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To back up a NAS with online backup software, create a scheduled, versioned copy on a separate cloud destination, then test that you can restore files. RAID helps a NAS stay available after some drive failures, but it is not an independent backup: it cannot by itself provide earlier file versions or protect against every deletion, ransomware incident, theft, or site disaster.
What NAS backup redundancy actually protects
RAID and backup solve different problems. RAID can help a storage array continue operating after certain drive failures, depending on its configuration. A separate backup preserves another copy of data; version history can also make earlier file states available after changes or deletion. Neither RAID nor a backup strategy guarantees recovery from every event, so plan for independent copies and verify the restore process.
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Synology recommends the 3-2-1 approach: “3 copies; 2 storage mediums; 1 offsite.” This is a useful planning principle, not a guarantee. A cloud backup can provide geographic separation; a second NAS at another site can do so too. An external drive is a useful local copy, but it is not off-site if it stays beside the NAS. See Synology’s overview of NAS backup options.
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Choose a destination that fits the recovery need
| Destination | Where it helps | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Online cloud storage | Can provide off-site separation without maintaining a second physical location. | Confirm the backup software supports the service and the data types you need. Review storage and recovery costs, region, account security, upload bandwidth, and restore time for your own service and network. |
| Remote NAS | Can provide an off-site copy with more control over the destination; transfers between sites may be convenient depending on the setup. | Confirm supported tasks, access controls, capacity, connectivity, and how you will recover data if the primary site is unavailable. |
| External drive | Provides a separate local storage medium and can be disconnected between backup runs. | Rotate or store it separately if you need an off-site copy. A drive left connected or stored beside the NAS does not protect against every network or site-wide threat. |
Synology documents C2 Storage and public cloud services among its backup destinations, but destination eligibility depends on the backup task. Its C2 Storage overview describes that service; check current service terms and your NAS documentation before choosing a plan. These Synology examples do not establish compatibility for other NAS brands.
#1 Best Overall
Sale
UGREEN NAS DH2300 2-Bay for Beginners & Personal Users, Phone Backup | AI Album, Private Cloud/Remote Access, File Sharing, Multi-Device Backup, Home Entertainment, 4GB RAM on Board (Diskless)
- Entry-level NAS Personal Storage：UGREEN NAS DH2300 is your first and best NAS made easy. It is designed for beginners who want a simple, private way to store videos, photos and personal files, which is intuitive for users moving from cloud storage or external drives and move away from scattered date across devices. This entry-level NAS 2-bay perfect for personal entertainment, photo storage, and easy data backup (doesn't support Docker or virtual machines).
- Set Your Devices Free, Expand Your Digital World: This unified storage hub supports massive capacity up to 64TB.*Storage drives not included. Stop Deleting, Start Storing. You can store 22 million 3MB images, or 2 million 30MB songs, or 43K 1.5GB movies or 67 million 1MB documents! UGREEN NAS is a better way to free up storage across all your devices such as phones, computers, tablets and also does automatic backups across devices regardless of the operating system—Window, iOS, Android or macOS.
- The Smarter Long-term Way to Store: Unlike cloud storage with recurring monthly fees, a UGREEN NAS enclosure requires only a one-time purchase for long-term use. For example, you only need to pay $459.98 for a NAS, while for cloud storage, you need to pay $719.88 per year, $2,159.64 for 3 years, $3,599.40 for 5 years. You will save $6,738.82 over 10 years with UGREEN NAS! *NAS cost based on DH2300 + 12TB HDD; cloud cost based on 12TB plan (e.g. $59.99/month).
- Blazing Speed, Minimal Power: Equipped with a high-performance processor, 1GbE port, and 4GB RAM on Board, this NAS handles multiple tasks with ease. File transfers reach up to 125MB/s—a 1GB file takes only 8 seconds. Don't let slow clouds hold you back; they often need over 100 seconds for the same task. The difference is clear.
- Let AI Better Organize Your Memories: UGREEN NAS uses AI to tag faces, locations, texts, and objects—so you can effortlessly find any photo by searching for who or what's in it in seconds. It also automatically finds and deletes similar or duplicate photo, backs up live photos and allows you to share them with your friends or family with just one tap. Everything stays effortlessly organized, powered by intelligent tagging and recognition.
Set up an online NAS backup
- List what must be recoverable. Identify shared folders, application or package data, system settings, and LUNs if you use them. Check that the backup software and destination support each item type. A file-level task and a whole-system recovery task may have different requirements.
- Select an independent destination. Choose cloud storage or a remote NAS for an off-site copy. An external device can add a local copy, but do not count it as off-site unless it is physically separated from the NAS location.
- Create a scheduled backup task. Use your NAS vendor’s backup software and verify the task includes the intended folders and workloads. Synology’s Hyper Backup DSM 7 help documents its backup application; menus and capabilities can vary by DSM version and destination.
- Enable version retention. Choose a retention policy that reflects how often data changes and how far back you may need to recover. Synology documents multi-version retention and cross-version deduplication for Hyper Backup in its technical specifications. That does not establish one ideal schedule or retention period for every NAS, dataset, or destination.
- Protect access to backup copies. Review encryption, account security, who can delete backup data, and any retention or immutability options available from your software and destination. Synology discusses immutable backups and sync-related risks in its July 7, 2026 article. Treat immutability and offline separation as additional safeguards, not substitutes for independent copies and restore checks.
- Run a restore test. Restore representative files to a safe location, confirm they open correctly, and record the credentials and steps required. A successful backup job alone does not prove that the recovery path works.
- Review the task periodically. Check job status, destination capacity, retained versions, software compatibility, and whether newly added folders or workloads are included.
Keep sync separate from backup
Synchronization usually propagates the current file state to connected destinations. If a file is encrypted or changed by ransomware, that changed state may sync too. Synology makes this distinction in its discussion of immutable backups. Sync can be useful for keeping files aligned, but by itself it is not a substitute for a versioned backup with a tested restore path.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to verify before relying on the backup
- Coverage: Check that the task includes the folders, applications, settings, and other data you actually need, and determine whether full-system recovery is supported for the selected destination.
- Versions: Confirm how many recovery points are retained and how older versions are removed.
- Separation: Ensure at least one copy is outside the primary NAS and, for site-loss protection, outside its physical location.
- Access and deletion: Know which accounts can read, modify, or delete backup copies; protect the credentials used to administer the destination.
- Recovery practicality: Consider the amount of data, available bandwidth, potential service charges, and time needed to restore. These depend on your data volume, plan, and network conditions.
- Restore evidence: Test recovery to a safe location and keep the procedure accessible if the NAS itself is unavailable.
Synology’s backup guide offers additional DSM guidance. For another NAS brand, use that manufacturer’s current instructions and confirm support with the selected online destination rather than assuming Synology’s Hyper Backup features apply.
Quick Recap
Bestseller No. 3
Best Value
BUFFALO LinkStation 210 2TB 1-Bay NAS Network Attached Storage with HDD Hard Drives Included NAS Storage that Works as Home Cloud or Network Storage Device for Home
- Value NAS with RAID for centralized storage and backup for all your devices. Check out the LS 700 for enhanced features, cloud capabilities, macOS 26, and up to 7x faster performance than the LS 200.
- Connect the LinkStation to your router and enjoy shared network storage for your devices. The NAS is compatible with Windows and macOS*, and Buffalo's US-based support is on-hand 24/7 for installation walkthroughs. *Only for macOS 15 (Sequoia) and earlier. For macOS 26, check out our LS 700 series.
- Subscription-Free Personal Cloud – Store, back up, and manage all your videos, music, and photos and access them anytime without paying any monthly fees.
- Storage Purpose-Built for Data Security – A NAS designed to keep your data safe, the LS200 features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.
- Back Up Multiple Computers & Devices – NAS Navigator management utility and PC backup software included. NAS Navigator 2 for macOS 15 and earlier. You can set up automated backups of data on your computers.
Rank #4
BUFFALO LinkStation 210 4TB 1-Bay NAS Network Attached Storage with HDD Hard Drives Included NAS Storage that Works as Home Cloud or Network Storage Device for Home
- Value NAS with RAID for centralized storage and backup for all your devices. Check out the LS 700 for enhanced features, cloud capabilities, macOS 26, and up to 7x faster performance than the LS 200.
- Connect the LinkStation to your router and enjoy shared network storage for your devices. The NAS is compatible with Windows and macOS*, and Buffalo's US-based support is on-hand 24/7 for installation walkthroughs. *Only for macOS 15 (Sequoia) and earlier. For macOS 26, check out our LS 700 series.
- Subscription-Free Personal Cloud – Store, back up, and manage all your videos, music, and photos and access them anytime without paying any monthly fees.
- Storage Purpose-Built for Data Security – A NAS designed to keep your data safe, the LS200 features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.
- Back Up Multiple Computers & Devices – NAS Navigator management utility and PC backup software included. NAS Navigator 2 for macOS 15 and earlier. You can set up automated backups of data on your computers.
Rank #3
Synology DS225+ Private Cloud Media Server - Stream, Back Up Photos & Share Files, Intel CPU for Hardware Transcoding (2-Bay Diskless NAS)
- Your Personal Streaming Server - Build your own Netflix-style media library and stream 4K movies, shows and photos to any device without monthly fees
- Create Your Own Cloud - Store your entire photo, video and music collection; access from anywhere with fast 282 MB/s transfer speeds
- Creator-Grade Backup Solution - Protect your irreplaceable content with automated backups to cloud services, external drives and remote NAS
- Multi-Layered Data Protection - Combine RAID redundancy, automated backups and snapshot technology to prevent data loss from any cause
- Smart Home Surveillance - Support up to 30 IP cameras with AI detection, instant alerts and secure remote monitoring
Rank #2
Sale
UGREEN NAS DXP2800 2-Bay for Advanced Home Users, Remote Workers & Creators
- 【Advanced Home Data & Media Hub】For advanced home users who need phone backup, file storage, and centralized data management. Centralize family photos, 4K videos, movies, computer backups, and personal files in one place while running multiple apps for home entertainment and everyday data management. Suitable for households with growing digital libraries and multiple NAS use cases.
- 【Built for Creators, Media Servers & Advanced Apps】Powered by the Intel N100 Quad-Core CPU, 8GB DDR5 RAM, 2.5GbE networking, and dual M.2 NVMe slots, DXP2800 handles large files and heavier workloads with ease. Run Docker, virtual machines, and media server applications compatible with Plex—ideal for content creators, tech enthusiasts, and advanced home users managing 4K videos, RAW photos, personal media libraries, and multiple NAS apps.
- 【Up to 80TB for Growing Digital Libraries】 Supports up to 80TB of storage using two HDD bays and two M.2 NVMe SSD slots for family photos, movies, RAW photos, 4K videos, work files, and device backups. AI photo management supports recognition of people, objects, scenes, and locations, album organization, and duplicate photo detection. HDDs and SSDs are not included.
- 【AI-powered Home Surveillance】Turn DXP2800 into a centralized home surveillance hub by connecting compatible network cameras and storing recordings locally on your NAS. AI-powered features include Face Recognition, People Detection, and Pet Detection, helping advanced home users review important events more efficiently while managing home surveillance and personal data in one place.
- 【One data Center Across Your Devices】Keep files from desktops, laptops, phones, tablets, and other devices together instead of scattered across cloud accounts and external drives. Access, back up, organize, and share data across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, web browsers, and compatible smart TVs—ideal for creators and advanced home users working across multiple devices.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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