Best Budget NAS for file sharing outside of family

[Enquiries]

Hi,

I am looking for a NAS to essentially replace Dropbox. It will be mainly used for photos and files. It won't be required to stream movies so I assume a hefty processor isn't neccessary.

An essential is the ability to give read and write access to folders to users outside of our family. We regularly share folders with friends on holiday so that everyone can upload photos. Dropbox has a useful feature that allows you to share a link to others which gives them read and write access and we basically need the same.

I've come across the WD My Cloud Home but I don't think this allows external users to have write access. I've also seen the WD My Cloud EX2 but I am unsure if this has R/W access without knowing the friends' MyCloud password to add them as a user via the admin account which is not an option really.

Additionally, Synology always comes out on top when looking at rankings but I'm unsure if those are overkill for what we need.

Any help appreciated!

Thanks,
Leo

[ed]

If you want to use a NAS to replace Dropbox and share files with external users, the Synology DS220+ may be a good choice. It has a feature called "File Station" that allows you to easily share files with other users over the internet. You can create a shared folder and invite other users to access it by sending them a link. You can set the permissions for the shared folder to allow read-only or read/write access.

The WD My Cloud Home is a good option for personal file storage, but it does not have advanced sharing features like the Synology NAS. The My Cloud EX2 does have a feature called "Cloud Access" that allows you to access your files from anywhere, but it does not have the ability to invite external users to access specific folders with read/write permissions.

If you don't need advanced features like media streaming and third-party app support, the Synology DS120j may also be a good choice for your needs. It has the same File Station feature as the DS220+ and is more budget-friendly.

In general, Synology NAS devices are highly regarded for their user-friendly interface and advanced features, and they are a good choice for both personal and business use. However, they may be more expensive than some other options on the market. If you just need a basic NAS for file storage and sharing, there may be cheaper options available.