NAS Options

[Enquiries]

Hello, I am looking for my first NAS. Started because I created a Jellyfin server for my kids Movies/shows. I am also interested in storing photos to avoid paying for google photo storage.

I think i want 4 bays for future growth and "playing". I am interested in the Terramaster F4-424 Pro(my understanding is the not pro is going away?), Asuster AS5404T, and last and probalbly least Ugreen DXP4800.

I want some something fairly easy to use as i will (at least for now) use the OS that comes with it as i am not familiar with running docker or anything like that. I am new to all of this!
I would like to be able to run the Jellyfin server right from the NAS.

Current price points i see here in US are:
Terramaster $560
Asuster $530
Ugreen $470

[ed]

Thanks for reaching out, and it sounds like you’ve already done a good amount of research. You’re definitely on the right track with the idea of getting a 4-bay NAS for future flexibility, especially if you’re already running Jellyfin and looking to take photo storage into your own hands instead of relying on paid cloud services. All three options you’ve mentioned can technically handle your needs, but there are some practical differences worth keeping in mind.

Starting with the TerraMaster F4-424 Pro, you’re correct — the non-Pro version is gradually being phased out, and the Pro brings better internals and a much more responsive experience overall. It has a newer Intel CPU, 32GB of RAM out of the box, and supports NVMe SSDs for caching or tiered storage. TOS 5 and 6 are improving steadily, and while they’re not quite as refined as Synology’s DSM or Asustor’s ADM, they are user-friendly enough to get you started without diving into Docker right away. Running Jellyfin directly from the NAS is absolutely possible on the F4-424 Pro, and it has enough power to handle transcoding for typical family streaming setups.

The Asustor AS5404T is a strong alternative. It’s one of the more polished platforms in terms of software ease-of-use. ADM (Asustor’s OS) has matured a lot, and their App Central offers quite a bit of out-of-the-box functionality, including Jellyfin and photo management apps. It doesn’t come with as much RAM as the TerraMaster, but it does give you a quieter chassis, better UI polish, and good support for things like snapshots and cloud sync. For someone just getting started and wanting a smoother intro into NAS life, the AS5404T has a slightly gentler learning curve.

The UGREEN DXP4800 is definitely the more affordable and stylish option, and for basic file serving and media playback it’s surprisingly capable. However, its OS (UGOS Pro) is still relatively young. While it now supports Jellyfin, Docker, and other core apps, it’s not quite as intuitive as the other two, and documentation is still catching up. I’d probably hold off on UGREEN if ease of use is one of your top priorities and you’re not planning to tinker under the hood just yet.

Based on your current needs and where you’re likely to go next — photos, Jellyfin, and future app experiments — I’d say go for the F4-424 Pro if you want the most raw power and headroom for the long run. It’s especially good value if you plan to grow into more advanced uses like containers or virtual machines. But if you’re looking for the smoothest onboarding experience and don’t mind slightly lower specs to begin with, the AS5404T is a very solid, quiet, and well-supported choice.

Either way, 4 bays will give you a great foundation, and you can always start with just 2 drives in RAID 1 and expand later.