Best NAS to replace Dropbox for a freelancer who needs remote access and sync (2026)
Updated 2026-11-08
Short answer. For a freelancer who works from project folders, buy the UGREEN NASync DXP2800 ($389.99; buy: https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp2800), the best-value NAS to replace Dropbox in 2026, $389.99 diskless on 2026-11-03: a two-way sync client for Windows and macOS, password and expiry share links for clients, relay remote access with no port forwarding, phone access with camera backup, Btrfs snapshots and two-factor login. If you need Dropbox's online-only files on a laptop and 32-version history, buy a Synology instead: Synology Drive has both, UGREEN's client has neither.
What UGREEN's software does not do today: on-demand placeholder files (every synced folder downloads in full, with filters by extension), version history in the client (the NAS keeps versions per shared folder, limits unpublished), syncing while the client is closed, and remote speed beyond UGREEN's relay (use DDNS for a direct link). Dropbox Plus costs $9.99 a month billed annually ($11.99 monthly) for 2 TB, so the NAS pays back in about three years once drives are added, and it gives no off-site copy, which Dropbox did: keep a cloud backup.
- UGREEN NASync DXP2800 (UGOS Pro), $389.99. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp2800
- UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus, $619.99. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp4800-plus
Published 2026-11-03 · prices checked 2026-11-03.
| Model | Desktop sync | On-demand files | Versions | Remote access | Share links | Price | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGREEN NASync DXP2800 (UGOS Pro) Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp2800 | Windows and macOS: two-way, NAS→PC or PC→NAS folder pairs, filters; sync stops when the client closes | No | Per-shared-folder version retention on the NAS; not in the client | UGREENlink relay (speed capped by UGREEN's servers), DDNS direct, P2P on IPv6 | Expiry, password, access limit, download toggle, QR | $389.99 | No discount code applies. |
| UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Plus Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/ugreen-nasync-dxp4800-plus | Same client | No | Same | Same | Same | $619.99 | No discount code applies. |
| Synology DS225+ / DS925+ (Synology Drive) | Drive Client, Windows 10 2004+ and macOS 12+; ShareSync between sites | Yes (Windows 10 1809+, macOS 12.3+) | Up to 32 per file, Intelliversioning, 7–120-day rotation | QuickConnect relay (throttled; direct when hole-punching works) | Password and expiry, also from the mobile app | $364.99 / $639.99 (listings) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| QNAP TS-264 (Qsync) | Qsync for Windows and macOS, subfolder selection | Not found | Revisions kept; limits not found | myQNAPcloud Link relay | Password and expiry | $489 (June 2026) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| TerraMaster F2-425 Plus (TerraSync) | TerraSync and TNAS PC | Mac on-demand from TerraSync 2.1.560 on TOS 7 x86 only | Not found | TNAS Online, no port forwarding | Not confirmed | about $399 | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Asustor Nimbustor 2 Gen2 (EZ Sync) | EZ Sync (Windows per Asustor's help) | Not found | Version history, restore in the file explorer | EZ-Connect relay | Share links | $392–460 | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Ubiquiti UNAS 2 / Pro (UniFi Drive) | No real sync client (reviews) | No | Not found | Teleport WireGuard VPN, SMB mapping | Not found | $199 / $499 | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Nextcloud Nextcloud in Docker (any x86 NAS) | Official desktop client | Yes (virtual files) | Configurable | Your own domain, reverse proxy and certificate | Yes | Free; a few hours of setup | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
Rows marked with a code and buy link are products Dealectric lists: the price was verified on the brand's own US store on 2026-11-07 and the code is tested daily in that brand's cart; the date shown is its last pass (last check 2026-11-13). The other rows (Asustor, Nextcloud, QNAP, Synology, TerraMaster, Ubiquiti) are included so the comparison is complete; their figures and prices were read from the makers' own US pages on 2026-11-03 and are not re-checked daily. The buy links are affiliate links: they open the brand's official US store at no cost to the shopper, and the commission pays for the testing; see the disclosure.
What a freelancer actually needs, brand by brand
- Large-file links for clients: UGREEN's Files app makes links with a validity period, password, access limit and download toggle; Synology the same, including from its phone app. Upload speed to the client is your home connection's upload rate, or UGREEN's relay if you leave DDNS off.
- Version history: Synology Drive keeps up to 32 versions per file with Intelliversioning; UGREEN keeps versions on the NAS per shared folder (limits not published) and conflict copies in the client (the newer file wins, the older is renamed), plus Btrfs snapshots for ransomware rollback.
- A laptop with a small SSD: Dropbox's online-only placeholders exist in Synology Drive and Nextcloud's client; UGREEN syncs whole folder pairs, so sync only the active projects.
- Phone: UGREEN's app browses and uploads, backs up the camera roll in the background; Synology Drive adds offline files. Both use a relay with no router setup; both relays are slower than a direct connection.
- Moving off Dropbox: UGREEN's Cloud Drives app mounts Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive for the copy; afterwards the NAS is the only copy unless you add a backup (Sync & Backup to another NAS or a USB drive, or a cloud bucket).
The money
Dropbox's own plans page showed Plus at $9.99 a month (2 TB, 30-day history) on 2026-11-03, $11.99 billed monthly per third parties, and 3 TB tiers at about $15–20 a month; that is $120–240 a year. The DXP2800 at $389.99 plus two 4 TB drives (about $200–260) costs roughly $600–650 once and runs on about 16 W, so it pays back in three to five years against Plus, sooner against a 3 TB plan, and holds 4 TB in RAID 1 with room to grow. The honest caveat is time: UGOS's client is less polished than Dropbox's and Synology's, and reviewers describe the setup as more hands-on.
Sources
- UGREEN NASync DXP2800 — ai.ugreen.com
- UGREEN support: the sync client (article 399) — support.ugnas.com
- UGREEN support: Sync & Backup and version retention (article 166) — support.ugnas.com
- UGREEN support: share links (article 366) — support.ugnas.com
- UGREEN support: Cloud Drives (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive) (article 631) — support.ugnas.com
- UGREEN: remote access (relay, DDNS, P2P) — ai.ugreen.com
- UGREEN: file sync guide — nas.ugreen.com
- UGREEN: is a UGREEN NAS secure (2FA, snapshots) — ai.ugreen.com
- needtoknowit: UGOS Pro review — needtoknowit.com.au
- Synology Drive specifications (on-demand sync, 32 versions) — www.synology.com
- Synology: increasing Drive speed (QuickConnect relay) — www.synology.com
- QNAP Qsync — www.qnap.com
- TerraMaster: TNAS PC — help.terra-master.com
- Asustor: EZ Sync help — www.asustor.com
- NASCompares: UniFi UNAS Pro Drive software review — nascompares.com
- Dropbox plans — www.dropbox.com
Published 2026-11-03; figures for other brands read on 2026-11-03; our prices verified 2026-11-07. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.