Choose a NAS for Mac and Windows backups by restore needs, protected capacity, ongoing maintenance, and a separate backup copy.
Updated 2026-09-07 · Editorial recommendations based on researched specifications, observed pricing, and exact CMR drive validation.
A three-drive SHR-style pool delivers about 24TB usable and leaves a bay open for planned growth.
Our entry backup pick favors easy administration and a 4TB mirror over unused compute features.
| Tier | Recommended Build | Drive Configuration | Usable Space | Est. Total Price | Deep Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | DS223 | DS223 + 2 × ST4000VN006 (4TB CMR) | 4TB (SHR / RAID 1-style single-drive redundancy) | $634.97 | Read guide → |
| Midrange | DS925+ | DS925+ + 3 × ST12000VN0008 (12TB CMR) | 24TB (SHR / RAID 5-style single-drive redundancy) | $1,864.96 | Read guide → |
| High-end | DS1825+ | DS1825+ + 6 × ST16000NT001 (16TB CMR) | 64TB (SHR-2 / RAID 6-style dual-drive redundancy) | $5,029.93 | Read guide → |
4TB approximate usable · SHR / RAID 1-style single-drive redundancy
Our entry backup pick favors easy administration and a 4TB mirror over unused compute features.
Watch: RAID1 protects against one disk failure only; add versioned USB or cloud backup and test restores.
24TB approximate usable · SHR / RAID 5-style single-drive redundancy
A three-drive SHR-style pool delivers about 24TB usable and leaves a bay open for planned growth.
Watch: DSM 7.3 restored third-party SATA support, but exact MPN compatibility remains a purchase-time check.
64TB approximate usable · SHR-2 / RAID 6-style dual-drive redundancy
Dual parity, 64TB planning capacity, ECC memory, and two open bays suit a genuinely large household archive.
Watch: Do not buy this tier without a measured growth forecast, UPS plan, off-site copy, and restore procedure.
No. A mirror keeps a copy on each disk so the NAS can usually continue after one disk fails. Deletion, malware, theft, and enclosure failure can affect both copies. Keep versioned backups on a separate USB disk, another NAS, or a cloud destination, with at least one copy off-site. Test that you can restore a file before relying on the setup.
Our entry DS223 build fits ordinary file backup and Mac Time Machine when a 4TB mirror is enough. Choose the DS925+ when you need more capacity, spare bays, or supported business backup packages. Check each Windows backup application against the exact NAS model: Synology Drive file sync is different from a full computer image, and Active Backup for Business is not available on every DiskStation.
Two 4TB disks in RAID 1 provide 4TB decimal capacity, equivalent to about 3.64TiB before system and filesystem overhead. Four 12TB disks in RAID 5 provide 36TB, about 32.74TiB before overhead. TB and TiB are different units; that conversion is not space lost to formatting. Leave room for backup versions, snapshots, and future growth.
Choose Synology when its integrated backup applications match your computers and you value a familiar administration workflow. UGREEN can offer more CPU and networking for the budget, but check application support and the recovery process before choosing on specifications alone. Both need updates, alerts, and restore tests; neither is maintenance-free.
Use separate administrator and backup accounts, versioned backups, and an off-site or offline copy. Snapshots help recover older versions; immutable retention is a separate feature that must be supported by the exact model and configured correctly. A compatible UPS with tested automatic shutdown can reduce interruption risk. Neither snapshots nor a UPS guarantees recovery on its own.
Read the comprehensive buying guide and hardware architecture analysis before choosing a tier.