Best NAS for Plex in 2025

[Enquiries]

Currently have Synology 920+, 8 MB Ram, 48TB in drives and 2 NVME cache. I primarily use this for Plex. My brother-in-law wants to mirror me so he can have local Plex and share movies. Things have changed, any recommendations? QNAP?

[ed]

Since your main use case is Plex, and your brother-in-law wants a mirrored setup, you’ll want a powerful, future-proof NAS with great transcoding support. Given the 2025 landscape, here are the best options:

Best Plex NAS Options in 2025
1. QNAP TVS-h874 (Best Performance & Future-Proofing)
Intel 12th Gen i5/i7 – Excellent for 4K HDR transcoding (hardware-accelerated).
ZFS (QuTS Hero) for better data integrity & snapshots.
2.5GbE built-in, PCIe slots for 10GbE (future scalability).
M.2 NVMe for cache or fast storage.
Supports multiple Plex users without buffering.
Ideal if your brother-in-law wants the same setup.
2. Synology DS1621xs+ (If You Want to Stick with Synology)
Intel Xeon D-1527 (Strong CPU but no Quick Sync for Plex HW transcoding).
10GbE built-in, good for high-speed transfers.
Supports BTRFS, snapshots, and Synology apps.
Best for direct play but weaker for remote Plex transcoding.
3. ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen3 (AS6706T) (Best Budget Alternative)
Intel N5105 (Weaker than QNAP TVS-h874 but still decent for direct play Plex).
2x 2.5GbE ports (aggregated for 5GbE).
Good for a lower-cost mirrored setup with your brother-in-law.
Storage Considerations
If you're mirroring, ensure your brother-in-law has the same drives (e.g., Seagate IronWolf Pro 16TB/18TB or WD Red Pro).
Use RAID-5/6 or ZFS RAID-Z2 for redundancy.
NVMe caching can help with library metadata & thumbnails.
Final Thoughts
If you want the best performance for Plex now and in the future, QNAP TVS-h874 with Intel i5/i7 is the way to go.
If you prefer Synology, DS1621xs+ is good but weaker for Plex transcoding.
If you want a more budget-friendly mirrored setup, ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 Gen3 is an option.
With your $2,000 budget, QNAP TVS-h874 is the best investment for smooth 4K playback and long-term use.