iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Software storage solutions are popular because they make it easier to access data across networks, add or reduce capacity as needs change, and manage storage through software rather than buying hardware for every change. Cloud services are a prominent example, but the broader category also includes software-managed storage in other environments. These advantages can be useful, not universal: cost, performance, security, control, and recovery needs all affect whether a particular solution fits.
What makes software storage solutions appealing?
Capacity can be requested as needs change
Cloud storage illustrates the appeal of software-mediated capacity. NIST defines cloud computing as on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable resources, including storage, that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or provider interaction. In practice, that model can make it easier to request storage through a service interface than to procure and install hardware for each increase in demand. The ease of doing so depends on the service and its configuration.
Providers describe this flexibility as a benefit: Google Cloud says its storage can scale up or down with an organization’s needs, while AWS describes cloud storage as elastic. Those descriptions explain why the model may suit changing workloads; they do not establish that it will cost less for every user.
Data can be reached from different locations
Network-connected storage can give people and applications access to data from different locations, subject to network availability, permissions, and the service’s design. Google Cloud describes access over the internet or a private network. That can make shared work more convenient, though the sources do not establish that collaboration outcomes are better across storage systems generally.
#1 Best Overall
- 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.
Some infrastructure work shifts to a provider
With a cloud service, an organization may not need to own and operate all the storage infrastructure itself. Google Cloud frames this as shifting spending from capital expenditure toward operating expenditure; AWS describes reduced need to purchase and maintain storage infrastructure. These are provider explanations, not guarantees of savings. Operating costs still depend on usage, service terms, data movement, administration, and the organization’s existing setup.
Software can simplify access to different storage layers
Storage software can present underlying technologies through a more consistent service or interface. NIST’s storage guidance describes cloud access as a software-based abstraction over background storage technologies. That abstraction can reduce the need for users to manage each underlying component directly, but it does not eliminate configuration or oversight responsibilities.
Rank #2
- 【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.
How widely are businesses using cloud services?
Adoption figures show that cloud services are common, but they measure different populations and categories. Neither statistic below measures storage use alone.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
- European Union: 52.7% of EU enterprises used paid cloud computing services in 2025, 7.4 percentage points more than in 2023, according to Eurostat in 2026. The measure includes online software, computing power, and storage, rather than storage alone. Eurostat’s 2025 cloud-service statistics.
- United Kingdom: In the 2025–2026 UK Business Data Survey, 31% of businesses handling digitised data reported using a public cloud provider, while 22% reported using a third party via software or a web solution. These are separate response categories and should not be added together. UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s survey.
The figures describe adoption, not why a particular business adopted a service or whether it achieved a specific benefit. They also cannot be compared as if they were the same measure: the regions, populations, categories, and survey framing differ.
Rank #3
- 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.
Does popularity mean cloud storage is the right choice?
No. A cloud service, storage managed on premises, or a hybrid arrangement can each make sense in different circumstances. Consider the workload and responsibilities rather than choosing by popularity alone.
| Decision area | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Access | Do people or applications need to reach data from multiple locations or networks? |
| Capacity pattern | Is demand stable, steadily growing, seasonal, or difficult to predict? |
| Performance and dependencies | What latency and throughput does the workload require? Does an application depend on a particular storage setup? The sources cited here provide no neutral benchmark for comparing performance. |
| Cost | Have purchase and operating costs, usage-based charges, data movement, and ongoing administration been considered together? Provider descriptions alone do not establish total savings. |
| Control and management | Who will configure, monitor, patch, and govern the environment? |
| Security and compliance | What identity, access, encryption, isolation, and data-protection controls are needed? |
| Recovery | Are protected backup copies available, and has restoration been tested or otherwise assured? |
NIST recommends weighing cloud opportunities against risks rather than assuming a single approach is best for every situation. Its guidance is useful for framing the decision; it does not provide a current provider-by-provider price or performance ranking. NIST’s cloud computing synopsis and recommendations.
Rank #4
- Entry-level NAS Home Storage: The UGREEN NAS DH4300 Plus is an entry-level 4-bay NAS that's ideal for home media and vast private storage you can access from anywhere and also supports Docker but not virtual machines. You can record, store, share happy moment with your families and friends, which is intuitive for users moving from cloud storage, or external drives to create your own private cloud, access files from any device.
- Smart Photo Backup & AI Album: Automatically back up photos and videos from your phone in real time and keep growing family memories organized with AI-powered photo albums. Semantic search, custom learning, and recognition of people, objects, pets, and similar photos help you quickly find the moments you want. Duplicate photo removal also helps keep your library organized—ideal for families and users with large photo collections.
- User-Friendly App & Easy Setup: Connect quickly via NFC, set up simply and share files fast on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, web browsers, and smart TVs. You can access data remotely from any of your mixed devices. What's more, UGREEN NAS enclosure comes with beginner-friendly user manual and video instructions to ensure you can easily take full advantage of its features.
- More Cost-effective Storage Solution: 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 $629.99 for a NAS, while for cloud storage, you need to pay $719.88 per year, $1,439.76 for 2 years, $2,159.64 for 3 years, $7,198.80 for 10 years. You will save $6,568.81 over 10 years with UGREEN NAS! *NAS cost based on DH4300 Plus + 12TB HDD; cloud cost based on 12TB plan (e.g. $59.99/month).
- Your Data, You Control：No third-party clouds, no hidden access, UGREEN NAS provides a more secure and private data storage solution. It stores data locally on your private hard drives and does automatic backups. Thus, you can keep full control over it. The advanced encryption is TRUSTe certified in the United States and is awarded the first (and only) ETSI EN 303 645 certification mark for NAS products by TÜV SÜD Group.
What are the security and management trade-offs?
Software abstraction can make storage easier to access and manage, while also adding configuration and governance work. NIST warns that greater storage-management complexity can increase the chance of configuration errors and related security threats. Its guidance calls for protections that include data protection, isolation, restoration assurance, and encryption, alongside general IT controls. NIST SP 800-209, Security Guidelines for Storage Infrastructure.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Cloud storage is not automatically secure, cheaper, or more reliable. The relevant controls and responsibilities vary by provider, deployment, configuration, and user practice. Storage availability also should not be confused with recoverability: a separate, protected backup strategy can complement storage, and a single external drive is not a complete backup plan.
Best Value
- 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
Bottom line: popularity reflects flexibility, not a universal advantage
Software storage solutions appeal because they can make capacity easier to provision, data easier to access across networks, and infrastructure less dependent on hardware owned by the user. Cloud adoption is substantial, but the available figures cover broader cloud services or distinct survey categories, not storage alone. Choose an approach by matching access, capacity, workload, cost, control, security, and recovery requirements to the solution.
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.
