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A two-bay NAS can replace a recurring Google One storage plan for files you move onto it, but the reported 90% saving is not independently verifiable without the original plan, NAS and drive costs, backup arrangements, and comparison period. To judge whether the switch saves you money, compare all costs over the same time span—and check whether the NAS is replacing storage for Google Photos alone or also Drive and Gmail.
What the 90% claim does—and doesn’t—tell you
“My storage costs dropped by 90%” describes one person’s reported outcome, not a general result or a verified benchmark. The underlying setup and arithmetic are not established: there is no confirmed Google One plan, NAS model, drive purchase price, capacity, backup cost, electricity cost, or time horizon. Without those inputs, readers cannot reproduce the percentage.
A useful calculation compares Google One payments over a defined period with the NAS enclosure, its drives, any replacement drives, electricity, and any separate backup service or media over that same period. Include the usable capacity in each setup and state what the NAS actually replaces. A local NAS may remove a subscription for the files stored on it, but remote access and an off-site copy can still carry costs.
First check what Google One is storing
Google One storage is shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail; consumer accounts include up to 15 GB at no charge. Moving photos to a NAS does not automatically replace the space used by Drive files or Gmail. If you keep those services, your Google storage needs—and possibly your plan—may remain unchanged. See Google’s storage overview.
#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
Google’s US plans page displayed these monthly prices when accessed on October 7, 2026. Treat them as a dated US snapshot, not universal or permanent rates; names, prices, and bundled benefits vary by location and can change. Use the plan and price actually billed in your country for any personal comparison.
| US plan shown | Storage | Monthly price observed October 7, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 100 GB | $1.99 |
| Google AI Plus | 2 TB | $9.99 |
| Google AI Pro | 5 TB | $19.99 |
These are the amounts shown on Google One’s US plans page on that date. They do not establish the cost of the author’s former plan or prove any particular saving.
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.
Count the whole NAS setup, not just the software
A two-bay NAS involves an upfront enclosure cost and separate drive costs. Usable capacity depends on the drives and their arrangement, so compare that figure—not simply the sum of the drive labels—with the cloud plan’s quoted storage. Also account for power and eventual drive replacement if you are calculating a multi-year total; no figures for those costs are established here.
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What a two-bay example tells you
Synology’s DS224+ is one documented example, not a confirmed part of the reported setup. Its specifications list two bays for 3.5-inch SATA hard drives or 2.5-inch SATA SSDs. Check drive compatibility and capacity before choosing hardware, and count the enclosure and drives separately. Synology DS224+ specifications.
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 Synology Photos does and does not settle
Synology says Synology Photos requires a Synology NAS, supports automatic mobile photo and video backup, and has no paid premium tier. That does not make the complete setup free: the NAS and drives are hardware purchases. Synology describes its photo software as a one-off hardware investment and Google Photos as a recurring subscription model, but that vendor comparison does not establish equivalent features, service quality, or lifetime cost. Synology Photos details.
Make the comparison on equal terms
For a fair personal estimate, use the same period and the same storage workload on both sides. The formula is straightforward:
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!
Google One cost over the period = the actual recurring plan payments during that period.
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NAS cost over the period = enclosure + drives + power + any replacements + backup service or media.
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
Then compare total cost alongside usable capacity and services retained. If the NAS replaces only photo and video storage, do not treat the full Google One bill as avoided when you still need Google storage for Drive or Gmail. If you cancel the plan, account for where those files and messages will go.
- Time horizon: State how many months or years you are comparing.
- Capacity: Use usable NAS capacity after the chosen drive arrangement, not raw drive capacity.
- Scope: Specify whether you are moving Photos only, or also replacing Drive and Gmail storage.
- Recurring and replacement costs: Include backup, power, and drive replacement assumptions where known; do not silently treat them as zero.
Account for access and recovery, not just storage
A NAS is local hardware. Phone photo uploads can be automated with Synology Photos, but access away from home, sharing, and recovery depend on how you configure and maintain the system. A NAS or RAID arrangement by itself is not an off-site backup: a local device can be lost to failure, theft, fire, or accidental deletion. If you rely on a second copy, identify where it is stored and how it is updated.
Synology states that C2 Storage for Hyper Backup and Hybrid Share requires a paid subscription. That establishes a paid cloud option, not its current price or whether it is part of the reported setup. Synology’s DS224+ specifications.
When the switch may make financial sense
A NAS is most likely to look attractive in a cost comparison when the plan being replaced is relatively expensive, the hardware serves a meaningful period, and the owner is comfortable handling local storage and backup. But the savings calculation is only valid if it includes costs needed to preserve the service level the reader wants—especially a separately located backup—and compares equivalent storage use.
There is no verified industry statistic establishing 90% savings for switching from Google One to a two-bay NAS. Treat the percentage as an individual claim until its baseline, complete cost list, capacity, and time span are disclosed. A consumer discussion raises multi-year cost and backup arrangements as comparison issues, but it is anecdotal rather than measured evidence: reader cost discussion. Another thread captures the practical question—whether there is a better alternative to Google cloud storage—but is likewise not proof of typical usage or savings: consumer discussion.
Quick Recap
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.
