There are 7 Great NAS systems for Mac Users in 2024.
Did you lose important files on your Mac or NAS?
Do not worry. In just 3 steps, BLRTools can get back the info you lost. It is safe and effective to use the best and most professional data recovery tool.
It’s been a pain to store, view, and share data on your Mac. That means you must have had trouble doing that from more than one device. Now is the time to get one of the best home NAS for Mac.
Our team has put together a list of the best NAS storage for Mac users. You will also learn what NAS for Mac is, why you should buy it, and how we chose our choices. After reading our list of the best NAS drives for macOS, you can pick the one you like best and easily store, back up, and share your data from different devices.
What is a Mac NAS?
Network Attached Storage, or NAS, is a thing that you can hook up to a network. NAS lets many people view and share data from many devices in this way. NAS is a central location for storing data that lets users share files, back them up, and view them from different devices.
The best NAS storage for Mac
NAS for Mac is a storage device that works only with macOS. NAS for macOS can be used to back up your data, share files, get to your computer from afar, and play media, just like any other NAS device. You can connect most NAS devices to Wi-Fi or Ethernet because they have their own running systems. So, NAS for Mac also comes with an operating system that works with macOS from Apple.
How We Chosen the Best NAS for Mac Users
There are a lot of different kinds of NAS devices because they can be used in both home and business settings. You might not know which NAS for Mac is best for you if you’re new to this field because there are so many of them. Don’t worry about it, then.
We looked at a lot of types and chose the seven best NAS for Mac storage. Several things helped us narrow down our search:
Compatibility: For your NAS to work properly, it needs to be able to work with the most recent version of your Mac. In addition, it needs to work with Apple’s native and system apps, like Time Machine.
Performance: For faster data uploads, your NAS device needs to have a fast processor and RAM, as well as good ways to connect to the internet.
Storage space: The main reason you probably want a NAS device is for storage, so you need to make sure it has enough storage space for your needs.
To get the most out of your NAS and all of its benefits, you should look for one that is simple to set up, control, and use every day.
Why getting NAS for Mac is a Good Idea
Time Machine is an app that comes with your Mac that lets you back up your files. What’s the point of having a NAS? It’s simple. Time Machine lets you back up your Mac to a Synology NAS, but NAS devices for Mac have a lot more features. For better results, the best thing to do would be to use NAS for Mac along with Time Machine.
You already know that NAS for Mac provides centralized storage, which means that as long as they are connected to the network, any device can view data from anywhere. Also, most NAS devices have a backup plan in case one of the hard drives breaks. A NAS device gives you backup, so even if your hard drive fails, you can still view and safely store your data.
You can also add more storage to your NAS without changing your hard drive or adding more storage to your Mac. Multiple people can access the same storage at the same time, so it’s easy to share files and work together.
1. The Synology DS723 disk station
The Synology DiskStation DS723 is a two-bay NAS device that can be used at home or in a small business. Two-core processor running at 2.6 GHz and 2 GB of DDR4 memory are built in. That makes things run smoothly and quickly for Mac users.
The Synology DiskStation DS723 also comes with SAT5200 SSD drives that are officially made by Synology. You don’t have to use those SSDs, though. Before getting third-party SSDs, check the official support site to make sure they’ll work.
It’s more important that this NAS has its own operating system, called Synology Diskstation Manager (DSM), and it works with macOS. It’s also easy to use and has many apps and tools for Mac users. This NAS device’s price can change, but it’s usually around $620.
2. WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra 8TB
WD The My Cloud EX2 Ultra is a NAS that can hold two 3.5-inch hard drives. It looks nice because this NAS for Mac doesn’t have anything on the front. Instead, it has USB and Ethernet ports on the back. To switch out hard drives, press a button that opens the device’s lid. Then, you can take the disks out and put in new ones. There are two cores running at 1.3 GHz, 8 TB of storage, and 1 GB of RAM.
It’s simple and easy to set up, and the layout is clean and unique. It’s easy to use and lets you share and move files quickly. About $540 is how much this NAS costs.
Third, the Buffalo LinkStation 210 2TB 1-Bay NAS
It’s easy for home users who don’t need more than 2 TB of storage and basic backup choices to use the Buffalo LinkStation 210, which is a one-bay NAS. The CPU has two cores running at 800 MHz, and the RAM is 256 MB DDR3. It’s easy to use and durable, and it has enough storage space and works well. It also works with macOS and its built-in apps, which is very important for Mac users.
You can easily back up, store, share, and get to your info from different devices with the Buffalo LinkStation 210 NAS. In addition, it’s easy to set up and use because it has a simple design and quick sharing and backup options. More importantly, it doesn’t break the bank at about $150.
4. The Drobo 5N2
The Drobo 5N2 is a five-bay NAS that is great for small businesses and individuals who need fast and reliable performance. It has 2 GB RAM and an XP quad-core 1.6 GHz engine.
It can hold up to 50 TB of hard drives and has five hard drive trays. There are no USB ports on the Drobo 5N2, but it does have two Gigabit Ethernet ports. More importantly, it works with macOS and the Time Machine app that comes with it.
It doesn’t have an admin interface, but you can control it by installing the macOS Drobo Dashboard apps. But it’s simple to set up and use, so you don’t need any experience to use this NAS storage device. The Drobo 5N2 costs about $500.
5. The Synology DS1821 8-Bay DiskStation
The Synology DiskStation DS1821 is an eight-bay NAS that is perfect for bigger businesses that need faster backup and storage choices. It has 4 GB of DDR4 RAM, two M.2 2280 slots for NVMe Cache, and an AMD Ryzen quad-core CPU. The Synology DiskStation DS1821 has the DSM operating system, which works with macOS, just like the DS723.
There are many apps and packages that can be used to do any task. It’s easy to use. It backs up, stores, and shares files quickly, reliably, and securely. The DS1821 is very useful and competent for bigger businesses because it has eight bays that can be used for storage. Around $950 is how much the Synology DiskStation DS1821 starts at.
6. The WD 24TB My Cloud EX4100 Expert Series 4-Bay NAS
WD The My Cloud EX4100 from the Expert Series is a four-bay NAS that is great for small businesses because it has fast storage and backup. Two-core processor running at 1.6 GHz and 2 GB of DDR3 memory are built in. It has three USB ports and two gigabit Ethernet ports.
It also comes with the My Cloud operating system, which works with macOS and has many features, such as automatic saving, simple file sharing, and media streaming.
WD You don’t have to use the web interface to manage My Cloud EX4100; you can also download desktop and mobile apps. It’s easy to use and gives you a lot of choices. This NAS gadget is for professionals and costs around $1,000.
NAS BUFFALO TeraStation 3420DN with 4 bays
The Buffalo TeraStation 3420DN is a four-bay NAS that can be used in work settings. It has 1 GB of DDR3 memory and a 1.4 GHz quad-core CPU. It also comes with three USB ports and a 2.5 GbE port. It is simple to set up because it starts working as soon as you connect it to your network. In addition, it backs up and stores data quickly and efficiently.
The Buffalo TeraStation 3420DN comes with the easy-to-use Buffalo NAS Navigator operating system, which works with macOS devices. The design is also easy to use, and you can quickly get to your data from a number of different devices. This NAS gadget costs around $900 most of the time.