A two-bay NAS can replace a recurring Google One storage bill for the files you move onto it, but the headline claim that costs fell by 90% is a personal result—not a general saving readers can assume. The percentage is meaningful only when the original plan, NAS and drive costs, backup arrangements, storage capacity, and comparison period are disclosed. Without those details, it cannot be reproduced.
What Google One storage would a NAS replace?
Google One storage is shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. A NAS used only for phone photos and videos may therefore replace just part of what a Google One plan covers; files in Drive and Gmail can still count toward the account’s storage. Google says consumer accounts include up to 15 GB at no charge. See Google’s storage help page for the service’s storage details.
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Google’s US plans page displayed these monthly prices on October 7, 2026. Rates, names, and bundled benefits can vary by country and change over time, so use the price and plan actually available to you rather than treating these as universal rates.
| Plan displayed for the US | Monthly price observed October 7, 2026 |
|---|---|
| 100 GB Basic | $1.99 |
| 2 TB Google AI Plus | $9.99 |
| 5 TB Google AI Pro | $19.99 |
Check Google One’s plans page for current local pricing and plan details. A fair comparison also identifies whether the NAS replaces Photos alone or storage across Photos, Drive, and Gmail.
#1 Best Overall
- Secure private cloud - Enjoy 100% data ownership and multi-platform access from anywhere
- Easy sharing and syncing - Safely access and share files and media from anywhere, and keep clients, colleagues and collaborators on the same page
- Automated Backup Protection - Set-and-forget backups for Macs, PCs and mobile devices to multiple destinations including cloud and external drives
- Home Security System - Record and monitor your property 24/7 with support for multiple IP cameras and remote viewing
- 2-Year Warranty - Reliable hardware backed by Synology's expert customer support team and ongoing software updates
What belongs in a 90% savings calculation?
Compare costs over the same stated period. The subscription side is the Google One plan payments during that period. The NAS side includes the enclosure, its drives, electricity, replacement drives if applicable, and any separate backup service or media. Include remote-access costs if the chosen setup has them. The available information does not establish the author’s costs, storage use, or time horizon, so it does not support independently verifying the 90% figure.
Use this calculation once the actual figures are known:
Rank #2
- 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.
Percentage saved = (Google One cost over the period − NAS-related cost over the same period) ÷ Google One cost over the period × 100.
State the currency and country, plan, period, capacity on each side, and every cost included. Do not compare a recurring subscription against hardware alone if backup, power, or replacement costs are part of the NAS setup. A calculation that omits those costs may describe a narrower comparison, but not the full cost of the workflow.
Rank #3
- 【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.
What a two-bay NAS costs beyond its software
A two-bay NAS requires an enclosure and drives, which are separate purchases. The Synology DS224+ is one documented example: its specifications list two bays for 3.5-inch SATA hard drives or 2.5-inch SATA SSDs. That does not establish it as the model used in the headline, and no current enclosure or drive prices are established here. Check drive compatibility and capacity before choosing components. See Synology’s DS224+ specifications.
Two bays do not by themselves tell you how much usable storage you will have. That depends on the drives and the arrangement selected. Compare the resulting usable NAS capacity with the Google One capacity being replaced, rather than comparing a plan’s advertised capacity with the sum of drive labels.
Rank #4
- 【Reliable External Storage System for Individuals and business】The 3.5 hard drive enclosure supports 2.5/3.5 inches HDD and SSD, max capacity up to 20TB for each hard drive, it's a ideal external hard drive enclosure for personal or enterprise using.Save space on your desktop or laptop.
- 【No heat】The sata enclosure built in Aluminum-Alloy materials and 2 inch Fan.Maximize the security of your data.Fan noise is around 40-50 decibels, not recommended if you are very sensitive to noise.
- 【Up to 5Gbps】This dual bay enclosure equips with advanced chips and USB 3.0 output interface.Transfer 1G files in 3-5 seconds with USB 3.0 Ports, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
- 【Hot Swappable Convenience】The HDD enclosure supports hot swapping, allowing users to replace hard drives without powering off the device. This feature enhances convenience and efficiency in data transfer processes.
- 【Tool-Free Installation】Featuring a tool-free hard drive tray design, the external hard drive enclosure enables easy installation and removal of hard drives without requiring additional tools. Plug and play! No fuss, no muss!
Synology Photos requires Synology NAS hardware and supports automatic mobile photo and video backup. Synology says it has no paid premium tier; that does not make the complete setup free, because the NAS and drives still cost money. Synology’s comparison of Photos and Google Photos is vendor-published and does not establish equivalent features, service quality, or lifetime cost. See Synology Photos.
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A NAS is local storage, not automatically an off-site backup. A second copy on the same device or in the same home may not protect against theft, fire, or other events affecting that location. If you count a separate copy in the cost comparison, identify where it is stored, how it is updated, and what it costs.
Best Value
- High Speed Data Transmission: The D2-320 hard drive enclosure (a DAS, NOT a NAS) adopts USB 3.2 Gen2 protocol for high-speed data transmission up to 10Gbps. With 2 hard drives in RAID 0, the read/write speed can reach up to 521MB/s (SATA III HDD 8TB x 2). With 2 SSD's in RAID 0, the read speed can reach 1075MB/s (SATA III 1TB SSD x 2)
- Multiple RAID Configurations: The D2-320 is a hardware RAID enclosure and it supports RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD and SINGLE which can better satisfy various demands of users. In RAID 1, data will be in a mirror backup. When there is a damaged hard drive, you can directly replace the hard drive, and the data will be recovered automatically. This provides an absolute security for the data
- Super-Large Storage Capacity: The D2-320 USB storage enclosure can support up to two 3.5" and 2.5" SATA HDD, as well as 2.5" SATA SSD, with a maximum capacity of 22TB per drive, providing users with up to 44TB (22TB x 2) of storage space
- Intelligent Temperature Control: The D2-320 HDD enclosure has an intelligent temperature-controlled and low-noise fan that automatically adjusts its speed based on the temperature of the hard disk. This feature ensures that the hard disk operates at its best temperature and provides better heat dissipation
- Tool-Free Hard Drive Installation: The D2-320 external hard drive enclosure features a tool-free hard drive tray design that allows for easy installation and removal of hard drives without the need for any tools. Furthermore, the D2-320 incorporates a brand new Push-lock unique design from TerraMaster, which automatically locks the hard drive tray when you insert the hard drive, preventing the hard drive from falling out or disconnecting
Synology states that C2 Storage for Hyper Backup and Hybrid Share requires a paid subscription, but the available information does not establish a current price or the author’s backup arrangement. Remote access and off-site protection can add services or recurring costs; account for the ones actually used instead of assuming they are included.
Convenience matters as well as price: consider how phone uploads happen, how files are reached away from home, how sharing works, and how you would recover files after device failure or accidental deletion. The systems should be compared on those workflows, not just on subscription payments.
When switching may make sense
- A NAS may suit you if you want local control of a substantial photo or video library and are willing to pay upfront for hardware and manage its storage and backup workflow.
- Keeping Google One may be simpler if you depend on its shared storage for Photos, Drive, and Gmail and do not want to maintain local hardware or a separate backup plan.
- A partial switch is possible: move a defined set of files to a NAS while retaining a smaller cloud plan for remaining account storage or convenient remote access. Compare the combined costs rather than counting the NAS as a complete replacement.
Consumer discussions raise multi-year cost and backup arrangements as considerations, but they are anecdotal rather than measured evidence. The right decision depends on your actual plan, data, hardware costs, capacity, and tolerance for managing another device.
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