The Intel N100 is the better DIY NAS choice in 2026 if you plan to run Plex or Jellyfin, want ZFS, or need more than two drives. The Raspberry Pi 5 still wins for low-power, always-on file storage where idle power cost is what counts. The right pick depends almost entirely on what you want the box to do.
Why Build a DIY NAS in 2026? The Case Against Synology
Synology and QNAP have spent the last few years getting harder to recommend. Newer Synology units reject non-Synology drives. Those rejected drives work just like the approved ones. The DSM operating system has changed too. It used to be a handy management layer. Now it’s a closed platform that pushes cloud services you didn’t ask for. A Synology DS423+ costs about $500 with no drives. A DIY N100 build with four SATA ports runs under $200.
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