Our verdict: under 2 TB, cloud wins. Above 5 TB, a NAS wins. In between it's close, and the best setup for most serious users is both: a NAS as the master archive, backed up to the cloud.
The "NAS or cloud?" question has a real answer in 2026, and it comes down to how much data you have and whether you stream media. A NAS is a small box of hard drives on your home network. Cloud storage is someone else's drives, billed every month.
Synology
Backblaze
Backblaze B2
iCloud+
pCloud
The breakeven math
A 4-bay NAS like the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus ($656.99) with four 8 TB drives runs well over $1,000 all-in, depending on drive prices. That's about 24 TB usable in RAID 5, or 16 TB in RAID 6.
Backblaze Computer Backup looks cheapest at $495 over five years, but it covers one computer and can't back up a NAS. For 5+ TB, especially a media library you stream, the NAS pays back in about two years.
The 6 options at a glance
- 5-core Intel Pentium Gold 8505
- 10GbE plus 2.5GbE networking
- Runs Docker and media servers
The catch: you buy the drives and run it yourself.
- Intel N100, 8 GB DDR5
- 2.5GbE networking
- Fits a 2 to 5 TB home archive
The catch: two bays, so mirroring only.
Backblaze Computer Backup- One computer plus attached drives
- Set it and forget it
- Offsite by default
The catch: can't back up a NAS.
Backblaze B2- S3-compatible object storage
- Free egress up to 3x what you store
- Works with NAS backup apps
The catch: 10 TB is about $70 a month.
iCloud+- Built into iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Photos sync with no setup
- Tiers up to 12 TB
The catch: expensive past 2 TB.
- One payment, no monthly bill
- 10 TB for $1,499 on sale
- Cheapest five-year cloud cost
The catch: only as good as the company's lifespan.
NAS vs cloud prices
Prices checked October 23, 2026, on each company's own pricing page.
| Option | Price | Best for | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UGREEN DXP4800 Plus (4-bay NAS) | $656.99 chassis, drives extra | 5+ TB, media libraries, self-hosted apps | You buy the drives and run it yourself |
| UGREEN DXP2800 (2-bay NAS) | $389.99 chassis, drives extra | 2 to 5 TB home archive | Two bays, so mirroring only |
| Backblaze Computer Backup | $99/year, unlimited | One computer and its attached drives | One computer per license, can't back up a NAS |
| iCloud+ | $2.99/mo (200 GB), $9.99/mo (2 TB), $59.99/mo (12 TB) | Apple users' active photos and files | Gets expensive past 2 TB |
| pCloud Lifetime | $499 for 2 TB, $1,499 for 10 TB (sale prices) | Paying once instead of monthly | Only as good as the company's lifespan |
| Backblaze B2 | $6.95 per TB a month | Offsite copy of a NAS | Free egress up to 3x what you store |
What each one does
| Feature | DXP4800 Plus | DXP2800 | Backblaze | B2 | iCloud+ | pCloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No monthly bill | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Offsite (survives a house fire) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited storage | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Can hold a NAS backup | Second NAS | Second NAS | ✗ | ✓ | – | – |
| Runs self-hosted apps | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Built into iPhone | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
– means the company hasn't said.
Best NAS: UGREEN DXP4800 Plus
UGREEN's DXP series shipped in 2024 and matured fast. The DXP4800 Plus has a 5-core Intel Pentium Gold 8505, 8 GB of DDR5 (upgradable to 64 GB), 10GbE plus 2.5GbE networking and two NVMe slots for SSD caching. That's more hardware than Synology offers at the same price.
UGREEN OS started rough but now covers the basics: file shares, RAID, snapshots, sync clients and Docker, with rough edges on advanced features. The bet is less polished software for more performance per dollar. The 2-bay DXP2800 ($389.99) is the same idea for smaller archives.
Synology: still worth it?
Synology was the default NAS pick for a decade. In 2025 it locked most third-party drives out of its new Plus models, which pushed many buyers to UGREEN. It walked that back in DSM 7.3 in October 2025: third-party hard drives work again, though M.2 SSD pools still need drives from its compatibility list.
DSM is still the most polished NAS software, with the best app lineup (Synology Photos, Drive, Surveillance Station) and the easiest learning curve. The trade-off is hardware: the DS425+ ships with a 4-core Celeron J4125, 2 GB of RAM (6 GB max) and 2.5GbE plus 1GbE. Already invested? Stay. New build? UGREEN gets you more for the money.
Cloud picks for the under-2 TB crowd
No media library and under 2 TB? You don't need a NAS. Backblaze Computer Backup ($99 a year) backs up one computer and its drives with no limit. iCloud+ ($9.99 a month for 2 TB) is the easy choice if you live in Apple's apps.
pCloud Lifetime ($499 for 2 TB on sale, $709 regular) is the cheapest five-year cost if you trust the company to last. Backblaze B2 ($6.95 per TB a month) suits developers who want S3-compatible storage with friendly egress.
The hybrid that actually wins
Most serious users run a NAS as the master archive plus a cloud backup of the NAS itself. Backing up 5 to 10 TB to Backblaze B2 costs about $35 to $70 a month and covers the one thing a NAS can't: your house burning down. Our best cloud backup for creators guide compares B2 with the other places you can point a NAS.
Keep iCloud or Google Photos for the photos on your phone, and let the NAS hold the long-term archive. Three copies, two kinds of media, one offsite: the 3-2-1 rule, automated.
Self-hosted apps worth running
A NAS really pays for itself through apps, not backup. Modern NAS hardware runs Docker well, and each of these replaces a paid subscription. Together they can save $30 to $80 a month.
| App | What it replaces |
|---|---|
 Immich | Apple Photos or Google Photos |
 Jellyfin | Plex, without the cloud account |
| Vaultwarden | Bitwarden (compatible password manager) |
| Nextcloud | Google Drive, with calendar, contacts and office |
| Home Assistant | Cloud smart-home hubs (runs locally) |
Which should you choose?
The verdict
Under 2 TB, Backblaze Computer Backup at $99 a year is all you need; at 5+ TB, a UGREEN DXP4800 Plus backed up to Backblaze B2 pays back in about two years. Whatever you pick, follow 3-2-1 and don't skip the offsite copy.
FAQ
Should I buy a NAS or pay for cloud storage in 2026?
Under 2 TB, cloud is cheaper and simpler. Above 5 TB or with a media library, a NAS pays back in about two years. The middle is 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 hurt the brand and UGREEN benefited, though Synology reversed it in DSM 7.3 in October 2025.
Is Backblaze still the best cloud backup?
Yes for unlimited one-computer backup: Backblaze Computer Backup is $99 a year. IDrive is competitive on cross-device backup. B2, at $6.95 per TB a month, is still the simplest egress-friendly object storage for backing up a NAS.
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.