2026 Popular 4-Bay NAS Comparison

In 2026, the best 4-bay NAS is no longer defined only by storage capacity or RAID support. Modern users expect a compact NAS system to handle Plex streaming, 4K/8K media workflows, automated backups, and increasingly AI-powered features with minimal complexity.

With more brands offering powerful hardware and smarter software experiences, choosing the right NAS requires looking beyond specifications. This comparison explores popular 4-bay NAS models from TerraMaster, Synology, QNAP, and UGREEN, focusing on real-world performance, software capabilities, storage flexibility, and practical use cases.

TerraMaster F4-424 vs Synology DS923+: A New Balance Between Hardware Capability and Software Experience

TerraMaster F4-424 and Synology DS923+ represent two different NAS approaches. Synology remains well-known for its mature DSM ecosystem and long-term software reliability, while TerraMaster focuses on balancing powerful hardware with continuous software innovation through TOS, delivering a NAS experience that combines performance, flexibility, and usability.

In daily use, TerraMaster F4-424 delivers stronger performance headroom for demanding workloads such as Plex streaming, large file transfers, and multi-tasking. Its Intel platform with Quick Sync hardware acceleration provides clear advantages for media applications, allowing smoother 4K transcoding while keeping more resources available for other services.

Synology DS923+ remains an excellent choice for users who prioritize a highly mature software ecosystem. However, at similar price points, TerraMaster F4-424 offers stronger hardware value with faster networking, newer memory technology, and better media performance.

Combined with the continuous improvements of TOS, TerraMaster provides a balanced NAS experience that combines powerful hardware, efficient workflows, and user-friendly management.

TerraMaster F4-425 vs QNAP TS-462: Better Hardware Value for Everyday NAS Users

When choosing a 4-bay NAS for home storage, Plex media servers, and personal cloud applications, users are often comparing TerraMaster F4-425 with QNAP TS-462. While both models provide reliable storage solutions, TerraMaster F4-425 delivers a stronger hardware foundation and better overall value for users who want smooth daily performance.

For Plex and home media users, both NAS models can provide a capable entertainment hub. However, F4-425’s stronger CPU allows users to handle more concurrent workloads without compromising responsiveness. Whether managing a growing media library or accessing files across multiple devices, the extra processing power creates a smoother experience.

With TOS 7, TerraMaster has significantly enhanced its software experience, offering a more modern interface, smoother system management, and improved usability. Combined with stronger hardware at a competitive price point, F4-425 provides an excellent balance of performance, simplicity, and value for everyday NAS workloads.

TerraMaster F4-425 Pro vs UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: Hardware Power Meets AI-Native NAS Experience

The 4-bay NAS market is becoming increasingly competitive, with TerraMaster F4-425 Pro and UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus targeting users who need more than basic storage. Both deliver strong performance for applications such as Plex, backup, and personal cloud workflows, but they focus on different strengths.

UGREEN emphasizes high-end hardware specifications, while TerraMaster combines powerful hardware with a more advanced and integrated software experience through TOS 7.

While UGREEN DXP4800 Plus offers impressive hardware and higher network bandwidth, TerraMaster F4-425 Pro focuses on delivering a more balanced NAS experience with strong performance, flexible storage expansion, and an intelligent operating system designed for real-world workflows.

The biggest difference lies in the software experience. TerraMaster takes a different approach with TOS 7, introducing what it defines as the world’s first AI-native NAS operating system. Instead of adding AI as an optional feature, TOS 7 integrates intelligence directly into the system architecture.

Built on three key technologies, TOS 7 provides an open atomic API system with 500+ standardized APIs, an AI-optimized CLI framework for automated system operations, and an intelligent workflow engine that can transform natural language commands into executable tasks.

In practical scenarios, users can move from manually configuring multiple NAS settings to simply describing what they want to achieve. Tasks such as organizing files, managing backups, and automating workflows become more intuitive and efficient.

TerraMaster also enhances data protection with BBS (Business Backup Suite), integrating snapshots, versioning, and disaster recovery workflows into a unified backup solution. This simplifies backup management while providing reliable protection for both home users and small teams.

UGREEN brings strong hardware competition to the NAS market, but TerraMaster F4-425 Pro differentiates itself through the combination of capable hardware and a more intelligent software foundation. With TOS 7, TerraMaster delivers not only a high-performance NAS, but also a smarter and more efficient way to manage personal data.

Setup Tips for TerraMaster NAS (Practical Optimization)

To get the best performance out of TerraMaster NAS devices, enabling hardware transcoding in Plex or Jellyfin is essential. This ensures efficient 4K streaming without overloading the CPU, particularly in multi-user environments.

For networks with heavy traffic, link aggregation across dual 2.5GbE or 5GbE ports can significantly improve throughput, especially during simultaneous backups or large media transfers.

One of the most practical scaling advantages in the TerraMaster ecosystem is DAS expansion. Devices such as the D4-320 or D6-320 allow users to extend storage directly from the NAS without migrating data or replacing the main unit. This creates a modular growth path where capacity and performance can evolve independently.

Combined with TRAID, this makes incremental storage expansion significantly more flexible than traditional fixed-array NAS setups.

FAQ

1.Is TerraMaster good for Plex?
Yes. TerraMaster NAS models provide strong performance for Plex media servers, including support for hardware transcoding and smooth 4K media playback. Combined with high-speed network connectivity and optimized system resource management, TerraMaster NAS devices are well suited for users who want to build a reliable home media library while running additional services such as backup, file synchronization, and remote access.

2.What is TRAID?
TRAID is TerraMaster’s flexible RAID management technology designed to simplify storage expansion and improve storage efficiency. Similar to Synology SHR, TRAID allows users to combine drives with different capacities while making better use of available storage space. This makes it easier for home users to gradually expand their NAS capacity without needing to replace all existing drives at once.

3.What is TOS 7?
TOS 7 is TerraMaster’s next-generation NAS operating system built around an AI-native architecture. It introduces features such as atomic APIs, AI-optimized CLI tools, and intelligent workflow orchestration to make NAS management more efficient and flexible. By improving system responsiveness, automation capabilities, and overall usability, TOS 7 helps users handle storage, applications, and daily workflows more easily.

Conclusion

Across Synology, QNAP, and UGREEN, each brand optimizes for a different priority: ecosystem stability, modular flexibility, or raw AI compute power. TerraMaster positions itself in the middle ground but increasingly leans toward a more modern direction—high-performance hardware combined with an AI-native operating system.

For users searching for the best NAS in 2026, especially for Plex streaming, home cloud storage, or scalable backup systems, TerraMaster’s F4-425 Pro and TOS 7 ecosystem offer a compelling balance of performance, intelligence, and cost efficiency.