Budget 2 bay NAS recommendations

[Enquiries]

Hello,

I'm looking for a budget 2-bay (Raid 1 for failure backup) NAS. Primarily for phone photo/video storage, and easy phone sync/viewing as an alternative to a Google Photos subscription. Prioritizing an "out-of-the-box" setup due to limited time.

I'm aware of the newer UGREEN DH2300, but I'm open to older entry models from the big names (Synology DS223j? QNAP TS-233? Others?).

What are your recommendations on the offerings in this price bracket? I'm happy to spend a bit more if a feature (2.5GbE?) would be worth it for my use case or future proofing.

How concerned should I be about long-term updates for older entry devices allowing safe continued use?

Does scheduled snapshots and an external USB backup drive offer robust protection against ransomware threats?

Do any of the main brands have a predictable release cycle I should consider, and given that Black Friday is soon do they typically see price reductions that would make waiting worthwhile?

Thank you!

[ed]

Thanks for your message. For your needs, a simple and reliable 2-bay NAS in RAID 1 is a great choice, especially if your main goal is to automatically back up photos and videos from your phone and have an easy viewing setup without paying for cloud storage.

Right now, your shortlist is on point. The Synology DS223j and QNAP TS-233 are the best entry-level options in this price range. Between the two, the DS223j is the more beginner-friendly choice. Synology’s software (DSM) is easier to set up, and their mobile apps for photo and video backup are very polished, especially Synology Photos, which feels quite close to Google Photos in day-to-day use.

If you don’t mind a bit more configuration, the QNAP TS-233 gives you more flexibility, faster hardware, and better support for 2.5GbE networks, which helps with futureproofing. However, its software requires more user management and is a little less intuitive than Synology’s.

If you can stretch your budget slightly, the TerraMaster F2-212 is another good value choice with 2.5GbE and decent long-term support. It’s not quite as refined as Synology but much faster at transferring large photo and video collections.

On long-term updates, both Synology and QNAP tend to support their NAS units for at least 5 to 7 years after release, so even buying a model that’s a year or two old is safe. TerraMaster usually provides 3 to 5 years of OS updates.

Your plan for protection is solid. Using RAID 1 with scheduled snapshots and a USB backup gives you strong resilience against ransomware and accidental deletion. Just make sure the external backup is disconnected between backups so it’s not accessible during an attack.

As for timing, Black Friday often brings 10–15% discounts on entry models and drives, so it’s worth waiting a few weeks if you can.