Best Home NAS NZ: Which One to Buy
A network-attached storage box isn't just for IT nerds anymore — it's the cheapest way to stop paying monthly cloud storage fees forever. Here's how to pick between Synology, QNAP and UGREEN.
What a NAS actually does
A NAS is a small dedicated computer with drive bays that sits on your home network 24/7, storing files that every device in the house can reach — phone, laptop, smart TV, whatever. Instead of paying Google or iCloud a monthly fee per terabyte forever, you buy the hardware and drives once, and the ongoing cost is just power (a couple of dollars a month for a small unit).
Synology vs QNAP vs UGREEN
Synology is the safe, polished choice. DSM, its operating system, is genuinely easy to use even if you've never touched a NAS before, and their app ecosystem (Photos, Drive, Surveillance Station) is mature. The trade-off: Synology has been progressively locking newer models to their own-brand or "compatible" hard drives, which limits your options and can push the price up.
QNAP tends to offer more raw hardware for the money — more RAM, faster network ports, sometimes better CPUs at a given price point — and its software, QTS, is capable but has a steeper learning curve and a patchier security track record; QNAP devices have been targeted by ransomware campaigns more than once, so staying on top of firmware updates matters more here.
UGREEN is the newer entrant and has undercut both on price with genuinely competent hardware, though its software polish and long-term app support are still catching up. Good option if you mainly want simple network storage and backup rather than a full home server platform.
Who actually needs a NAS
- Photo and video hoarders: phone backups eat cloud storage fast; a NAS with a couple of large drives is far cheaper per terabyte long-term.
- Plex/Jellyfin media server users: a NAS can store and stream your own movie/TV library to every TV and device in the house.
- Families sharing files: one shared drive everyone can access beats emailing files or juggling USB sticks.
- Small business or freelancers: local backup that isn't dependent on someone else's cloud outage.
- Who doesn't need one: if you're already happy paying for iCloud/Google One and don't have much data, a NAS is extra hardware to maintain for little benefit.
What we'd actually buy
For a first NAS, a 2-bay Synology is still the easiest entry point — the software holds your hand and the community support online is enormous. If you want more power for the same money and don't mind a bit more setup, QNAP or UGREEN both make sense, just budget time for firmware updates and basic security hardening (strong passwords, no exposing admin panels directly to the internet).
Drive prices move constantly, and so does the retail price of the NAS enclosures themselves. Compare current pricing across PB Tech, JB Hi-Fi, Noel Leeming and Harvey Norman before buying — PB Tech in particular tends to carry the widest NAS range in NZ.