11 hours ago
Looking to buy a NAS for my family to replace Google Photos. Main use: years of family photos and videos, searchable and organised with AI (face detection, albums, timeline, location tags). We want remote access, sharing, and smart features similar to Google Photos, with full privacy and no ongoing fees. Budget is around A$900 (can stretch a bit during discounts). I prefer Synology (DS224+, DS225+) for simplicity, but also considering QNAP TS-253D or others. Needs to be future-proof (4 users), minimum 4TB usable (preferably mirrored), and as plug-and-play as possible. Will access from Mac, iPhones, and remotely. Would love help deciding between Synology/QNAP and HDD options (WD Red vs Synology HAT3300), and whether Synology Photos alone is enough or if I should run PhotoPrism too. Thanks!