UGREEN
iCloud
The "should I get a NAS or just pay for cloud" question has a real answer in 2026, and it depends almost entirely on how much data you have and whether you stream media. Below 2 TB, cloud wins. Above 5 TB, NAS wins. The middle is genuinely close.
Here's the math, the picks, and the honest take on Synology's reputation hit.
The breakeven math
A reasonable 4-bay NAS in 2026 (UGREEN DXP4800 Plus or Synology DS425+) plus 4× 8 TB drives runs about $1,200 all-in. That gets you ~24 TB usable in RAID 5 or ~16 TB in RAID 6.
Cloud equivalents over 5 years:
- Backblaze Personal Backup: $99/year × 5 = $495 for a single computer. Unlimited storage, but locked to one machine.
- iCloud+ 12 TB: $59.99/month = $3,600 over 5 years.
- pCloud 10 TB lifetime: ~$1,200 one-time. Lifetime claim is real, but you depend on the company's solvency.
- AWS S3 / Backblaze B2 at 10 TB: ~$60/month for raw storage = $3,600 over 5 years (more with egress).
For backup of one or two computers under 2 TB, cloud beats NAS on simplicity and 5-year cost. For 5+ TB, especially with media libraries you stream, the NAS hardware pays back inside 18 months.
Best NAS in 2026: UGREEN DXP4800 Plus (~$650 chassis)
UGREEN's DXP series shipped in 2024 and matured fast. The DXP4800 Plus has an Intel N100, 8 GB RAM (upgradable to 64 GB), 2.5 GbE, and dual NVMe slots for SSD caching. The hardware is genuinely better than Synology equivalents at the same price.
UGREEN OS shipped rough in 2024 but has caught up. As of mid-2026 it covers the basics — file shares, RAID, snapshots, sync clients, basic Docker support — with rough edges on advanced features. If you don't need every Synology Surveillance Station-level integration, you don't miss it.
The bet: spend less on the hardware, accept slightly less polished software, get more performance.
The Synology question: still worth it?
Synology was the default NAS recommendation for a decade. In 2025 they introduced a verified-drive policy that excluded most third-party drives from being approved on new units, which lit up the community and pushed many buyers toward UGREEN.
Synology software remains the polished standard — DSM 7 is genuinely good, the app ecosystem (Synology Photos, Drive, Surveillance Station) is unmatched, and the UX is the easiest learning curve in the category. If you want appliance-grade simplicity and you're willing to pay a premium plus accept the drive policy, Synology is still legitimate.
Most builders we know stayed with Synology if they were already invested, and chose UGREEN for new builds.
Cloud picks for the under-2TB crowd
If you don't have 5+ TB and you don't stream a media library, you don't need a NAS.
- Backblaze Personal Backup ($99/year) — best for single-computer unlimited backup. Set and forget.
- iCloud+ ($2.99/mo for 200 GB, $9.99 for 2 TB) — the right choice if you live inside the Apple ecosystem and want native integration.
- pCloud Lifetime (~$400 for 2 TB lifetime) — cheapest 5-year cost if you're confident in the company's longevity.
- Backblaze B2 (~$6/TB/month) — best for developers who want S3-compatible object storage with friendly egress pricing.
The hybrid that actually wins
Most serious users in 2026 run a hybrid: NAS as the master archive plus a cloud backup of the NAS itself. Backblaze B2 to back up your Synology or UGREEN runs ~$30–60/month for a typical 5–10 TB archive and protects against the one failure mode a NAS doesn't (your house burning down).
Add iCloud or Google Photos as the active-photo slice that stays sync'd with your phone, and the NAS becomes the long-term archive. Three copies of important data, two locations, one offsite. The 3-2-1 rule, automated.
Self-hosted apps worth running on a NAS
The reason a NAS becomes net-positive isn't backup — it's apps. Modern NAS hardware runs Docker well, and the self-hosted ecosystem in 2026 is mature:
- Immich — self-hosted Apple Photos alternative. Genuinely competitive in 2026.
- Jellyfin — Plex without the cloud account dependency.
- Vaultwarden — self-hosted Bitwarden-compatible password manager.
- Nextcloud — self-hosted Google Drive equivalent with calendar, contacts, and office.
- Home Assistant — local-first smart home hub.
Each of these replaces a paid SaaS subscription. Across all five, you're saving $30–80/month — which is the real ROI on a NAS for builders.
The verdict
Under 2 TB and one machine: Backblaze Personal Backup at $99/year. Done.
2–5 TB or multi-device: a hybrid of cloud (iCloud/Backblaze) plus a small 2-bay NAS like the UGREEN DXP2800. ~$400 hardware plus your existing cloud bill.
5+ TB or any media library: 4-bay NAS (UGREEN DXP4800 Plus is the best 2026 pick) backed up to Backblaze B2 in the cloud. The math works out before year two.
Always: 3-2-1 — three copies, two media types, one offsite. Don't skip the offsite.
FAQ
Should I buy a NAS or pay for cloud storage?
Under 2 TB, cloud is cheaper and simpler. Above 5 TB or with a media library, NAS pays back inside 18 months. The middle is genuinely close.
Synology or UGREEN for a 2026 NAS?
Synology if you want polished software and don't mind paying. UGREEN for better hardware at a lower price with rougher software. Synology's 2025 drive lock-in policy hurt the brand; UGREEN benefited.
Is Backblaze still the best cloud backup?
Yes for unlimited per-device backup at $99/year. iDrive is competitive on cross-device. B2 remains the cheapest egress-friendly object storage for developers.
Can a NAS replace iCloud?
For files and photos via Synology Photos or Immich, mostly yes. For native iOS integration, no — the right hybrid is iCloud for the active slice plus NAS for the master archive.
What about Plex, Jellyfin, or Immich?
Plex is polished but cloud-account-dependent. Jellyfin is fully self-hosted. Immich is the rising photo library for self-hosters. All three run on Synology or UGREEN.