Running apps or light virtual machines at home does not require enterprise hardware, but it does benefit from choosing the right NAS.
The recommendations on this page focus on NAS systems that are capable of handling apps, containers, or lightweight virtual machines while still being reasonable to manage in a home or small office environment.
How to think about these recommendations
For most people, a NAS used for apps or virtual machines needs three things above all else.
• Enough processing power for the workloads you plan to run
• Upgradeable memory so the system can grow with your needs
• Reliable network connectivity for day to day use
The systems below are ordered to help you choose a capable starting point without paying for features you may never use.
The QNAP is a solid choice for running apps, containers, and lightweight virtual machines. It offers good performance out of the box and the ability to upgrade memory if you need more capacity later.
The step up Asustor option is better suited for heavier workloads or users who want additional performance headroom, faster storage options, and more room to grow over time.
Preview
HomeTechHacker Recommendation
Product Name
TERRAMASTER F4-425 4-Bay NAS Storage – Intel x86 Quad-Core CPU, 4GB RAM, 2.5GbE LAN, Network Attached Storage Multimedia Server for Home Users (Diskless)
QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-core Processor, M.2 PCIe Slots and Dual 2.5GbE (2.5G/1G/100M) Network Connectivity (Diskless)
Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T, 4 Bay NAS, AMD Ryzen 3.8GHz Quad-Core, 16GB ECC DDR5, 4 M.2 NVMe Slots, Dual 5GbE & 10GbE Port, Network Attached Storage, Enterprise Grade for Enthusiasts(Diskless)
Budget Pick
Product Name
TERRAMASTER F4-425 4-Bay NAS Storage – Intel x86 Quad-Core CPU, 4GB RAM, 2.5GbE LAN, Network Attached Storage Multimedia Server for Home Users (Diskless)
HomeTechHacker Recommendation
Product Name
QNAP TS-464-8G-US 4 Bay High-Performance Desktop NAS with Intel Celeron Quad-core Processor, M.2 PCIe Slots and Dual 2.5GbE (2.5G/1G/100M) Network Connectivity (Diskless)
Step-Up Pick
Product Name
Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T, 4 Bay NAS, AMD Ryzen 3.8GHz Quad-Core, 16GB ECC DDR5, 4 M.2 NVMe Slots, Dual 5GbE & 10GbE Port, Network Attached Storage, Enterprise Grade for Enthusiasts(Diskless)
If you are unsure which option to choose, start with the HomeTechHacker recommendation and move on.
In most home environments, proper setup and realistic workload expectations matter more than small differences in hardware specifications.
Additional NAS Options
Below are additional NAS options that may be a better fit depending on budget, bay count, or how simple you want the setup to be.
| # |
Preview |
Product |
Price |
|
| 1 |
|
UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Pro 4-Bay Desktop Network Attached Storage, Intel Core i3-1315U 6-Core CPU, 8GB…
|
$799.99
$679.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
UGREEN NAS DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay Desktop NAS, Intel Pentium Gold 8505 5-Core CPU, 8GB DDR5 RAM…
|
$729.99
$619.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
UGREEN NAS DXP2800 2-Bay Desktop Network Attached Storage, Intel N100 Quad-Core CPU, 8GB DDR5 RAM…
|
$439.99
$369.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Synology DS225+ Private Cloud Media Server – Stream, Back Up Photos & Share Files, Intel CPU for…
|
$339.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Synology DS223 Home & Office Backup Hub – Centralize Files, Protect Data & Monitor Property (2-Bay…
|
$279.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 6 |
|
Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS223j (Diskless)
|
$189.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 7 |
|
UGREEN NAS DH2300 2-Bay Desktop NASync, Support Capacity 64TB (Diskless), Remote Access, AI Photo…
|
$219.99
$186.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 8 |
|
BUFFALO LinkStation 210 2TB 1-Bay NAS Network Attached Storage with HDD Hard Drives Included NAS…
|
$175.99
$153.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 9 |
|
Synology DS124 Personal Backup & File Hub – Protect Photos, Secure Home Surveillance (1-Bay Diskless…
|
$149.99
$141.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
| 10 |
|
Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS Internal Hard Drive CMR 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 5400 RPM 64MB Cache for RAID…
|
|
Buy on Amazon |
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