Best NAS hard drives (2026)
3.5-inch hard drives built for always-on NAS use. Ranked on reliability ratings, warranty, noise and value per terabyte. Compare all NAS hard drives side by side
Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›
updated 24 Oct 2026 · ranked by score, value and ageNew to NAS hard drives? What they are and what to look for
A NAS hard drive is a traditional spinning disk built to run all day, every day, inside a NAS. They store a lot for the money but are slower than SSDs.
Do you need a NAS hard drive? You need these to fill a NAS. For a desktop PC or laptop an SSD is usually a better choice.
What to look for
- Capacity per pound: larger drives are often cheaper per terabyte
- CMR recording, which behaves better in a NAS than SMR
- Buy matching drives in pairs so one can mirror the other
Unsure about a word? Jargon explained
This list is still filling up
A Top 10 list goes live once we have reviewed at least 5 NAS hard drives. We have 3 so far.
Questions
Why does CMR matter?
SMR drives can take days to rebuild a RAID array and some NAS systems reject them. NAS drives should be CMR.
Do I need a NAS-rated drive?
They're built for 24/7 running and vibration from neighbouring drives, and many NAS vendors only support listed models.