UniFi UNAS Pro – The Pros and Cons of their new NAS
UPDATE – The UniFi UNAS Pro NAS is now available and can be found HERE
The UniFi UNAS Pro is Ubiquiti’s first major leap into the NAS (Network Attached Storage) market, building on the success of their networking hardware and ecosystem. This rackmount NAS aims to provide a cost-effective, streamlined option, especially for those who are already invested in the UniFi product ecosystem. But is this device the right choice for your storage needs? In this detailed review, we’ll explore the pros and cons of the UniFi UNAS Pro to help you decide.
Pros of the UniFi UNAS Pro NAS
1. Competitive Pricing
One of the most remarkable selling points of the UniFi UNAS Pro is its price. Retailing at $499, the UNAS Pro offers a 7-bay rackmount NAS, which is significantly more affordable than many competing NAS devices with similar hardware capabilities. For this price, you get a quad-core ARM Cortex-A57 processor, 8GB of DDR4 memory, and a built-in 10GbE networking port alongside a 1GbE port, without the need for additional licenses. In comparison, similar rackmount NAS devices from brands like Synology and QNAP are typically priced closer to $800 or even $1,000. For example, a comparable system like the QNAP TS-832PX often costs around $900 but comes with similar performance in terms of storage and connectivity options. The value proposition is undeniable, especially when you factor in that UniFi’s NAS software comes with no extra costs for features like snapshot management or backups. For small businesses or home users looking for high-capacity storage at a low price, the UniFi UNAS Pro is a solid choice.
2. Ease of Use
Ubiquiti has a long-standing reputation for designing user-friendly products, and the UNAS Pro is no exception. The NAS system comes with an intuitive user interface that’s reminiscent of UniFi’s networking equipment management software, making it easy for existing UniFi users to get up and running quickly. The interface, whether accessed via the web or through UniFi’s mobile app, offers a clean, straightforward experience.
The mobile app, which supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, allows you to monitor and manage the NAS on the go. This functionality is particularly useful for small businesses where IT support might not always be readily available. Additionally, the built-in LCD panel on the front of the device allows for on-the-spot diagnostics and control without needing to access the web interface, offering a more hands-on approach to managing your NAS.
3. Offline Setup Capability
One standout feature of the UniFi UNAS Pro is its ability to be set up and managed offline. Many NAS systems require users to create an online account to access core features or manage the device, but with the UNAS Pro, you can set up local credentials and manage the device without ever needing to connect to the cloud. This means you can retain complete control over your data and avoid sharing anything with external services, which is an attractive option for users who prioritize privacy. Though you will miss out on certain remote access features without a UniFi cloud account, this offline setup capability is ideal for environments where internet access may be unreliable or for users who prefer to keep their storage network air-gapped from the wider web.
Keep in mind however that setting the device up without a UI.com / UniFi account will limit some of the remote access and additional security verification features of the UNAS Pro.
4. Modular Updates
UniFi has implemented a modular update system that makes software maintenance more flexible and customizable. Rather than requiring full system reboots or blanket updates that affect every part of the NAS at once, the UNAS Pro allows users to schedule and manage individual updates for the NAS OS and each of its applications. You can select between stable updates or more cutting-edge early access updates for those who prefer to stay on the forefront of new features. This update system ensures that you can keep critical parts of your system updated while minimizing disruptions to services. For example, you might set security updates to apply immediately while delaying other updates until a convenient time. For a NAS that’s designed to run continuously, this granular control is a valuable feature.
5. Solid Core Features
For its first foray into the NAS market, UniFi has done an excellent job at providing all the core features users expect from a modern NAS. The UNAS Pro excels in basic NAS functionality, such as file storage, folder creation, and permission management. Its a very straight forward system to understand and use, as well as a very responsive GUI (especially for the internal hardware it has being so modest). Whether backing up to another NAS or a cloud service, browsing files/folders on the fly, managing active shares quickly – the process is straightforward and reliable.
RAID support is available out of the box, allowing users to configure their drives for performance, redundancy, or a balance of both. While the hardware might not be top-tier, UniFi has ensured that its software nails down the fundamentals, providing reliable performance for small businesses and home users.
6. 10GbE Connectivity
At this price point, the inclusion of a 10GbE networking port is a significant advantage. Many NAS devices in this price range only include 1GbE or, at best, 2.5GbE networking. The 10GbE port on the UniFi UNAS Pro enables much faster data transfer rates, particularly for users dealing with large file transfers such as video production teams, graphic designers, or those needing to back up multiple systems simultaneously. For small businesses that need faster network throughput without breaking the bank, the UNAS Pro is an excellent option.
7. Seamless UniFi Ecosystem Integration
The UniFi UNAS Pro integrates seamlessly with the broader UniFi product ecosystem. If you’re already using UniFi routers, switches, or access points, the UNAS Pro can be managed alongside these devices through the same UniFi controller interface.
This makes it easy to monitor and manage all your network infrastructure from a single dashboard. For businesses already invested in UniFi, this integration adds significant value and simplifies network management.
8. Very Easy Snapshot and Backup Management
The UNAS Pro’s snapshot management is another highlight. It allows for easy setup and quick recovery of snapshots, making it a powerful tool for backing up and restoring data.
Whether you’re scheduling automatic snapshots or manually backing up your most important files, the system is responsive and reliable. Data can also be backed up to a cloud service like Google Drive, adding flexibility to your data management strategy.
Cons of the UniFi UNAS Pro NAS
1. Modest Hardware Specifications
Despite its many strengths, the UniFi UNAS Pro’s hardware can feel somewhat underwhelming, especially for more demanding users. The device is powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex-A57 processor, which is capable but not nearly as powerful as the Intel or AMD x86 processors found in higher-end NAS devices.
 |
|
|---|---|
| Specification | Details |
| Brand | UniFi (from Ubiquiti) |
| Model | UniFi UNAS Professional Rackmount NAS |
| Dimensions | 442.4 x 325 x 43.7 mm (17.4 x 12.8 x 1.7 inches) |
| Weight | Without Rackmount Brackets: 5.11 kg (11.27 lb) |
| With Rackmount Brackets: 5.20 kg (11.46 lb) | |
| Enclosure Characteristics | SGCC Steel |
| Processor | Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A57 at 1.7 GHz |
| System Memory | 8GB DDR4 |
| On-Board Flash Storage | SPI NOR 32 MB, USB Flash 8 GB |
| Power Supply | 200W Lipet Internal |
| Max. Power Consumption | 160W |
| Max. Power Budget for Drives | 135W |
| Power Method | (1) Universal AC Input |
| (1) RPS DC Input | |
| Power Supply | 100-240VAC, 50/60 Hz, 2A |
| Networking Interfaces | (1) 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ45 Ethernet |
| (1) 1/10 Gbps SFP+ Ethernet | |
| Management Interface | Ethernet In-Band Management |
| ESD/EMP Protection | Air: ±12kV, Contact: ±8kV |
| Operating Temperature | -5 to 40° C (23 to 104° F) |
| Operating Humidity | 5 – 95% Non-condensing |
| LED Indicators | System: (1) Power, Blue/White |
While the ARM processor is energy-efficient and suitable for basic tasks like file storage, it lacks the muscle required for more demanding workloads like virtualization, media transcoding, or running complex applications.
For users who need to perform CPU-intensive tasks or run multiple concurrent operations, the ARM architecture could be a limiting factor. Although it’s understandable that UniFi opted for ARM to keep costs down, this choice might alienate users looking for a high-performance solution.
2. Limited Expandability
One of the most significant downsides of the UniFi UNAS Pro is its lack of expandability. While the 7-bay design offers substantial storage out of the box, there are no options for expanding the system beyond that. The device lacks PCIe slots for adding features like SSD caching, additional networking interfaces, or other hardware upgrades. Additionally, the 8GB of DDR4 RAM is non-upgradable, which means users are stuck with the default memory capacity—limiting the NAS’s potential to handle more intensive applications or larger numbers of users.
This lack of scalability could be a dealbreaker for businesses or IT professionals who expect their storage needs to grow over time and want a system that can grow with them.
3. Single Storage Pool
Unlike more advanced NAS systems that allow users to create multiple storage pools, the UniFi UNAS Pro is limited to a single storage pool. This limitation could be problematic for users who want to segregate different types of data or use different storage media, such as SSDs for high-speed access and HDDs for bulk storage. While the system does allow for RAID configurations, the lack of flexibility in storage pool management could be a downside for more advanced users who need granular control over their storage environments.
4. No Redundant Power Supply
For businesses that require constant uptime, the lack of a redundant power supply on the UniFi UNAS Pro is a significant shortcoming. While the device does support an external uninterruptible power supply (UPS), it lacks the built-in redundancy that is common in many higher-end NAS systems. Redundant power supplies are critical in ensuring that hardware failures don’t lead to extended downtime. Without this feature, the UNAS Pro may not be suitable for mission-critical environments where uptime is a priority.
5. Lack of UniFi Protect Support
A surprising omission in the UniFi UNAS Pro is its lack of support for UniFi Protect, UniFi’s popular video surveillance platform. UniFi Protect is available on other UniFi hardware such as the Dream Machine and UNVR systems, but it cannot be installed on the UNAS Pro. This is a missed opportunity, especially for users who might want to centralize their storage and surveillance needs on a single device. While future software updates may address this, the current lack of Protect support limits the device’s versatility, particularly for small businesses or homeowners looking to consolidate network and surveillance management.
6. Absence of Popular NAS Apps and Virtualization
Compared to more established NAS solutions like QNAP or Synology, the UniFi UNAS Pro falls short when it comes to app availability. There’s no support for popular applications like Plex or Docker, which limits its utility for users who want to run media servers, manage smart home devices, or deploy containerized applications. This absence is particularly noticeable when compared to NAS solutions from other brands that have built extensive app ecosystems over many years. Additionally, the lack of virtualization support makes the UNAS Pro less appealing for businesses that need to run virtual machines or isolated environments for development and testing. While this might not matter to users looking for simple storage solutions, it’s a glaring omission for power users.
While the UniFi UNAS Pro covers the basics well, it lacks many of the advanced features that have become standard in more mature NAS systems. There’s no support for containerization, virtual environments, or advanced SaaS integrations like Google Workspace or Office 365. These high-end features are often essential for businesses with complex workflows or larger teams. The absence of these capabilities makes the UNAS Pro less competitive for users who need more than basic file storage and backups.
7. Limited OS Client Tools and File Syncing
Although the UNAS Pro offers a web interface and easy-to-use file sharing features, it lacks the more sophisticated client tools available on competing NAS platforms. For instance, Synology Drive and QNAP QSync offer robust client tools that allow users to sync files across multiple devices or manage their NAS more comprehensively from their desktop, without any need to engage with the system dashboard or the NAS GUI itself – with all file synchronization happening in the background whilst they only interact with their native OS file manager. By contrast, the UniFi UNAS Pro’s file syncing tools are fairly limited and although mapping via SMB and similar is possible, there is little to no live sync tools at launch, which could be frustrating for users looking for more advanced file management capabilities. I really think this is something that UniFi will remedy in time, but at least right now, this is absent to the same degree as their new NAS competitors.
Should You Buy the UniFi UNAS Pro NAS?
The UniFi UNAS Pro is a compelling entry into the NAS market, offering excellent value for money, ease of use, and seamless integration with the UniFi ecosystem. For users looking for a simple, reliable NAS solution that can handle basic storage tasks and backups, the UNAS Pro is a great option, particularly at its competitive price point of $499. However, the device’s limitations in hardware scalability, application support, and advanced features mean that it may not be the best choice for power users or businesses with more complex needs – at least at launch. If you’re already invested in UniFi’s ecosystem and only need a NAS for fundamental storage and backups, the UNAS Pro is a solid choice. But for users seeking greater flexibility, more advanced features, or the ability to scale their storage, other NAS systems from QNAP or Synology may be a better fit.
| Feature | UniFi UNAS Pro POSITIVES | UniFi UNAS Pro NEGATIVES |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Exceptional value at $499 with no licensing fees | Limited expandability and non-upgradable RAM |
| Ease of Use | Intuitive interface and easy setup | Missing advanced client tools and file syncing options |
| Offline Setup | No online account needed for setup or management | Limited remote access without a UniFi cloud account |
| Modular Updates | Flexible, granular control over system and app updates | Lacks support for advanced applications like Plex or Docker |
| Core Features | Strong fundamentals for file storage, backups, and snapshots | Only supports a single storage pool |
| 10GbE Networking | Built-in 10GbE for fast data transfers | No redundant power supply, limiting uptime for mission-critical use |
| UniFi Ecosystem Integration | Seamless integration with UniFi routers, switches, and APs | No UniFi Protect support, limiting use as a surveillance hub |
| Snapshot Management | Robust snapshot and backup capabilities | Lacks AAA+ features like virtualization or SaaS platform integration |
I feel like a bit of a broken record in this review, and I keep repeating the same two words in conjunction with the UniFi UNAS Pro—fundamentals and consistency! It’s pretty clear that UniFi has prioritized the need for this system to perfectly complement their existing UniFi ecosystem and make it a true part of their hardware portfolio. In doing so, it has resulted in them focusing considerably on the fundamental storage requirements of a NAS system and making sure that these are as good as they possibly can be out of the gate. To this end, I would say that UniFi has unquestionably succeeded. The cracks in the surface begin once you start comparing this system with other offerings in the market right now—which is inevitably what users are going to do and have been doing since the first indications of a UniFi NAS system were being rumored. It may seem tremendously unfair to compare the newly released UniFi NAS with solutions from vendors that have had more than 20 years of experience in this field, but for a business that wants to fully detach themselves from the cloud and wants true user-friendly but highly featured control of their network operations, comparison is inevitable! The UniFi UNAS Pro is an excellent choice for users seeking a budget-friendly, easy-to-use NAS solution with solid core features and strong integration into the UniFi ecosystem. However, for those needing more advanced capabilities or future-proof scalability, it may be worth exploring other options in the NAS market.
Where to Buy a Product
VISIT RETAILER ➤
VISIT RETAILER ➤
VISIT RETAILER ➤
VISIT RETAILER ➤
VISIT RETAILER ➤
 DEAL WATCH – Is It On Offer Right Now?These Offers are Checked Daily
|
📧 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER 🔔 This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below
🔒 Join Inner Circle
Get an alert every time something gets added to this specific article!
Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?
Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you.
Need Help?
Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry.
TRY CHAT
Terms and Conditions
(Early Access) Minisforum MGA1 7600M XT eGPU Docking Station Review
(Early Access) The Best M.2 SSD NAS To Buy Right Now
(Early Access) My Favourite NAS Releases of 2024
(Inner Circle) Recommended ATX NAS Motherboard Guide - 6 GREAT NAS MOBOs!
(Early Access) Flashstor Gen 2 NAS - SHOULD YOU BUY? (Short Review)
(Early Access) The DREAM Video Editor NAS - Flashstor Gen 2 Review (FS6806X)
Access content via Patreon or KO-FI
Those annoying overused music clips ????????♂️????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
First gen. It’s missing key features like iSCSI for example. It’s OK as a very basic Nas.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Only 1 pool , that’s fine but can we use the hard drive independently?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This is first gen. Give time and they will get up to speed.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks for the informative video! How does this device detect a power outage when connected to a UPS system? Typically, this is done using a USB cable between the NAS and the UPS, but I couldn’t spot a USB port in the pictures I’ve seen. Could you please clarify?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I think you are being slightly unfair on you negative points (except for Protect). To get the options and features you say are lacking, would completely change the price point. And how much do you have to spend with the competition to get all those features you mention. A hell of a lot more than $499
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Non-starter for me without an SHR type option. Too bad.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thecus 7700 pro was a seven drive nas
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The lack of a professional cloud backup with „time travel“ and restore options are stopping me from using this device
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What a long way to say what a disappointment this is.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I just need a nas for file and picture storage
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hi! I get that the hardware is ”underwhelming” BUT it is designed to store and share data. No apps docker or other stuff. If you want a server. Get a server. For what it is supposed to do hardware isn’t lacking.
One storage pool. Again. Use case. I understand that you might want different storage pools for different uses on the same system BUT this system ONLY serve files. So there is no need for more than one storage pool here. Folders and accounts are enough separation. Come ON. A $499 device with tiers of disks? Not really realistic.
Yes. Converging UNVR pro and UNAS Pro is a no brainer. It’s basically the same device purposed differently. But now when Protext can use NAS for archiving you could use an UDMP UNVR / Pro for protext and archive to UNAS which kind of makes sense.
NO. Apps aren’t missing. This is NOT that kind of device. We use QNAP NAS for backups at work. We NEVER use apps on them. That is just bloat. For workloads we use virtualized clustered Linux servers windows servers and SAN drives or HCI clusters. NAS devices are great as slower tier backup storage or SMB file shares. That is the audience for this NAS. Not hobbyist home labs running pinhole in docker. That market belongs to QNAP and Synology
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Without a USB port, what is the solution for monthly-full and daily-incremental LOCAL backup?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great review! Thank you.
Just to clarify… I cannot have 2x 16TB disk in here without RAID, together with 4x 4TB disks in RAID10 right? Because the two 16TB ones would be consumed by the RAID as well (as 4TB disks).
Is that correct?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Unifi has a few great lines: wifi, switching, maybe power.
Then they have some weird stuff:
– Security cameras, where users can’t add cameras in the phone app unless they are given admin rights.
– Signage product that plays content on a TV. Nice idea, lousy software. Transitions between pictures are not suitable for public use.
I didn’t try access control yet.
I wonder how will the NAS turn out.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can I use this without Unifi Router?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
im curious why you seem to say that the rps port on the back is for ups, not the redundant psu port plug-in it actually is, unless i misunderstand what your saying here. at 6:23, it shows that rps port that allows an effective power supply backup/redundancy for your box when you plug into the unifi power backup
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
this is to much of a first gen product, i think the Pro Max or SE will be the true version you will want.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
My other brand nas come with only single psu, 2 or 4 1gbe ports and cost more, so this is still way better value.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What’s the disk and storage structure? LVM with BTRFS on top? If it was ZFS, they’d be singing it from the rooftops, so it isn’t that.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This is perfect for me… I have other servers for Virtual stuff.. I just wanted a NAS. They have a another system for cams . I will be picking one of these up for sure!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Unifi need to focus more on their core products.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Say you had an Android phone and wanted to transfer videos to your NAS.
Is the software robust enough to simply ‘send to NAS’ with a couple taps on your phone?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I actually really like the system, but i really do want separate storage pools so j can have a local on machine backup of a faster and smaller SSD array onto HDDs.
Im also hoping they give us an AI enabled photo storage system so i can atop using google photos as much or at all. But aside from that i think this thing just being a NAS and not much else is not a weakness in my eyes.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hi! have tried integrating it with a microsoft account yet?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I still don’t think focusing on the NA_S_ (S is for Storage) part of the equation is as problematic as some make it out to be. There are tons of small computers out there for super cheap that can be container hosts that will run circles around Synology, if containers and server features are concerned. But if what you want is centralized (network) STORAGE, nothing can touch this 7-bay beast, for the money.
I keep seeing people (and reviewers) complaining about the lack of dual PSUs, as well. I’m split on this one: One the one hand, for hardcore business work, I 100% agree: We only buy storage with dual hot swap PSUs, at work. But on the other hand… which Synology and QNAP and TerraMaster NASes actually have that feature? Complaining that this doesn’t have the container features the others have, and then simultaneously complaining that it lacks the thing the others on the market lack, seems a bit much. Again, for HIGH END business use, I agree completely. But when was a $500 NAS a serious contender in the Enterprise NAS market?
The single storage pool thing bothers me the most, for my personal use. But that’s also the thing most likely to be addressed in future software updates. Well, that, and no M2 slots for Caching, which obviously won’t be addressed until the next round of hardware updates… perhaps a UNAS Pro? (throw in a second SPF+ port, too)
Adding Protect is an interesting idea that I’d love to see. I wonder if the processor and hardware can manage a ton of cameras AND heavy network storage access, at the same time? Again, that may need to wait for future hardware upgrades (or a Pro/”Enterprise” version).
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
UNAS arrived about 30 minutes ago. She’s already up and running, and I was pleasantly surprised to find NFS shares are already an available service! That was my main gripe when I purchased. Taking notes for you now, will keep on it and am happy to provide updates as I go.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hey, thanks for the video! I have a question about the backup feature with two NAS setups. If I set one up at home and the other at my business, will I still be able to use the home NAS for personal data while also having it back up the business NAS? Or will the business backup limit my home NAS to only serving that purpose? Thanks!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I have a Synology 920+ already and have a bunch of Unifi cameras, switches, and Dream Machine Pro SE and I’ll be picking up the UNAS Pro when it comes back into stock. I have 6 8TB drives in an old computer I used for a NAS before I got my Synology that I’ll use for the UNAS Pro (thankfully unlike Synology, you can use pretty much any drive without it complaining). I like the 10GB port, which the best my 920+ can do is bonded 1GB links.
I’ll run 3rd party apps on the 920+ and to start with, use the UNAS to backup my 920+ in a NAS to NAS backup system. I hope they will be updating the features quickly. The one I would love to have multiple storage pools. That should be able to be added at a later date though. Might have to reformat all the drives, but should be doable.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Not being able to stack these or expand to more bays is such a deal breaker 🙁
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks for the review! I buy storage, for storage. I have servers, I don’t need (or want docker/containers). It has to hold hard drives, and put them into a RAID. I would appreciate finer grained controls over the RAID level and stripe width and size, as well as performant expansion options. m.2 Cache would be a good thing for 10 Gb networks as well. But all in all, I think this is a solid firt offering from Unifi. I just hope that that they add RAID6 to the feature set soon.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
That is good for homelab – you have storage, and you can add whatever standalone proxmox that will work with that. No point in having 128core cpu in nas, and to be able to make everyone happy. They got storage, you can diy whatever you want to work with that but data is perfectly safe. I might switch feom synology at some point for great form factor- i like rack mount. In Synology its absolutely crazy priced
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Wow, I saw many videos about, but I had no idea you can have only one storage pool until I saw this video. This is huge problem for many people and it just kills it for me. That’s a shame, because it would be otherwise a perfect NAS for me. Hopefully they will fix it in software update.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I likely won’t buy it because it lacks all the stuff that my Synology can do – Plex and a pretty good security system.
But for the price, 7 bays and 10gb Ethernet and rack mountable, it’s a pretty amazing value. For a $499 server, you shouldn’t expect redundant power supplies, and dual 10gbe. If the ARM processor makes it consume less power, that’s great for most people. If I were doing a ton of video production, a 7 bay raid would be fast enough for 4k prores work. I think it’s an amazing solution for most people.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
@nascompares, have you managed to try installing protect and talk using SSH yet? I just tried installing drive on a CK2+ – that was fun (and non functional, rofl)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The Unifi lineup is full of devices that are simple, and do their tasks simply. So I doubt very much that they are going to allow any third party software to run on them. The reason that the hardware is fairly anemic in comparison to other NAS hardware is that the Unifi UNAS is only a NAS. It has only enough hardware to do what it is designed to do. Which makes it more price and energy efficient in the process.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Does it work with active directory? We have q separate server for managing pur windows clients via active directory. Would this nas work in conjunction with that?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can you tell me if it has the option to put the HDDs into hibernation after a certain period of inactivity?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
How is the raid10 speed with 6 disks?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can someone who has the NAS tell the power consumption of the NAS? And how many hard drives does he use? I would be interested
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
As someone who has a slow internet connection, little money and takes lots of videos and photos. The 4 bay UNVR is a better device for me to be running as a sharable file server for my clients to view content
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
the question is which target group Unifi wants to serve with this NAS. For the price, it is certainly a nice storage solution for small companies that easily fits into the budget.
As a private user, I am not really the target group. I essentially agree with your criticisms:
a. why only 1 GBIT Ethernet? Unifi seems to be slowly switching to 2.5 GBit (see Cloud Gatewy Max and 2.5 GBit Switch)
b. No support for virtualization solutions (Proxmox, Plex, etc.)
The last point in particular puts the “inexpensive” thing in a different light. If I put a little more money on the table, I can get competitive systems from QNAP or Synology or Terramaster. that better meet my needs as a private user. An alternative would be to run a small home server alongside the Unifi NAS and use the NAS as a data repository. This solution would result in more administrative effort and higher power consumption and would not bring me any personal benefits.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I work in a school with two block, on the main one we have servers in a rackmount 1m depth, on the small one we have a small rack with switch and unifi dream machine, we use a VPN to share user files with the remote lab, but is slow. I’ve made a replica of our DC … and now I think I’ll di the same for data. UNAS pro is definitively what we need.
Does’t care much about the “UNIFI system” is just form factor, depth, cost. No virtual machine No docker … we need NAS.
Is just my scenario.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
ok, so for me, give me double the height, 14 bays, 12 for my spinners, 2 for my SSD caching, give me snapshotting, 3rd party apps like plex, hybrid raid and an even semi decent CPU to cover encryption overhead and i will pay 4x-6x this price without even thinking possibly more
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
At the moment, if it can’t predict elections, it’s useless to me.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Tbh at that price it does exactly what I need
Cheap nas that I connect to a mini pc to run all my apps
And buying those 2 things is still cheaper than a comparable synology
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
i guess you recommend synology.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Managed to buy the UNAS this morning. Cannot wait to get it loaded with drives, move everything from my annoying ASUSTOR over, and setup a headless Mac mini M4. Admittedly the Mac mini is overkill for Plex, but I’d rather have the headroom and flexibility. Thank you for this vid validating my reasons for getting the UNAS Pro.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I love how you just get to the point.. TY for the Video. From one I.T. guy to another.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
If they add the option to backup workstations and restore them directly to the machine, or do bare metal backups from an ISO, I’d be all over this thing. I’d pay more for it too
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I bought mine at 2:30 pm eastern time zone. I had to justify buying it.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I ordered one as well. I’ve used Unraid for years, and while it is a good solution, the idea of a simple fileserve baked into the Unifi ecosystem is ideal; especially for simple, secure, offsite file access through “Unifi Verify.” I’d love a version with more drive bays, but other than that I think this will fit a lot of people’s needs.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’d love to see this do iscsi. I can see myself using this as a shared storage for my proxmox cluster at home.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It is literally a 7 bay rackmount system that doesn’t do Raid 6 ….. I mean that’s about as fundamental as it gets …FAIL
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The functionality of this is probably comparable to my Thecus N5200 from way back in 2006……and that was already crappy back then. The rather decent price though suggests it is actually an alpha test at the customers expense. You gotta start somewhere…..ARM NAS are just not versatile enough when it comes to the things you mentioned like containers, VMs (especially Windows Server VMs)…and soldered the memory to the board? come on…….Ubiquiti, you can do better. And the performance is just meh…..but then again for the price, it’s probably not that bad.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Does it support nfs
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
They restocked today. I ordered one
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I ordered one, would be happy to provide usage and input and how it slots into my setup over the next couple months.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Im a major UniFi fan.. hell I even have my garage door opening with a tap of my mobile phone!! I have a sizeable Synology NAS but actually dont love DSM.. BUT using Synology Drive like a local OneDrive feature is difficult to give up for simple SMB shares and Active Backup for Business automatically backing up the entire family set of computers has saved my bacon in more than one occasion… as much as I think the UNAS Pro looks great and fits with my rest of my network, I’m more likely to end up buying another Synology to backup my NAS than the UNAS Pro.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Was looking to add this as a backup tool for my current nas and server, at the price and 7 bays to me its seems to be a no brainer
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I like the fact that it’s a NAS, and nothing else. I see the addition of 3rd party apps just adding potential attack vectors. For the price savings, one can add a couple of Raspberry PIs, and configure how you want.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
And now I’m really looking forward to you highlighting the (assuredly) upcoming NAS hard drive sales around cybermonday/etc.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Maybe it’s just me but I love it. I love the single NAS idea, the way is made to be an Unifi NAS and nothing more. I own a synology nas but since the day one I separated the file storage part from the server applications. My point is, if you want a rackable NAS, dedicated to begin a NAS and nothing else..this is for you. If not, maybe take a look at other brands.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I like the idea of this NAS and I’m tempted to pick one up today, but I’m not a fan of being the first in line for a new product like I used to be.
This machine is exactly what I’ve wanted for ages. A good, solid name brand rack mount NAS without the gold plating I’ll never use.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Would it be possible to see what happens when you swap drives from one unit to another unit? How do you restore your data? With a single PS, you would need to swap out chassis, thus having to move your drives.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
My main criticism is its only got one 10gb nic and one psu not ideal for a “pro” device . Other than that i really like it. Something that cant be fixed by sw update. My other critisms.are mostly sw based so can easily be fixed. I dont really care about apps as i run xcp-ng /XO pool(cluster), i have apps coming out of my ears .
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Are there any drive restrictions when using this NAS, like Synology with certain models?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Nice addition to the Unifi collection. It is network storage only with a 10gb connection. No need to compare to Synology or QNAP can be used a backup to Synology or QNAP.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Ok but can it run Metal Gear Solid 1 via emulator
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
If they could allow installation of the OS in other devices would be amazing, Would love to use this OS just because of the eco system
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
you dont need docker and bloat on a NAS – it is a dedicated NAS as in Network Attached Storage
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Interested but…unless my DS920+ dies and until the offer something like Active Backup for Google, I will have to wait.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I think that this is a underwhelming device that is getting too much attention
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Rack mount device with singlenpower supply missing one ?
For the price tag probably you can buy two device instead of one when spending same budget for “proper” turkey rack mount storage soultion
And the software solution from this company looks more promising in stability and security compare to synology and qnap
Plus they have a own ecosystem ( although a bit pricy compare to consumer/ home use product)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Whoa! Your new office is extremely bright!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
*REQUEST* Hi. I have a request for anyone who ends up buying a UNAS Pro NAS system. I need your help with a video I want to work on in the new year about the “UNAS Pro 3 Months Later” (maybe 6 months, will see how UI approach the updates and roadmap). I know I have hit the ‘content button’ hard on this device, but as a new entry into the server space from such a well-known player in networking tech, I want to 1) obviously cover as many angles on what users want to know as possible, but also 2) keep the pressure on UI/Ubiquiti to develop this system more and more (and more!), as I think this thing nails the fundamentals very well, but could be more. So, here’s my request. If you end up getting this device (or maybe you are a fellow reviewer who will be continuing to work with the system), I want to slot in a video early next year – kind of a “what has happened since launch” piece. A big, big part of that should be what real-world users think of it, did it meet expectations and did you stick with it, or abandon it as ‘a fun play thing’ and little else? If you can provide your input below in the comments or directly to me on robbie (at) nascompares , that would be awesome and of course, all those individually featured will be credited and linked appropriately. No worries otherwise, and cheers for reading! Have a bloody great week.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I tend to think that this is a test or research device. It’s as basic as one can get but discussions on it will bring about information on what people really want. I really considered this purchase but several things told me to wait.
I’d love a device that is simple. But… it needs a processor that will be able to obtain a 10gb transfer rate. My synology’s can do that with just the spinning drives. I can see this device choking under a heavy load.
Second, user management is too simplistic. I’d like to see the ability to create user groups to make assignments for folder access easier.
Third, like you said, it needs to have the ability to expand storage beyond its own case and I would add the ability to provide iscsi service.
And fourth, I’d like the ability to add memory.
Thanks.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Do you know when it will be in stock on the UK store?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What I don’t understand is, that most people criticise the fact that it can’t run apps (through docker, etc.). Its a network attached storage solution, not a server. Sure, other brands offer that functionality, but it’s not really what a nas is for. If you have the money to buy a NAS, then you most certainly also have the money to buy a raspberry pi and run containers on there. I think that the UNAS Pro is something a small business would use in conjunction with an actual server.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I bought that baby right at 7am when the page refreshed. No regrets. Cant wait.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
it really looks more like a backend device, set and forget, backups only, maybe appealing to Synology/QNAP/Proxmox users that may migrate to SSD-only “server” build and looking for just backup bulk storage “elsewhere”
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
To me, this video shows me 10 reasons to BUY an UNAS-PRO. ????
As soon as RAID6 is added to the features, my aging WD EX4100 is going to the IT Heaven. My 10G Link Aggregation switch is eagerly awaiting his new UNAS-PRO brother.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great review and viedos on Unifi’s new NAS. Tempting but no, not at this point. I’ll keep using my Synology NAS systems. I know what they can do and have to offer.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Really looking forward to software updates when this becomes more promising. But for now it’s still compelling.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
For 499 or the cost a couple of medium size drives a business can pull the drives and put them into the enterprise NAS when it comes out. So that’s not a big con.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Still no batman’s car videos… ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
To expensive that stuff :/
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Fantastic in depth review man! I just got the Minisforum MS-01 to replace my DS918+ in terms of server needs, so my Synology is just acting as storage now, so this would be the perfect unit for me to upgrade to 10Gbe to go with the rest of my UniFi stuff besides that it doesn’t have NFS yet :/ quick question, when you say reactive storage, do you mean you can add drives to the pool without wiping and just increase pool size?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks for the review!
If it had NFS, I’d be down. Without, not so much. Possibly also a radius server or something reliant for auth.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
How does this unit handle drive expansion? Say I have all 7 bays filled and I need more storage…Can I swap a drive or two with higher capacities in place and it dynamically adjust the array to make that space available?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Good stuff thanks for making this video
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Would be awesome if they released the nas SW as an app for the NVR lineup.
Can’t hurt to dream…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
16 bay version will be here soon and it’s also already at a cheaper price than Synology. They do have stacking but I would assume that’s also possible
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
You give UI too much of a pass for being an ecosystem and as such they don’t have to play nice with others. You also mention the word “Enterprise” numerous times. So does UI whenever it can. These two add up to missing one big fundamental, as you put it, which is directory integration and I’d argue licensing bc it’s a huge part of the marketing. Everything “Enterprise” must have directory integration, that’s what pretty much the term really means. UI in its AzureAD/Keycloak/Okta/ADFS/etc knockoff — none of which ALSO requires specialized branded hardware BTW — put LDAP/AD integration behind a per-user per-month subscription, despite the fact that unlike the aforementioned, they aren’t providing any service at all, only the permission to connect your own hardware to your own systems, AKA: licensing.
This storage thingy is worthless is you need to keep separate accounts for it. It opens doors for so many problems. If you want to use the Enterprise moniker you need to integrate or have a system so well thought out that you can cover any need, absolutely any need even if it’s convoluted, perhaps egregious, like Cisco’s. This ecosystem thing is cute until it starts being a headache, the pretty dashboards in day-to-day are rarely useful, and the push for a cloud dependency, the fact that your network devices tasked to guard your data are exfiltrating it from your network, the fact that UI relentlessly pushed for mobile app-based mgmt revokable at any point leaving gear unmanageable (like UniFi Video did) are headaches waiting to happen.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It’s underpowered, given that it has a 10gb interface , fully saturated with ssd would generate 3500 mbs yet the controller I will be only half the hd capacity transfer rate
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’m curious if the RAM it does have is even ECC. For me, ECC is a requirement for a NAS.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hi there, thanks for the video.
I am looking to see the following:
1. iPhone and Android Applications to backup the pictures from the phone into the UNAS.
2. something similar to google documents to create office documents directly on the UNAS.
3. backup up one entire windows computer to the UNAS, similar to synology backup for business. .
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I will get one because I have a ton of UNIFI in my house (Personally, I would not use Ubiquiti at work. Not Ent enough for that). But what I love about Synology is all the apps you have access to, and the more significant benefit to me is upgradability. On my 1821+, I tossed in a 10G card, two 2TB NVME caches, and 32 GB RAM.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks.. good review. I have converted all my networking to Unifi and am considering while building a new house whether I want to use Unifi cameras. If this could have replaced the UDM it would have been a no brainer, but as a satisfied UnRaid user of 20 years, the lack of some networking and apparent inability to mix/match drive sizes may make me just get a UDM and keep my existing UnRaid. Definitely something to keep my eyes on though.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I disagree that this is not an exciting product. I think it is exciting to see such an intuitive user interface, a focus on the basics, and very capable hardware for such an unheard of low price. I don’t use the snazzy bits of my Synology NAS and would prefer the 10Gb/s connection and the intuitive interface of the UniFi NAS. UniFi don’t unecessarily prescribe any UniFi-branded hardware and are yet to remove features that one paid for, like Synology. Can’t wait to see RAID 6 support and perhaps a future model with support for media-transcoding and a USB port.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
for me at thos time That NAS is only for hosting backup of my data and config of Synology nas becouse I need runn all my services from nas. I actuaky run old websites on my nas and run docker on my main Synology. But Synology pice me of when I see deleted apps – webstation plugin deleted from DSM 7.2 – old PHP (Update php code for that sites is not cost effective in terms of time or money to rewrite them to the latest php) and I mast be on DSM 7.1 – deleting support too apps fron old dsm on new version pice me of but I intrested to have uptodate nas.
UNAS for me is also to big and have too big energy consumption and 7 HDDs is not form me.
If UNAS will be based on 4 HDDs UNVR and have webstation like on Synology and docker support (to install DNS Server on difrent docker apps).
About Unifi apps for me will be good Use UNAS as unifi backup target storage for auto backup network or protect or UnifiOS on UNAS – If I see that things on Unifi devices as UNAS I probably will swich from Synology.. – I’m a homrlaber have a unifi network on my home.
I think UNAS Pro ss for me for a bog misness or enterprise where data access tiime or suoort alot users too data on drives, on home is too big and bare additional functions as for energy consumption.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
no advertised hardware specs can fuck off
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Ummm what is a ‘knicker’ ?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Have they changed shipping date; I saw Oct 25th. Now it says Nov 4th!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
With the limited amount of drives we need stacking
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Does it come with any sync app for windows?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
can you run duel network/gateways with the two nics?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
LOL I’m currently getting away from Unifi. Sick of their “ecosystem.” Sick of their crap. Having to use HTTPS and 2FA for my UDM that’s local.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The Mac of NAS. Ecosystem is Apple-like
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I haven’t had a “modern” NAS, I have a bit of a basic question. Can I buy this NAS, throw in two 20TB drives in RAID5, and then expand and switch it over to RAID6?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Its their NVR with different software… I think for MOST. Home users and even small businesses it is a great design!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Not really a fair comparison to compare to Synology really as Synology are not just a NAS, they have an app ecosystem too, where as the Unifi NAS is just a NAS and no extra crap.
I think the hardware is identical to the UNVR Pro, except the UNAS is 8gb RAM. Price is identical as UNVR, and I feel the price point is pretty good for a 10gbp link, Directory Service integration. UI have advised they are adding Raid 6 in a firmware update, so they do listen to the users. I don’t think M.2 is really a big deal, you can get adaptors from M.2 to 2.5″ 2.5″ SATA will max out a 10gbps connection anyway. The single PSU is not an issue as it supports the Unifi USP device as well when you want redundant power supplies. It would add cost if you had a redundant PSU and this is NOT an enterprise version of the device.
I have seen several reviews of this unit and the speed tends to be consistent. Again, remember this is not an Enterprise version of the device. This is a Pro version, which is in between standard and enterprise. A lot of Synology devices at similar price point only have 2 x 1gbp NIC’s
I feel if this sells well, UI will likely release an Enterprise and standard version, based around the other UNVR form factors they have.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Is it true it doesn’t do iSCSI or NFS?
If so it should be called the “UniFi NAS Home”, or “UniFi NAS SMB”
I am fine with it not doing containers or VM’s, but not doing NAS features such as iSCSI or NFS, and then calling it a “PRO” NAS is ridiculous
I am even fine with the price point, but the NAS PRO name without iSCSI or NFS is ridiculous
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
No USB ports useful for local Backups and also no UPS support due to the lack of a USB port. Major failure if you ask me …
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
this iust a simple and very basic NAS / filer but lacks « business » features specially for the number of drives that it holds:
* NVMe Cache
* Better and more capable processor
* More RAM!!
* Dual 10GbE RJ45/SFP+ for LACP & redundancy
* Dual PSU for power resilience
* AD Authentication integration
* FIPS 140-2 compliance for business that is required
* No SCSI or NFS support
Wouldn’t recommend this unit for professional use.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Raid 6 is a curious omission, with raid 10 you have to rely on luck for more than one drive failure especially here with an odd number of drives. So three options, basic protection(raid 1), advanced protection raid 6) and performance (raid 10 would have been ideal. Perhaps a max version with raid 6 and zfs/NFS is in their future. I don’t see the point personally of adding docker etc when most will use another more powerful scalable server for virtualization (proxmox etc)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It is “cheap”, short depth, quiet, and Unifi. Those are the selling points. Everything else goes hard to the other guys by all appearances. Qnap has a few very short depth (13cm) NAS as well, but the price point speaks for itself.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
But can it run Plex or Jellyfin?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
its has ssd cache support?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Look Unifi is a cult like Synology BUT ….a NAS that doesn’t have docker, apps, rubbish ,,,a NAS that actually prioritizes local Network attached storage? …Well that is very interesting to me.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Huge question for using this at work: What is the Active Directory integration like? I saw the checkbox option being moused over many times, but it was never explored on the video. Can I manage access to shares based on group rights, and apply group rights to a share, or a folder within a share?
From a business perspective, the lack of a second PSU is definitely problematic… they really want to push their weird outboard PSU, I know, but that just doesn’t fly if you’re trying to play with the big boys. For small environments and homes, however, it seems pretty great… as long as what you want is STORAGE and not all the extra stuff Synology and the like have grown into becoming.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I would love this plus something like the Synology Drive software.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
could i put my backup copies of movies on this and run plex from a computer and access from any tv?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Excellent review. Thank you. I would really be interesting to knowing what drive setup with RAID5 would be needed to saturate the 10b both for reads and writes. Your numbers are not that great with the drives you used. Could faster hard drives do it? Would SATA SSD’s do it and how many would be needed? I am not buying another NAS with 10g that will only do less than half the network capabilities. With this unit in particular, it really needs to have 10g file transfer capabilities.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Be nice if they allowed for backups to AWS or Backblaze via their AWS api thing.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So no PLEX available?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
can i ask what hdd temperature at full load all 7bay?
and the cpu is too weak,that power only enough at 2 bay
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
can it present iscsi LUNs at all ?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
How you add Reolink Cams to the unifi protect?????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
A teeny tiny bit frustrated that I ordered a backplane mini-ITX case from AliExpress last month (and am still waiting on delivery) intending to build my homelab server/NAS for my Unifi stack then they announce this thing. Chances are it’ll be like the 2U PDU they make & stay out of stock for 10 months…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I might’ve missed it, but does it really not have NFS or iSCSI support?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
A NAS that’s not trying to be a golden goose-do-it-all homeserver where you run everything but the kitchen sink on.
Take my money
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Waiting for the NAS pro MAX if it has docker/vm support.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
499?! Holy crap. If this does RELIABLE storage, I cannot care less about Qnap and Synology bloatware!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
GREAT video and I love that they have nailed the fundamentals. In your comparative videos, I suspect it’s going to be REALLY hard to find something in this price range that can even come close. (Find an off the shelf 7 bay NAS for $500?)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
7:26 There is a secondary PSU. Uni does it using the Unifi RPS… That is Unifi’s redundant power supply device. Also if you are worried about noise then RACK MOUNT HARDWARE ISN’T FOR YOU! Only a little over 7 minutes and I already dislike this review.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Everybody is going nuts over the price but that’s by design. V2 will charge extra for redundant power supply and other status quo features.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Is there currently a feature where you can backup pc clients like active backup for business on synology?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
♥♥
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Wonder why this isn’t just available as an app for other Unifi devices with disk storage?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can this replace Synology Drive?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
But can it run plex?…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great comprehensive video. I absolutely love all things Ubiquity but I feel like I want to wait for another version or at least more apps. I have a Synology now and don’t even scratch the surface of the features available (including things like running docker images) but the one thing your video suggested is given the lack of use of file metadata I would certainly be missing some app features like the Synology photo app at least and probably video as well so I could look up pictures by person (facial recognition) or geo (show me my Aruba vacation pictures)
I have wanted all things Uniquity on my network and maybe I just need to wait a few software and maybe even a hardware revision or 2. I feel like it may need more memory and CPU once and IF they start to add more app features.
Also, I wish they would have done an M.2 drive slot at least for caching.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What is your opinion regarding UNIfI selecting BTRFS for their filesystem? I see many video stating that BTRFS with RAID is not ready for production. This is a topic that I would love for you to expand in one of your future videos for the UNIFI nas.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Does it have Docker?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
@NASCompares Can you test throughput with SATA SSD setup? Like Samsung EVO drives?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
If the unit included NFS, multiple volumes and mixed hard drive sizes . . . that would be then end of Synology for me.
A luxury version with larger screen – summarising all the data at a glance would be a nice option.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’m running a bare metal k8s cluster, so I really don’t need to be able to run docker containers on a nas. This is exactly what I wanted and at a great price. Ubiquiti nailed their first NAS outing
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great video, this is almost exactly what I have been looking for, just need the ability to make immutable backups (WORM) which it sounds like you are expecting from them in the near future. Will be looking forward to your future videos.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
wow imagine releasing a “pro” NAS that is 100% SATA and not being able to have redundant 10 Gb uplinks…. Ubiquiti has no idea what they are doing
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
When the UniFi Pro NAS dies, can you take the drives and plop it into a new UniFi Pro NAS and carry on like Synology NAS’s ?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Will this run Plex so I can ditch my Synology?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
10:01 you’re forgetting that this is unifi’s “pro” line not “pro max”. “Pro” really just means rack mount entry level SMB for unifi devices. I wouldn’t expect dual 10Gb on the regular “pro” model.
Now a “pro max” NAS I would expect to have NVME, more bays, dual 10Gb and a single 25Gb.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I would be interested to know how the hardware compares to the Protect UNVRPro? But none of the reviews peek under the lid. Is it the same hardware but with more memory or is the more to it?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
no x86, no good…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So, can you designate drives? Maybe use 5 of them for raid and 2x as backup?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thinking if these do well they will come out with a ‘Max’ and ‘Enterprise’ editions.
I’ve been looking at getting a Synology or building my own TrueNAS system for home. Now this came out, I have more research to do to see this will work for my home and families needs.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Does it support NFS ISCSI?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Having already invested in Unifi gear (including a Pro switch with a spare SFP+ port) and already having a fairly beefy Proxmox host in play to host applications this seems like a great option!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It’s pretty clear their goal for this device is having basic file storage for users of a home/small business that are going to connect to shared folders on mac and windows systems. What a NAS by definition really is… I see a lot of people complaining about lack of redundant network ports, NFS, iSCSI, etc. IMO, I think all those features they’re wanting are things needed when you are building enterprise infrastructure and Ubiquiti knows that’s really best handled by a proper SAN product from the likes of Dell, HP, IBM, NetApp, etc.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can an existing UNVR-Pro be turned into a UNAS Pro? Is the hardware identical? Is the software the only difference?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
How can some spend nearly an hour reviewing a NAS and not address file systems?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Will this support SATA and SAS drives? Haven’t been able to find this anywhere.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
11:30 on my Synology rs3614rpxs, those read and write speeds are what I was getting with five hard drives, over a SPF+ DAC cable. When I switched to a LC om4 fiber SPF+ cable, I was achieving 750MBps or 7Gbps.
Not sure why I’m getting better numbers from fiber cable over the copper cable. Both cables are rated 10gigabits per second
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can hardly wait for the Enterprise NVR to be released as a NAS WOW
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
How about power consumption? Did I miss that part?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Where is the non-pro version?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
wudnt piss on this crap if it was on fire
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This is just a NAS network attached storage only. Not able to complete to Synology, QNAP, UGreen, etc. at this time. Is this NAS going to support docker, plex, etc
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Is it possible to use 1-2 HDD as a nvr Storage?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
If this is “Pro,” I wonder about their name for the (maybe) upcoming, more powerful version of this. UNAS MegaUltraProMaxSE
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I smell a Ultra Pro version with NVEM Cache Slot, which will be announced in 3-6 months.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Have you actually logged in via SSH and poked around the system? I’m curious what filesystem its running on those drives; given the feature set, it sounds like they are using btrfs.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Does this have a media server capability or a way to link up to Plex server??
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
VMs are heavy on the ressources, I could understand why it ain’t there, but missing Docker support is a no-go. I remain on TrueNAS for the time being.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What kind of raid protection is it using? What about the data if the unit fails? Are able to mix different hdds size like Sinolgy shr does?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Maybe I missed but is there any thermal test for this machine? The front design of those drive bay let me suspect it might have thermal issue once you use it for some years later.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
ZZZzzzz they should enable this feature for UDM PRO MAX , it has 2 disk slots
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
SAS support or just SATA?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Some what disappointed, this is just a software patch of the UNVR with a slightly more RAM. I’m sorry to say this but I’m not going to buy it, well not until an NVME slot, 1x 2.5 gbe lans and 2x 10 gbe SFP+
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Me still waiting for a EU version of Unifi Cable Modem…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Dude this is amazing how many people are now entering the consumer space. honestly if the software is stable and good like synologys and as a storage server this seems like a no brainer for a home user who doesn’t want to configure a lot.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Now put in 4TB NAS based SSDs!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
A product like this is for a specific market and it’s not me. I prefer DIY… A used 12bay 2U server is about the same price but way more powerful and more versatile. I do like and use their networking hardware though.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
would love to see a 1u 4 bay version based on unvr as well.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Such a detailed review, thank you ???? It is a pity about Docker/VM/Plex support (or lack of!), but I understand why Ubi have focused on making just a NAS right now.
Also re reply you made to another comment, I would love to watch the story of how you had to reshoot this video multiple times. Fair play to you on the patience.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
disappointed in the power consumption. Granted being 7 bays at 500$ seems decent but my AIO server is a much better fit long term. I hope they continue to add to their offering.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can you have a few drives in raid and a few as seperate single storage?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Finally someone is throwing a bomb in the NAS market, $500 is CHEAP for a proper built system with solid software and hardware support from a company that is represented in the whole world.
And those that shout “software”, that is something completely different, it takes way more resources to come up with comparable features that Synology has. If that is the need Synology have you covered at a high price with weak specs.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
How about noise ? Is UNAS Pro quiet ?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I think it’s very nice to have a system that’s actually ONLY a NAS. I do use docker on my Synology devices at home and in the office. And the Synology backup between these two sites is so great that I wouldn’t be without it.
But for something like an actual online disk system in the office, this fits the bill nicely at a much lower price. Also, as an on-site backup for the backup, this would do well.
The only reason why this is the case is the price, of course. If it had been comparable to Synology, why would you ever get it? It’s nice to see someone hitting Synology with a price hammer, though. They’ve been getting a bit pricey over the years.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
this is 99% what I need… I just now need docker so I can run off site backups to b2
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
is there a way to gracefully shut down the nas in case of power outage (with a ups of course) maybe with NUT?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I know you are looking for proxmox setups with the GMKtecK8 mini PC. Do one with the mini running proxmox and a vm like home assistance os (needs a vm) and another vm or proxmox container to run docker containers. The data or docker volumes are atore in the new Unifi nas using SMB (I hope one day it gets NFS)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I did have a question, understand you were able to put a large seagate hdd without issues. But don’t you usually need more ram when total storage size is much larger? If so is there a limit? For instance, if I fill all 7 bats with 24tb drives let’s say, is it capable of that? Or will the 8gb ram be an issue?
Also if I put 3 drives inside, does it have the ability to add more drives as you go and expand your storage without wiping data from existing raid array?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Now I need ubiquity to make a 1U server that can run media apps like plex or any of its alternatives and make it for about $200 since rackmount chassis are about $200 on their own which is insane
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
70 c temp ? ????????????????????????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can you play 360 video within Unifi Drive?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Need a SAS model!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Time to ditch Synology. Had enough.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
No redundant replaceable power supplies or network , awful network options in general … sure feels like they left to much out for a Pro max / SE model later
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can you mix and match drives? On the nvr pro it made me use old 2tb drives because when I tried to put in 2x 10tb, 2x 8tb, and 2x 4tb, it wanted to only use 4tb of d ery drive.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
My entire feed is now just tech tubers reviewing this device. I’m guessing they must have all been waiting for an embargo to end. I am, of course, watching this guys review because he’s THE MAN.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Would using SSD’s reduce the top end power consumption and idle power consumption?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I love your review. No shade on any of the other reviewers, but your review is geared more towards how “I” am looking to use a NAS for my work loads.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It’s all a bit bizarre. Let me check…. yes, it’s definitely 2024. As always, beautiful interface, Ikea-style Unify minimalism, but NIC redundancy, no NVMe, single PSU, it’s all a bit drab. Can you run TrueNas on it ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can be cool if those who dont have a server rack to be able to have Unifi Drive on a cloudkey g2 to have a small file storage without redundancy. Or even on the drive of a UDM.
As they keep the UNVR frame, im assuming they will have a UNAS Enterprise as well with the UNVR Enterprise frame 🙂
And no need apps on a NAS… its a NAS and not a server… I have Plex on my truenas and I regret not having it on my proxmox instead.
I will for sure ditch my TrueNAS for UNAS and migrate my Plex on a VM
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
THANK YOU UBIQUITI…. Finally….
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This is the “beta” product. They will cut production quickly and check how many buyers, then renew the team that made it to continue with next unit. New unit will have slot-in PSU (regular server style) but still no backup, as they want to encourage purchase of the Ubiquiti UPS battery. Two SFP ports (depending on cost and users making use of 10G speed, could be one 10G and one 2.5G) and two RJ45 ports (probably regular 1Gbps or using the new 2.5G that throttles when hot). Likely one fewer drive bay. Newer CPU. More RAM. Double the price.
Pro: all driver ports will be SATA/U.2 compatible, much more expensive CPU, possible socketed RAM slot (onboard or soldered 4GB or 8GB). Pro will be around 10x the price.
Ubiquiti developer team isn’t huge, they will not support apps or VM until far future. Best you can hope is to SSH and attempt to install your own OS.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
its their 1st iteration, give them a break?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hey Ubiquiti, how about putting Drive on the UDM and NVRs? I want to learn the software while you are working out the bugs.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The only thing I would have liked was for them to drop the RPS connection and put in dual hot-swappable power supplies. But I get it, they are using the existing hardware from the UNVR Pro so it takes much less effort to make one of these. I plan on getting two of these. One for my primary backups and then the second one for backups of my backups. I will use my current Synology NAS that I am currently using for backups as a Docker system running HA and Plex and move my backups from Synology to the Ubiquiti NAS.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
@nascompares, Robbie, I don’t think you mentioned the file system. Any idea what’s being used?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
no NFS either?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I would buy this without hesitation if I could split data pools to have a 4 drive raid 1 nas as a data replication for my Synology, and a 3 bay raid 0 for unifi protect. To add to that, I would love love LOVE to also be able to use the drive bay in my UDM SE as an additional storage option for unifi protect. (I don’t need redundancy for my home cameras Ubiquiti, I just want as many days recorded as drives I have available).
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
No SAS drive support either, that backplane SATA only 🙁
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This will save me a ton on having a NAS to backup my 1821+. My old 4 bay Synology died. So, I’m backing up one volume on my 1821+ to another volume on the same NAS, which obviously worries me. I can’t justify buying another 8 bay Synology, but I can justify this easily. As soon as it’s proven itself in production environments, I’m getting one.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I quite like the NAS and just NAS approach they took. I have separate machines for hypervisors to run VMs and containers on and like the separation. Two of these in a shadow mode active-passive fail over setup would be tits.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I feel like you miss the point of the single PSU. Unifi devices all ahve a single PSU and they have a solution for it that connects to multiple devices and acts as a secondary psu for them. I do not know of any NAS or computer/server that people typically use at home that have duel psu’s.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It looked fantastic until I saw the weak CPU it has. It worse than my old 5bay QNAP.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great introduction and descriptive video to this NAS. Thanks for your efforts!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hopefully the firmware up-downgrade will be even easier than their other network devices, as they do sometimes release stinker of updates. Currently they broke many widely used IoT devices like shelly. It would probably be good for install-and-forget areas though.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This as a no-frill local data replication of the Unraid and TrueNAS systems I already own. Absolutely perfect.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This is basically a router cpu with storage attached ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Any piece of hardware that requires me to create an account just to be able to is it, goes into the trash.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
can you try via ssh `apt update && apt install unifi-protect unifi-talk` and see what happens? (on an EFG it installs both even though its not supported…)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
They are definitely after the home lab market, not commercial. Ticks all the boxes for me!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
WOW, excellent review, I have Unify network setup at home along with a QNAP NAS and heard on the grape vine that there may be a Unifi NAS released soon, and that price, you can’t go wrong… Can’t wait for future updates to see whether they include docker etc as I do like having the utils that QNAP provide. ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
For my Home Lab this is almost what I need. I have QNAP 8 bay ARM (~1000€) but it’s not rack mounted. But I also use ssd in raid 0 as a cache. And I have about double the ram. I really use it as SMB store so thats fine. I wanted so bad to replace my QNAP with this but it seems, it will just be a backup for QANP storage with speeds I see. UNAS Pro MAX would just need to have 2 NVME bays for CACHE, double SFP+ and give us the 12 bays and 3U. But who knows, maybe the UNAS Pro is enough for raw video editing of SMB and playing games with Steam?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Those poor hard drives will have no airflow.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What rack is that?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
All I need is my private dropbox, ability to back up family phones and view uploaded and edited videos from hols on TV and phone. Dont care about plex or dockers (what are these?:)Is that going to cut the mustard?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hey there! Finally it came to life, so many years! Now I’m glad I never did spend time on switching OS on a UNVR, that time is now _saved_.
thoughts: It’s good that there’s no concept of pools. keep it this simple or it will just not fit into its very limited scope anymore.
If I could, and if it would already support the right bits, I would put one in each access switch cabinet and use them as archival storage or similar. Not as team folder or anything they would suck at. but as a way to spread out tertiary storage. The price is right, the URPS connector is suitable, don’t need a second 10g port for that either. Integrate moosefs or similar at the same level of hands-off-no-choices setup and this would be nice[tm].
I also would say the lack of WORM features is a pity. how well do they have that down in UNVR? it’s not a trivial feature to implement to any non-laughable level of reliability.
Given the price point, I’d even ejnoy a toggle switch that makes the whole device read-only and can only be cancelled at the front panel. Fill it, lock it.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Kinda a bummer, i was holding out building something for myself. Sure Not having plex is a bummer butttttttt…. Not allowing Unifi Protect to be used on the NAS is a deal breaker….
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So 4-5 more years and (if they don’t abandon the idea) it actually might be a nice NAS brand 🙂
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great review. Could you please also test performance with SSD drives? Would like to see how close to 10 Gbps those transfer speeds can be.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I still have stuff on a DROBO-FS. So, this might be a great upgrade for me. ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
hardware raid or softwear ?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I saw this release announcement and instantly search your channel knowing you HAD to have been right on top of it!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I guess they had a few nvrs laying artound nobody bought ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Good review.
I’ve a question about user management and “directory integration”. Does it mean that instead of creating local users in this NAS, if I’ve a MS AD server on ny network, I can assign rights for some network users on some directories ?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great video. Soon as they get Docker; I am in.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks for really nice video!
When sharing a folder, you can add a user. What user is this? Is this something that you create on your machine?
And how does the remote login for it look?
I’m currently using Nextcloud on Truenas to share large video files. All my friends and clients have a personal login where they view/download/reshare the media. I’m curious if I can replicate this with the UNAS.
Also, when you preview/stream remotely a video file does it transcode? If yes, does it also do h265? Sorry for the interrogation 😛 It’s just it can be a dealbreaker or dream for me depending on the answer.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I wish you would slow down the screen caps.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
For the price, this is great! I usually have my Plex server and VMs and stuff on another machine anyway. Seems pretty desirable to split the two so you have some redundancy.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
If you are going to say G U I instead of gooey, you really need to say N A S instead of nas as a word 😉 – (nice video BTW, really liked your analysis)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Is this a VCR?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So nice seagul shirt ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Please can you pop the cover off and show us it’s guts? I’m keen to see if the RAM is upgradable
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Needs iSCSI, NFS and SSD caching. Maybe Pro Max next year will have those.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Nice start, but not a homerun.
Give it:
More cores/threads (n305)
Replacable RAM
NVME storage
Usb ports
Alligned front drives, not this masonry pattern
I’d like to run docker and apps like photobackup, torrent, jellyfin, home assistant.
Happy to pay twice the price
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Got it, this is intended to be mostly a pure NAS not a compute and app platform. For the cost that is a great value prop for SMB. They currently seem to have more interest in nailing the NAS basics rather than trying to run any and all docker apps. This seems ok. woah, directory integration, hope they extend that to the whole control plane and not charge a subscription for that.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So, did I understood correctly, that with one drive you cannot set this nas up? It requires at least three hard disks, to set up required redundancy level?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Given Ubiquiti’s history of never delivering promised features on new devices before they reach EOL, I’ll wait to see if they actually deliver the app that simplifies mounting of drives for end users before I decided to make a purchase… I’m over here having “Security Scanning Radio, SHD-AP” flashbacks…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So Like it but I think you mentioned that Plex does not work on it at the moment? is there any ETA on that (Getting Plex on the the unit)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Surprised they don’t sell the drive caddies separately haha
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Ubiquiti systems already run docker under the hood. So, it would be very easy for them to make a “hosting” app available under UniFi OS.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great video, lots of details thanks! One question, can you mix and match different HDD sizes? As someone who hacked unvr to NAS, I have installed 4 disks which automatically turned on raid 5. Is this the same case with UNAS PRO?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hi there,
Can files on this system be shared using Microsoft DFS?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Buy yourself some new teeth, please.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Kind of limited to me but I can see this being great for a lot of people, especially those already using Ubiquity equipment and/or who might be on the fence about buying Synology. Kind of refreshing to see a ‘pure’ NAS though as someone who still believes in separating storage and compute.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great video! will be using your link to purchase one.
I currently have a TrueNAS box that has 9 drives in it but going to scale down to 7 drives anyways to save power consumption (yes for me it does make that big of a difference). That is the biggest thing for me… when my NAS is at idle it is 90-100w and reading/ writing heavy it is 160-200 w. I don’t do docker or anything like that on my NAS, I have another machine for that. I just need something efficient and that will do the storage thing well, and it will match my other Unifi equipment…. lol
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I actually like that it’s not a Synology or QNAP. I can’t stand how those brands are trying to turn their NAS into a Swiss army knife. I don’t need my NAS to be a VM host, run Docker containers, host OpenOffice, Nextcloud, Home Assistant, act as a DNS or DHCP server, or provide LDAP, etc. I hve proxmox clusters, DC servers, and Routers that already do all of that. I need my NAS to do one thing, and one thing only—store stuff. And that’s exactly what this does. It’s a no-frills solution for straightforward storage.
That said, Ubiquiti has a bad reputation for exciting the world with new products then abandoning thrm 9 months to a year after release and leaving a bunch of early adopters with useless doorstops after they stop supporting it (ask me how i know), so I think I’ll hold off buying one until its been around for a while but it looks like a great jumping point for a platform. as it seems to be based off the UNVR Pro, I imagine the UNVR and UNVR Enterprise will eventually join the ecosystem as the UNAS and UNAS Enterprise so well see. lot of potential here.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
For simple business NAS this is probably more than adequate but anyone who wants a server like Synology/QNAP or something more advanced like Unraid won’t be interested in this at all. What would be cool is if they launched a 4U rack mount case with tons of hot swappable drive bays so we could build what the client (or Prosumers) wants.
I have a 90TB Unraid server in a desktop style ATX case. There are not many rack mount cases that work great imo other than those massive LTT style servers they build (forgot the companys name) but they don’t just sell the case.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
If it can do storage and permissions better then unraid/truenas then I could care less about vm/docker support. Proxmox does vms better and docker is just better on a dedicated machine
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’ve got multiple Synology’s in my house, and I love them. I also have a full Unifi setup. I’d love to try transitioning to one of these in the future, but I’m going to wait until the software gets a little more polished, and some more features get added. But $500 for a 7 bay rack mountable NAS is a great price!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
ZFS? If not, I’m not interested
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What’s under the hood? TrueNAS Scale?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I would want this but it’s lacks Docker and VM support. Without docker this is a deal breaker
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hi, I like rack unit on wheels. Can you please share the link where you bought it from
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It’s surprising to see the same hardware as the NVR Pro, running Drive but doesn’t support Protect. If you combined the NVR and NAS into a single product line, eliminating the need to purchase and manage two separate sets of drives, I’d be ready to purchase it, even with the current software limitations. Over the past few years, Synology has been scaling back on features while continuing to charge a premium for hardware that is outdated. It’s hard to justify paying top dollar for a NAS that still ships with generations old CPU and 1Gb Ethernet. Unfortunately, UniFi’s solution doesn’t seem to be quite there yet either. I had high hopes that UniFi was going to get me out of the Synology downward spiral.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What’s the underlying file system, BTRFS? No NFS 3 or NFS 4.1? No iSCSI LUN and target support? Upgradeable memory? Does it deliver data fast enough for 4K streaming (Plex) running on a connected device? Does seem disappointing compared to Synology.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Question: Does it works with mixed size disks? For example like the SHR in Synology
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I don’t understand the connectivity/single PSU complaints. The thing’s 500 bucks. It’s got SFP+. This is 100% a repurposed NVR, and fit for purpose at a frankly insane price. Great for storing your jellyfin library and similar workloads. Don’t ask it to do stuff it wasn’t designed for.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Hopefully seperate pools setup will be added in the near future 🙂
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I really like this product. Most home users these days want a “NAS” but really they want a home server that runs a lot of different services and stores files for their network and they think their NAS is supposed be that device. I appreciate that this device goes back to being what a NAS was originally intended to be and seems targeted perfectly to the small business and home business market.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’m not sure if it supports dynamic expansion, such as adding more hard drives later like SHR, or flexibly expanding by replacing one hard drive with a larger capacity. After all, not everyone is a professional who would spend a large amount of money to buy all the hard drives at once.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
A true lean, clean STORING machine. WONDERFUL!
UNIFI should pay you a comission. Your excellent thorough review just sold one device to me.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
You mentioned it’s quiet and I’ve heard the same from other reviewers. What HDDs were you using when you put the mic on it? It sounded just like my UNVR, which is very quiet. I can’t get over how quiet these Unifi devices are compared to my Synology with Ironwolf drives, which I can hear 2 rooms away.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’m not terribly impressed with the documentation on the website as it doesn’t cover what the back plane and system support. is it all SATA3 6Gb or does it also support SAS 12Gb? yes there’s only one 10Gb port BUT the fewer drives you need to saturate that bandwidth the more drives you can allocate for redundancy if you aren’t just looking to maximize storage volume. Despite my grump there, the price alone makes this device appealing and thanks for the video!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
UNIFI, take my money!!!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Not sure how they can call this a “pro” device… Great review Rob
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can you create an NFS share on a folder.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
@liamfoneill We have to wait for the UNAS Pro Max for NVME M.2 drive support!! 😛 😀 🙂
It’s also worth noting 1 PSU isn’t a big deal, it has a connection (from what I see from your pictures) for an RPS.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
now Unifi needs to come out with a 24bay Disk Shelf. 😀
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
this NAS is a good machine for back-ups over the network
the only think I want to know is what if the unit fails (mobo/PSU) can I remove the drives and move them to another unit and have the data?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Amazing review, thanks mate.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
ARM. Not A R M.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This needs ubiqitui dedicated app for creating backups from phones.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The photo sharing and date sorting is something that I am glad is present.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Needs to have SFP+ for me to leave synology 2.5Gbps. I am very happy with synology software ecosystem (drive, photos, audio, video, VM Manager). I can’t leave that either.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Wheres the little one that was on the website ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’m wondering if the storage can be increased by adding more drives without destroying the data already there. Say you set it up in RAID6 with 4 drives and then add 3 more, do you have to wipe the array and start over or is there a way to expand the storage without losing the data already there? 7 disk bays, 10 gig and an easy to manage interface for $500 seems like a crazy good deal if you don’t want to hassle with a DIY job (which I’ve done and hate).
Edit: LOL should have finished watching the vid first
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Good start with a nice price, but I’ll just wait for the next iteration, unless I get Terramaster or Synology (if they ever release anything) soon.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Exciting! Can’t wait for the content
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
SATA SSD’s are cheap
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Cheap is not good. There could have been a bit more hardware and software for a 20% higher price.
It’s just a data repository with a fancy interface, there’s still a lot to do. I have UGreen NAS as an EA, it could do more than NAS when it came out and it’s not more expensive. For the little that the UNAS can do (lack of synchronization between PC and MAC, no NFS and iSCSI, no M.2 NVMe) you don’t need a “special” interface. And the worst thing for me is that I have 7 disks and I can’t set them up in different storage pools.
Is the video also available in slow mode? Many of the interfaces are hard to recognize and the video is extremely hectic.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Would rather have a 4 bay at $300 and get two for HA
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great price imo
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great Video thanks. I’ve been waiting for something like this since I turned off my Power hungry Apple 1U Servers and huge Apple RAIDs and bought a Qnap, which I have hated for years. All I want is mountable storage , easy to use, no faffing about, couldn’t care less about Apps and Containers and real hot swappable storage. Gonna get one for sure.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What’s the experience like for an iPhone user accessing photos/videos? Can this replace iCloud?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
give us Max version: x86 platform at least 4/8 core, nfs+iscsi, 4x NICs /2+2 10G/, nvme storage, wasabi+backblaze backup target, native apps or dockers. will happily pay 899+ EUR any day.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
That asymmetry is triggering my OCD,…..
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Sorry if i missed it but do they have any SHR like system for mixed sized drives?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I guess the price reflect the features. But you can use it for Protect archiving recently released. I guess you have UDMP with protect and archive to this or the cloud. The cpu and memory on this are slim because it can’t run any other apps but it’s good for shuffling files. Also the Microsoft / Google account integrations for identity enterprise could be a big feature for businesses.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I was excited until I discovered it does not have NFS or iSCSI, as I consider those services a fundamental requirement for even an entry-level NAS. I’d also love to see an NVMe RW/RO cache option.
I’d have instantly given UI my money if it had iSCSI, NFS, NVMe cache, and dual 10GB SFP+.
I guess those will come as a PRO MAX version 😛
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The perfect NAS… a pure local storage device without any extras.
When you don’t want another server, you get a NAS.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a great video on this system. I felt your review was very honest and unbiased. I totally agree on your Pro’s and Con’s and for me, I think the ‘current state’ of this unit is underwhelming for my needs. Maybe if they release another unit that will allow third party software, unifi surveillance integration, a better CPU, and memory upgrades. BTW. I’m almost all in on the Unifi ecosystem although I do have a QNAP and Synology NAS.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Oh, what a great NAS!
Will it be available in Japan?
I am very much looking forward to it!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can I have multiple UNAS-Pros? If I need two for more than 7 drives, will that work?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Well there goes my hope of not having to wait for synology. So you think if we dont get a synology announcement by first week of Nov no release again this year? I dont see how they would miss the holiday buying period. Unless their plan is to sell old NAS on black friday and release the new one right after and really p everyone off.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
a couple of nvme slots just for the caching would have been really nice.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Sounds like a very good system for a backup for other NAS Systems. The possibility of 7 * 24 TB HDD for 499€. Sounds fair.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The “Create a UI account” really seems to be disingenuous on UniFi’s part. Not being at all familiar with Unify, I would just think that it’s the normal user name and password to login locally to the desktop *User Interface* and not an online account. Unify could have been far clearer about this but I suspect that a fair number of people would have blindly proceeded with setting up the UI account which is what they are counting on. And, to put that in perspective, think back to your review of HexOS and the really solid push back by those who did not want an online login. I don’t like to do business with anyone who runs their business like that. No thanks.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Synology is the only NAS brand where I think their software adds value beyond being a storage server. But if I’m being honest, over time as I’ve migrated most of my docker/VM services over to Proxmox or XCP-ng and have very little running on the Synology hardware itself.
I could see myself being interested in exploring Unifi as a storage server in the future, but I’d need a higher performance version.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I love all the competition that’s popping-up recently.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
What is the Power consumption?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Defiantly going to pick one of these up. Don’t give a hoot about the docker side, that’s why I have servers. I want a storage NAS that does just that, store things and get data to the right users, I don’t want to host my docker apps from it as well. Great video thanks for the review!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Terramaster in 2U would be perfect option with non locked bootloader.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
How fast is it with SSDs?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Is it even possible to saturate a 10G connection with spinning disks? Other than that, i assume this is meant to be connected to an SFP+ aggregator (USW-Aggregation) switch to split between multiple storage units
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
A silent rackmount NAS is what I was searching for! Other rack mount NAS are too loud! I do not need docker, because I have docker on my Proxmox computer.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Basically this is the NVR reworked to see if the NAS will sell, I would wait to the next generation
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This device is the beginning . It’s affordable and it’s easy to use.
If it catches on, you bet you’re bippy, more will come.
I’ve got four Synology unit in use between my family members and they are great but … I would love something that just efficiently stores data.
It also appears that it may easily, allow safe direct remote access.
I’ll have to watch how things go before I would purchase.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So I see some real good here; one, Unifi has a track record of software upgrades, so I fully expect items like NFS/ISCSI. I do not in any way expect Plex, Docker, etc. and I shouldn’t – that isn’t who this product is aimed at. Two, the remote management through the UI account management system is a potential IT godsend in comparison to the way that this works in Synology. Three, I do like the snapshop methodology in comparison to the way that this functions in synology. Now, the biggest items I see that will be big is that it fits directly into the UI ecosphere, and that is good. Now, I can see a lot of room for improvement, but I can see where this can have a big future with some of the integration options this is going to have. I do like how this is a business ready product that isn’t moving to drives that are made by them and nothing else (screw you Synology on that one)
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Just a correction, the Unifi Power Backup is a redundant power supply, not a battery backup.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks for the deep dive. Any news on the ability to mix drive capacities?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Soooooo ugly. I like Unifi, have a lot of their hardware. But just can’t understand why 7 drives? Why layout is so strange? Just… why? Can’t they just stack two 4-drives cases?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Thanks for the review, well done and thorough. Not surprised to see no availability for Docker at this point. At the price point, this is great for fire storage. It’s not HA or high-speed system, which is fine. There are other players for that type of equipment. It appears that UI gave us a purpose-built system that does one thing really well, at a price that is hard to not smile at.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This looks like a decent start – funnily enough while eating my bacon, egg and black pudding (and watching this video), I got the email from Ubiquiti titled “Welcome to Unifi Drive and UNAS Pro” (1134hrs EDT). As others have commented though, I won’t be swapping my DS920+ for the UNAS Pro. I do have a Ubiquiti network setup, so was very excited when I saw your video this morning. As always – great video and thanks for taking the time to post!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I am… underwhelmed.
I was not expecting perfection, but… it lacks so much to be an instant buy. But yeah, it’s truly cheap (especially for Unifi) for a 2U 7 drive bay (which is really something) and would play nice into the ecosystem. But… no ZFS, no NFS, no iSCSI, no docker (because let’s be honest, even if purists say that a NAS should be just a NAS, but… it makes sense to have those hosts a few docker).
I know Unifi makes update, albeit slowly.. but.. at the moment it’s not worth it. But 500 euros… it’s super interesting when they started adding features.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Does it support Jumbo frames?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
First galance. Where does the air flow come from to cool the drives. As not much air is going to get around those solid caddie faces. As a rackmount. Its supposed to have front to back airflow. The almost solid front panel raises questions.
The network ports have one up and one pointing down is an odd design choice. Not to mention being in the front.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Were read/write speeds over 10GbE covered in this video?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Did he say what OS backend it uses and what file systems the HD can use?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This is just a pure NAS. Nothing more. I mean, yea. But at the same time it does not go up against things like Unraid or Truenas. Even OMV has more functions. For what this is, it is about $200 more then it should be for what you get. I was really looking forward to this to replace my Unraid server, but damn.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’d consider going with a Unifi Nas, but I don’t want rack-mount (5 bays would be great) and I’d like to see more configuration options. Docker support would be (really) nice.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’m disappointed in the backup options on this nas. Let’s be honest, no one will be backing up their 7 drives of data to Google Drive. That would be a insane cost. So this device doesn’t have a real, usable cloud backup that you can use. It doesn’t also have USB backup, so to backup this device you need to… get another NAS. Because you haven’t payed enough just yet.
I do agree it’s a good value target for a synology backup.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The device feels like the perfect unit for low cost offsite backup storage. Easy to lock away in a comms rack and you wont saturate the write speeds over the wire.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Amazing review! Thank you!!! Excited to see Uniquiti launch a simple JBOD NAS and looking forward to the future of where they take it!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This is an superb video !
You really know your stuff and you really gave us an insight into the product, what it can and can’t do with lots of visual showing of it
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Looks like a VCR lol
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This looks really interesting to me. My big question though, what if you get more than 1 of these? Say I expand and need more than 7 drives, could I buy a second unit and have the pools merge between the 2? Because that would be cool. Also seeing performance stats of SATA SSD’s would be nice too!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
people complaining about the features for a $499 NAS drive from Ubiquiti, common guys .wait for next more expensive version will probably have all those missing features.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
No tower or 10“ version. Not suitable for a small rack in confined spaces. So my choice will be still Synology.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
what a disappointment, only 1gib network port. I would have liked it to have another sturdy switch, depending on the equipment, at least 1/2.5/5gib network connector.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The demand was a bit manic. I missed the official announcement but guess it was today. Interesting there is only 1 of each network connection but let me watch the video
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It’s an ARM device (no virtualization means it won’t replace a home server). NEXT! ????????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This seems interesting and I might even pull the trigger. It would be nice to have a single pane of glass to manage everything and not to have to worry about Synology and the lack of 3rd party device support. I mean from a NAS perspective it literally does just that and anything else can be added later.
Also, do we know anything about the file system or did I miss it in the video? Is it BTRFS or EXT4?
Also, more information about the backups would be awesome! Like is this sort of like hyper backup?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Great and very timely review Thanks! Did I understand you correctly, can you uses different sized drives in the raid array (like Synology Hybrid raid) or do all drives the array need to be the same size?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Brilliant and Honest review as always, thanks. I don’t think I will dumping my TrueNAS Scale box anytime soon, but it’s one to keep an eye on ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So the non pro will be the 4 bay nvr?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Isn’t there a NAS brand called U-NAS?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can this do Plex hardware transcoding? ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I have nevered owned a NAS…just an OWC Thunderbay 4 nut need a NAS u now. So now that this item is released I’m wondering whether for my first NAS I should still stick to getting the Synology DS1522+ as a SOLO videographer and editor using 10TB per year?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
???????????? and couldn’t even get a 2.5gig port on it jeez
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
why only 7 drives, at least 8 properly aligned drives…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
i wonder if the software plays nice if you wanna add a 2nd unas pro to your network down the line.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
SATA 2.5 inch SSD compatibility?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Funny how SpaceRex uploaded his video at the same time. I guess NDA?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Genuinely worried about this as ive been using a UNVR Pro for a while as a nas using SSH to install samba. I hope they dont artificially block people using the UNVR Pro now that there is an official NAS offering
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
They could’ve gone with an Intel N100 or N200 which would’ve been so much better, even if they tack on an added $100-200 dollars to the price tag, unfortunately I’ll not be considering it. It’s nice tho, maybe they’ll release something with an Intel/AMD chip in the future…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Well Robbie, you said so many times that with synology you pay for the software more than the hardware. It’s painfully obvious looking at this device.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
It’s one strange NAS.
Strange layout. Strange software. Strange hardware. Thermals are dubious. Rackable but lacking features standard for rack hw such as modular redundant PSUs.
Good for undemanding brand fanboys only.
When b- and c-tier brands and even nonames have started pumping out decent NAS devices, seeing such a device from a respectable brand is utterly perplexing. I’d love to get into the product development team’s heads and learn their thought processes that led to the appearance of this bucktoothed inbred monstrosity…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Phenomenal review and THANK YOU for the well labeled chapter marks in the video. Wanted to jump around to just my highest importance spots first in the video before watching end to end.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Release date? The US Site still has zero information about its existence
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Can’t wait for UNAS Pro ‘Max’ which has Docker and VM support ????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Meh, the hardware specs are weak…
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Seems a little underwhelming re-using the same hardware as the UNVR-Pro with a 2012 processor and no NVMe caching.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I think you hit it on the head at the end Robbie. I’m defo going to be replacing my onsite backup ext. drives with one of these (going by how stuff sells out on their site though, that’s probably going to be around 4/3 2025!). But it won’t be replacing the Synology for day to day work stuff that’s for sure.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
This thing is like half the price of a 8 bay synology. I was getting ready to buy an 8 bay in a couple months, but I might get this now.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I am Supriesed by the Price. Would have expected at least double that.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Awesome review! Can you set disks to spindown for lower power consumption when not in use?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
553,20 € the price is not that bad , but I Don’t know what the software has , does it use btrfs or zfs ?
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
So is this the unvr but with new software. How are the temps.. 70?? . Can it transcode .. sorry soo excited, disappointed and confused at the same time by this nas
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Still don’t like their io on the front
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Good start, but no NVME, NFS or iSCSI – meh
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Their thinking on the 1G port is probably to use that on a management network for config management and use the 10G for data only. At least that’s usually how appliances set up like that are intended to be used. Would be nice to have more ports for flexibility though if you’re trying to do something like directly attaching vm hosts.
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
and they couldn’t manage to align the FRIGGING DRIVE BAYS !!!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
Looks like your last video comments for opening CCTV and NAS has been addressed? I have just purchased the UCG_Max (F*kn brilliant!) and adopted 2 ONVIF camera (out of 3 in my setup) Awesome! And now I can also bin my sh!ty Google Doorbell and get the G4 doorbell! Oh.. and a Unify NAS? I hope i can connect that extra storage to my UCG Max!
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
The price tag surprisingly low for 7 bay and it looks so good at the front
????
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
I’M SO EXCITED! Let’s see how it stands up to Synology!
– Jonathan
REPLY ON YOUTUBE
finally
REPLY ON YOUTUBE