Trying to figure out what NAS I need

[Enquiries]

I have 4 computers (windows), an android tablet and 3 iPhones. My main objective will be backups and some media sharing.
Some dockers to "play" with and some VM's

[ed]

Thanks for reaching out! Based on the details you shared—4 Windows PCs, an Android tablet, 3 iPhones, and a main focus on backups, media sharing, plus some Docker and light VM use—I’d be happy to help you narrow down the right NAS.

With a budget of around $500 (assuming that’s just for the NAS unit itself), here are a couple of strong options that strike a good balance between power, features, and value:

? Terramaster F4-424 (or F4-423 if on sale)
4-bay NAS with Intel CPU (N100 or N5095)

Great for Docker containers and light VM workloads

8GB RAM (expandable)

Excellent performance for the price

Supports backup tools, Plex, and mobile access

Runs TOS out of the box, or you can install TrueNAS or Proxmox if you're more hands-on

? ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 Gen2 (AS6704T)
Also a 4-bay NAS with a modern Intel Celeron

Great software support (Docker, snapshots, backups)

Slightly higher cost, but very reliable

Good UI and support for mobile backups

? Synology / QNAP?
Synology: Excellent for ease-of-use and backups, but models with virtualization and Docker support (like DS923+) are often over your $500 limit and don’t include drives.

QNAP: Versatile, but be mindful of frequent background activity (some find them a bit “noisy” software-wise). Still a solid option if you find a deal.

Storage Note:
Since you’re aiming for 8TB, I recommend starting with 2x 8TB drives in RAID 1 for redundancy. That gives you 8TB of usable space but protects your data in case of a drive failure. You can always expand later.