make drive replacement straightforward, and plug-and-play setup means no NAS operating system to configure. For a home office that just needs a large, fast local storage pool attached to one workstation, this sidesteps NAS software complexity entirely.
10Gbps USB connection, fast for a direct-attached unit.
Key dimensions & specs
- 4 bays, diskless
- USB 3.2 Gen2, 10Gbps
- Hot-swappable drive bays
- Plug and play, no NAS OS required
- Direct-attached, single computer only
Pros
- Lowest price in this list
- 10Gbps USB connection, fast for a direct-attached unit
- Hot-swap bays for easy drive maintenance
- No NAS software setup required
Cons
- Not network-attached storage
- No RAID management software beyond basic modes
- Requires the host computer to be powered on to access it
Best 2-Bay Alternative6 of 8
UGREEN NAS DXP2800 2-Bay, Ideal for Content Creators on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
It's worth being upfront that the DXP2800 is a 2-bay NAS, not a 4-bay unit, included here for home offices who start researching 4-bay options but realize their actual capacity needs, and budget, fit a smaller 2-drive setup better.
Best for
- Buyers reconsidering whether they actually need 4 bays versus 2
Why we like it
If you don't need 4 bays of RAID 5 or RAID 10 flexibility and mainly want reliable 2-drive redundancy for a smaller content creation workflow, this UGREEN model gives you a lower entry cost than any 4-bay unit in this list while still supporting RAID 1 mirroring.
Key dimensions & specs
- 2 bays, diskless
- RAID 1 mirroring support
- Aimed at content creators and enthusiasts
- Lower entry cost than any 4-bay pick here
- Compact desktop footprint
Pros
- Lower total cost than any true 4-bay option in this list
- Sufficient RAID 1 redundancy for smaller storage needs
- Good starting point if 4 bays turns out to be more than you need
- Compact footprint
Cons
- Only 2 bays, no RAID 5 or RAID 10 flexibility
- Less total capacity ceiling than the true 4-bay picks
- Not a direct substitute if you specifically need 4-bay expansion room
Best Budget 2-Bay Alternative7 of 8
UGREEN NAS DH2300 2-Bay Desktop NAS, Supports 64TB on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Like the DXP2800 above, the DH2300 is a 2-bay NAS, not a 4-bay unit, listed here as the most low-cost alternative for home offices whose storage needs turn out to be smaller than a 4-bay purchase justifies.
Best for
- First-time NAS buyers deciding between 2-bay and 4-bay before committing
Why we like it
It supports up to 64TB across its 2 bays with large enough drives.
It's a simple, low-cost entry into networked storage with basic RAID 1 support, well-suited to a first NAS for automatic backup rather than a growing multi-app home office server.
Supports large per-bay drive capacity up to 64TB total.
Key dimensions & specs
- 2 bays, diskless
- Supports up to 64TB total capacity
- RAID 1 mirroring
- Lowest price NAS-branded pick in this list
- Basic backup and file-sharing focus
Pros
- Cheapest true networked NAS in this list
- Supports large per-bay drive capacity up to 64TB total
- Simple setup for basic backup use cases
- Good stepping stone before committing to 4-bay costs
Cons
- Only 2 bays, no RAID 5/10 option
- Less capable CPU than the Intel-based 4-bay picks
- Not suitable if you specifically need 4-bay expansion
Best Simple Backup Alternative8 of 8
Synology DS223 Home & Office Backup Hub (2-Bay Diskless NAS) on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The DS223 rounds out this list as another 2-bay Synology option, not a 4-bay unit, for home offices whose actual need is straightforward file backup and centralized storage rather than the RAID 5/10 flexibility a true 4-bay NAS provides.
Best for
- Buyers who conclude a simple 2-bay backup NAS covers their actual needs
Why we like it
Synology's DSM software makes setup approachable for less technical buyers, and 2-drive RAID 1 mirroring covers basic redundancy needs. If your research keeps leading back to 4 bays, use this as the cost baseline for what a much simpler 2-bay setup would cost instead.
Key dimensions & specs
- 2 bays, diskless
- DSM software
- RAID 1 mirroring
- Home and small office backup focus
- Video surveillance app support
Pros
- Approachable DSM setup for less technical users
- Reliable RAID 1 backup redundancy
- Lower cost than any true 4-bay pick in this list
- Includes surveillance app support
Cons
- Only 2 bays, not a substitute for genuine 4-bay expansion needs
- No hybrid RAID or RAID 5/10 options
- Lower CPU capability than the Intel-based 4-bay picks
How We Chose These 4-Bay NAS for Home Offices
Each pick was assessed across 5 criteria weighted for real-world use.
- Compared RAID 5, hybrid RAID (SHR), and RAID 10 support across models, since a true 4-bay NAS should offer more than the basic mirroring a 2-bay unit provides.
- True total cost with drives
- Weighed diskless enclosure price against the real cost of 4 NAS-grade drives, since the enclosure alone understates the actual investment.
- Verified whether each pick is genuine network-attached storage accessible by multiple devices, or direct-attached storage connected to a single computer via USB.
- Compared Intel-based processors against lighter-duty chips for their ability to handle Docker, transcoding, and multitasking without becoming a bottleneck.
- Checked whether each brand's 2024+ models show compatibility warnings for third-party drives, and what that means for real-world cost and setup friction.
What to Look for in a 4-Bay NA for Home Offices
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
Remember every listed NAS here is diskless, budget drives separately
The price shown for a NAS enclosure covers the hardware chassis, CPU, and RAM only, not the actual storage drives, NAS-grade drives built for 24/7 operation like Seagate IronWolf or WD Red still need to be budgeted on top, often adding $80 to $200 or more per bay depending on capacity and drive type.
This matters because comparing NAS units purely by enclosure price without factoring in drive cost gives a misleading picture of the real total investment, a cheaper enclosure with more bays to fill can end up costing more overall than a pricier enclosure with fewer bays.
Check whether a listing is diskless or ships with drives included, and add realistic per-bay drive costs to the enclosure price before comparing total cost across options.
Weigh CPU class and RAM over bay count for real day-to-day performance
Bay count determines maximum storage capacity, but CPU architecture (Intel, AMD, or ARM) and RAM amount determine how well the NAS actually handles real workloads, running apps, transcoding media on the fly, or serving multiple simultaneous users, and a higher bay count with a weak CPU can bottleneck performance regardless of how much raw storage it holds.
This matters more the more the NAS will do beyond simple file storage, like Plex transcoding or running multiple docker containers, less if it's purely a basic backup target.
Check the specific CPU model and RAM amount (and whether RAM is upgradeable) rather than choosing primarily by bay count.
Understand RAID as a rebuild-time safety net, not a substitute for real backup
RAID configurations protect against a single drive failure by letting the array rebuild from redundant data, but RAID is not a backup, it does nothing to protect against accidental deletion, ransomware, theft, fire, or a controller failure that affects the whole array at once.
This distinction matters because treating RAID redundancy as sufficient backup protection is a common and risky misunderstanding, a real backup strategy needs a copy of critical data stored somewhere physically separate from the NAS itself.
Check what RAID level a given NAS supports, and separately plan an actual backup strategy, ideally following a 3-2-1 approach, rather than relying on RAID redundancy alone.
Match drive type (HDD vs SSD/NVMe) to your actual access pattern
Traditional hard drives offer the lowest cost per terabyte for bulk storage like media libraries or backups, while SSD or NVMe-based NAS storage costs significantly more per terabyte but delivers much faster random access speeds, useful for frequently-accessed files, active project work, or serving as a fast cache tier.
This matters directly based on how you'll actually use the storage, a media library accessed sequentially benefits little from SSD speed, while an active working file share benefits considerably.
Check whether the NAS supports the drive type you need, and weigh the real cost-per-terabyte difference against how much you'll actually benefit from faster random access.
Consider noise level if the NAS will run continuously in a shared living or office space
A NAS that runs 24/7 generates continuous fan and drive noise, and that noise profile varies meaningfully between models, some use larger, slower-spinning fans that stay quiet, while others rely on smaller, faster fans that produce a persistent whine noticeable in a quiet room.
This matters a great deal if the NAS will sit in a bedroom, living room, or shared home office rather than a dedicated closet or basement out of earshot.
Check reviews specifically for real-world noise level mentions during continuous operation, not just idle noise, since drive activity and fan speed both increase under load.
How to Choose a 4-Bay NA for Home Offices
By Rating Confidence: Highest Rated vs Most Reviewed
| UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Plus 4 | |
| UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Plus 4 |
- The lower-priced option in this comparison, worth checking its CPU and RAM against your actual workload.
- The higher-priced option, worth it if it offers real bay count or performance headroom above the cheaper pick.
Default to TERRAMASTER D4 unless your storage needs call for the pricier pick.
Check each pick's listed CPU architecture and RAM amount against your actual workload before buying, not just bay count alone.
For Media Streaming or Plex Specifically
- A CPU capable of hardware transcoding and enough RAM to handle multiple simultaneous streams, not just total bay count.
- You need real multi-user performance, media transcoding, or business-critical reliability, where Synology 4's CPU and RAM give real headroom over the cheaper picks.
- You just need simple backup storage for one or two users, where TERRAMASTER D4 covers the same job at a lower price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I actually need a 4-bay NAS, or would 2 bays be enough?
If your real need is simple mirrored backup or a smaller content library, a 2-bay NAS like the Synology DS223 or UGREEN DH2300 costs meaningfully less than any true 4-bay setup, enclosure and drives included. Reserve a 4-bay purchase for when you specifically need RAID 5 or RAID 10 flexibility, or capacity beyond what 2 drives can reasonably provide.
What's the real total cost of a 4-bay NAS, not just the enclosure price?
A diskless 4-bay enclosure around $600-700 plus 4 NAS-grade 8TB drives at roughly $180 each brings the total to $1,320 or more. Always factor in drive cost separately, since diskless enclosure pricing alone significantly understates the full investment.
What's the difference between the QNAP TR-004/TERRAMASTER D4-320 and the network NAS picks in this list?
The QNAP TR-004 and TERRAMASTER D4-320 are direct-attached storage enclosures connected via USB to a single computer, not network-attached storage. A true NAS like the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus or Synology models connects over Ethernet and can be accessed by multiple devices on the network, even remotely, while a direct-attached enclosure requires its host computer to stay powered on.
Should I choose RAID 5, hybrid RAID, or RAID 10 for a 4-bay NAS?
RAID 5 gives about 75% usable capacity with 1-drive failure protection and is the most common general-use recommendation. Hybrid RAID (SHR) lets you mix drive sizes and expand gradually, useful if you plan to upgrade drives one at a time. RAID 10 gives only 50% usable capacity but the fastest read/write speeds, best for Plex or other heavy read workloads.
Why do newer Synology models show compatibility warnings for third-party drives?
Synology's 2024-and-newer Plus-series models, including the DS925+, flag non-Synology-branded drives with compatibility warnings in DSM. The NAS still functions with third-party NAS-grade drives, but Synology-branded drives avoid the warning at a 15-30% price premium. Factor this into your total cost if drive brand flexibility matters to you.
How risky is a RAID rebuild after a drive failure in a 4-bay NAS?
A 4-bay RAID 5 array with 8TB drives typically takes 12 to 48 hours to rebuild after a single drive failure. During that window, NAS performance degrades and a second drive failure would cause total data loss, which is why some buyers prefer RAID 10 or hybrid RAID for a less risky rebuild profile.
Bottom Line
Best overall: UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay NAS, Intel Pentium Gold 8505 — best overall pick in this roundup. See the full verdicts above for every pick, with pros, cons and who each one suits.
Browse all 4-bay nas for home offices on Amazon — Prime-eligible options with current pricing.