The best NAS for Plex should let you stream your media collection to all connected devices in your home. Plex is a terrific platform that lets you manage your media library with ease, and the service has a ton of useful extras when it comes to video playback. The best part is that the Plex client is available on just about every platform, making it straightforward to stream your content.
So if you want to set up a Plex media server and are interested in buying a NAS, these are the best servers currently available.
What is the best Plex server?
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There are plenty of options if you want the best NAS for home use, and you can choose between entry-level picks that have a single or two drive bays, and there are four-bay models that are designed to last.
But if you’re in the best Plex server, there are a few additional points to consider. For one thing, Plex transcoding is a very CPU-intensive task, so you will need to look at NAS enclosures that have a powerful chipset. Thankfully, the biggest NAS manufacturers — Synology, QNAP, and ASUSTOR — deliver models catered for Plex media streaming.
Synology’s DiskStation DS220+ illustrates this point perfectly — the two-bay NAS server features the Ryzen R1600 and handles Plex native streaming without breaking a sweat.
It doesn’t let you transcode though, so if you need that particular feature, you will need to get an older model like the DS220+. That server has the ability to transcode files so that they can be played on target devices that don’t have the requisite codec.
For instance, if you’re playing a movie on an iPad, but the tablet lacks the codecs for that media file, Plex will transcode that file natively on the NAS and deliver a version that can play on the iPad.
If you want a little more room, the DiskStation DS920+ has four bays that can hold up to 64TB of storage, and it has a slightly faster Intel Celeron J4125 that’s ideal for Plex 4K transcodes. The ASUSTOR Lockerstor AS6604T is also a good choice to consider, alongside alternatives from TerraMaster and others.
Now that you have a better idea of what’s needed in a Plex NAS, let’s take a look at the best NAS servers for Plex streaming.
Synology is doing things differently with the DiskStation DS723+; the 2-bay NAS features AMD’s Ryzen R1600 instead of the long-standing Intel Celeron series. There are inherent advantages to this move as the Ryzen hardware is significantly more powerful than Intel’s offering.
That’s great in daily use as the DS723+ is noticeably faster than its predecessor — the DS720+ — and the likes of the DS220+. That said, the Ryzen R1600 doesn’t include an integrated GPU, so you miss out on Plex transcodes.
This shouldn’t be a limitation to most users as most modern devices have the requisite codec for video playback via Plex anyway, but if you’re sharing your Plex library with friends and they’re using an older iPad, they may run into bottlenecks. That said, free Plex users are limited to software transcodes, and you’ll need a paid Plex Pass account to get hardware-accelerated transcoding.
I use Plex on about a dozen devices in my home, and while I have Plex Pass, I haven’t had to use the transcode feature for a few years. The DS723+ does a brilliant job when using Plex’s native direct play feature, and I didn’t run into any issues when streaming a high bitrate 4K stream on my TVs. The NAS also lets you use M.2 slots for storage, giving it a key edge over its predecessors.
You can also switch to 10GbE networking via a $150 networking card, but out of the box, you’ll find two Gigabit LAN ports. I would have liked to see at least 2.5GbE connectivity here as most other NAS servers in this category offer multi-Gigabit connectivity as standard, but that isn’t to be.
That said, the DS723+ has the best software features of any NAS server, with DSM 7.1 offering native servers for audio and video playback, document collaboration, Plex media streaming, backing up data from all the devices in your home network, and a whole lot more.
The DiskStation DS220+ is still one of the best NAS servers you can buy for Plex streaming. It has two drive bays, all the wired connectivity you need, and in my usage, it handled Plex streaming and transcodes without breaking a sweat.
The NAS is powered by an Intel Celeron J4025 chipset and comes with 2GB of RAM — with the ability to add another 4GB — and two drive bays can hold 16TB of storage each, taking total storage to 32TB.
The DS220+ has two Gigabit Ethernet ports at the back with Link Aggregation, and you can just bridge these ports and double data transfers. There are two USB 3.0 ports as well, and overall, the DS220+ is the best NAS for home use, particularly if you want a robust media server.
The DS220+ works particularly well as a Plex media server. It takes just a few minutes to install and configure the service, and it does a fantastic job streaming your locally stored media library to all connected devices on your home network.
Any NAS — including cheap NAS enclosures — has the ability to play Plex files natively, but if you need to transcode media, that’s where the DS220+ comes to the fore.
The DS220+ handles 1080p transcodes without any issues and can transcode 4K content if you really need to do so, and it is the ideal option for Plex. Synology’s software is the best in the industry, and you can do so much more than stream your Plex library. The DS220+ automatically backs up data with ease, and you can run your own email, audio, video, and even VPN server straight from the NAS.
I recommend picking up 4TB Seagate IronWolf drives with the NAS to start, and if you need more storage, you can get the 6TB model or the 8TB option.
The DiskStation DS920+ has the same foundation as the DS220+, but with a few key upgrades. This NAS is the ideal choice if you share your Plex library and need additional bandwidth, or you want to transcode 4K media.
You get a faster Intel Celeron J4125 chipset, 4GB of RAM out of the box, M.2 slots for SSD caching, and four drive bays that can hold up to 64TB of storage. You get the same dual-Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and there’s also an eSATA port at the back.
The DiskStation DS920+ is an ideal Plex media server if you want to stream 4K content on your devices. The DS920+ handles 1080p and 4K transcodes just fine, so if you’re using an older TV or a device that doesn’t have the latest video codecs and containers, the NAS will decode the file and play it on the TV.
Furthermore, when it comes to playing 4K files on your home network, you’ll need to consider the network bandwidth — 4K files have a bitrate of over 100Mbit — and storage. That’s where the two Gigabit Ethernet ports on the DS920+ come in handy, and the four drive bays that can hold a total of 64TB of storage should be more than adequate for most users.
If you think that the 64TB of storage may not be enough, Synology has a DX517 expansion unit that adds five drive bays to your DS920+ — that’s another 80TB of storage. If you’re looking for drives to fill up the DS920+, the 8TB IronWolf NAS hard drive is the ideal option.
Asustor’s Lockerstor AS6604T is a fantastic choice if you want multi-Gigabit networking. The NAS has powerful hardware that’s ideally suited for Plex, but it is the dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports at the back that make it stand out.
There’s also an HDMI port that lets you plug in the NAS directly to a TV or monitor, and the Intel Celeron J4125 can handle Plex 1080p and 4K transcodes without any issues whatsoever.
You get 4GB of RAM out of the box, and the four drive bays can hold 80TB of storage in total — more than enough for even demanding users.
Plex is available natively on the NAS, and Asustor has a set of tools that let you stream content directly to Twitch or YouTube, making the AS6604T a decent option for content creators as well.
What if you don’t care about 1080p/4K transcoding and just want an affordable NAS that streams files from Plex to your devices? Then the DiskStation DS220j is the best option for you. The NAS has two drive bays and features the Realtek RTD1296 along with 512MB of RAM, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and two USB 3.0 ports.
It may not be the fastest NAS around, but it runs Plex fine and streams content to your devices without any issues. You miss out on transcoding, but for direct streaming, this is a great option. The value on offer here makes the DS220j a particularly great choice, and the fact that it offers the same robust software features as Synology’s costlier models means you’re not missing out on much.
If you’re looking for a budget Plex media server, the DS220j is hard to beat right now. Pair the NAS with a few 4TB IronWolf hard drives, and you’ll have a robust media server that can stream Plex to all connected devices in your home.
TerraMaster is a well-known manufacturer focused on the value segment, and the F2-221 is a solid choice if you want a value-focused NAS enclosure for Plex. The NAS is powered by the Intel Celeron J3355 chipset, and has 2GB of RAM out of the box. Plus you can fit a total of 32TB of storage in the two drive bays.
The F2-221 also has two Gigabit Ethernet ports and two USB 3.0 ports. You also get a decent set of software features, but the standout point is that the F2-221 can stream 4K files without any hassle, and transcode 1080p content easily. There’s no 4K transcode here, but that’s not really a major omission, as I outlined above.
If you don’t need some of the more productivity-focused features and are in the market for value, the F2-221 is a fantastic overall choice. Just pick up a few 4TB IronWolf hard drives with the NAS, and you’ll be able to set up a great Plex server.
The DiskStation DS1520+ is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a larger NAS enclosure for Plex. The hardware on offer is more than adequate for Plex 4K transcodes, you can store a lot of storage in the five drive bays, and it will stay relevant for a lot longer thanks to the added features.
The 5-bay NAS features the Intel Celeron J4125 and comes with 8GB of RAM out of the box, and you can add up to 80TB of storage natively.
A differentiating feature is the two eSATA ports, through which you’ll be able to add up to 10 additional drives. The extensibility makes the DS1520+ an exciting choice, and it delivers excellent performance for Plex. I didn’t see any issues transcoding 4K content on the fly, and there are four Gigabit ports at the back.
You’ll also find M.2 slots for SSD caching, and the NAS as a whole is a fantastic overall choice if you’re interested in a high-end enclosure for Plex streaming.
As a high-level overview, Plex is a free media server utility that catalogs your media collection and makes it available for streaming on all of the connected devices in your home.
It is often considered to be the best media server around, and there are a few reasons for that. First up is the fact that it’s available on just about any ecosystem: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Android TV, all streaming dongles, and most smart TVs. Basically, you can install Plex on all the devices you own.
Plex also does a great job with media organization. It sorts your music, movies, and TV shows into relevant categories, and adds high-resolution album art, covers, trailers, and metadata automatically. Also, as the content is streamed locally within your home network, it doesn’t count toward your internet bandwidth costs.
What is Plex transcode, and how does it work?
The biggest reason for Plex’s dominance has to do with the fact that it can play any file on any device. Plex has a powerful transcoding service baked in, and if you have the paid Plex Pass plan, you can unlock hardware acceleration — that makes a huge difference for transcoding 4K files.
Even if you’re using an iPhone, iPad, Amazon tablet, an older smart TV, or an Android phone, you can confidently play your media library on any device without any issues. Plex handles transcodes automatically, so there’s no intervention needed from your side — and that makes it a fantastic media streaming service.
Plex streaming generally falls into three categories:
- Direct Play: This is when the Plex client (your TV or streaming box) natively handles the video container and just streams the file as-is without any issues. This uses minimal resources.
- Direct Stream: In this scenario, the client device you’re using can play the video and audio streams, but does not work with the container (like .mkv or .m4a), so Plex will copy those streams to a compatible container and send it to your device. This mode uses a few resources, but it isn’t demanding on the server.
- Transcode: This is where things get interesting. Plex will transcode files when a client device is unable to play the video or audio streams at all. This is due to the lack of audio or video codecs (like H.265, HEVC, H.264) on the client device, and in this situation Plex converts the video to a file that can be played on the device. This is the most CPU-intensive option and needs a powerful NAS.
What should you look for in a Plex NAS?
There are a few things you’ll need to pay attention to if you’re interested in a Plex NAS.
CPU
This is a key consideration when choosing a Plex NAS, as you’ll need a powerful CPU for transcodes. Most servers over $400 meet this criteria, but as a general rule, you’ll need a recent Intel chipset — Celeron models are good for home use, but if you’re sharing your Plex server with friends and family and need more bandwidth, you’ll need to look at servers featuring Intel Core hardware.
While AMD is making some inroads into the NAS category with models like the DS1621+, Intel is still king here. If you want the ability to transcode 4K content in Plex, you’ll need to buy a NAS server with a recent-gen Intel Celeron or Core CPU.
Memory
Basically, you’ll need a decent amount of RAM to make sure there are no bottlenecks. Plex isn’t memory-intensive, but if you have a lot of other services running on the NAS, it could become an issue. Generally, 2GB of RAM is the bare minimum in this category, and if you’re looking to run a lot of services, I’d suggest getting an 8GB memory module and slotting it in.
Most NAS servers let you upgrade the RAM with ease, so you shouldn’t have any issues slotting in 8GB or more memory within the server should you need it.
Connectivity
Most NAS servers have two Gigabit ports as standard, and that should be adequate for home use. But if you’re sharing your Plex instance and need additional bandwidth, you should look at a server with 2.5GbE or even 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.
That said, if you switch to a NAS with multi-Gigabit connectivity, you’ll need to simultaneously upgrade your switch and router to take full advantage of the additional bandwidth on offer. It isn’t as costly as it used to be to switch to a 10GbE home network, but you’ll have to take those additional costs into consideration. For now, Gigabit Ethernet is more than adequate for handling a few Plex 4K streams without any issues.
Some NAS models feature an HDMI port that lets you connect the server to a TV or monitor. This is useful as you can then play the media stored on the NAS directly without having to stream it wirelessly on your home network.
Which Plex NAS should you buy?
Right now, if you’re looking to pick up a NAS for Plex streaming, the best option is the DiskStation DS723+. The upgraded internal hardware makes it an enticing model in this category, and with two Gigabit Ethernet ports and robust software features, the NAS has all the basics covered.
Plex’s media server is available natively on the DS723+, and you can install the Plex client (for streaming videos) on just about every platform out there. The DS723+ does a fantastic job with streaming Plex files in 4K, and if you must have the ability to transcode, the older DS220+ is still a good choice.
If you need a bit more power or more drive bays, the DS920+ continues to be a stellar choice, and the DS1520+ gets my vote thanks to its extensibility and five drive bays. Both the DS920+ and DS1520+ excel at Plex 4K transcodes, and the number of software features you’ll find on either NAS server is more than adequate for most home users.
And if you’re interested in multi-gigabit networking, Asustor’s Lockerstor AS6604T ticks all the right boxes. It has two 2.5GbE ports, and you can hook it up to a TV or monitor directly via HDMI.
Our testing methodology for the best Plex server
There are a few things I consider when deciding what NAS servers to recommend for Plex streaming. First up is the CPU; I run a few synthetic tests to determine its performance potential, looking at single and multi-core scores.
Then I set up a native Plex install on the NAS and run multimedia streaming tests to see resource usage in real-world scenarios when streaming 720p, 1080p, and 4K files on the local network.
I also evaluate transcoding potential by streaming a 4K file to a device that doesn’t handle the native container — this is a great way to determine if the NAS can handle on-the-fly transcodes for 4K files with high bitrates.
Finally, I look at sequential read/write potential by transferring an image library containing over 5,000 files (all under 1MB), and a dozen media files over 1GB in size.
Ultimately, the best Plex server needs to be able to stream your local media library to all devices on your home network (and over the internet), and it should be able to do so consistently for several years.
All of the NAS models highlighted in this post can do just that, so if you’re looking to get your hands on a Plex NAS server, you can go ahead and pick up any models in the list below with confidence.
