UniFi UNAS 4 Review: The Best UniFi NAS for 2.5Gb Networks?

The UniFi UNAS 4 is one of the newest additions to Ubiquiti’s growing UniFi Network Attached Storage (UNAS) lineup. Positioned between the entry-level UNAS 2 and the more powerful UNAS Pro, this NAS delivers more storage, SSD caching, and flexible RAID options while maintaining an affordable price.

If you’re looking for a UniFi NAS for home labs, small businesses, or 2.5Gb networks, the UNAS 4 could be the perfect balance of performance and price.

In this review, we’ll cover the features, specs, performance, and ideal use cases for the UniFi UNAS 4.

UniFi UNAS 4 Specs and Key Features

The UNAS 4 is designed as a compact desktop NAS that integrates directly into the UniFi ecosystem.

UniFi UNAS 4 Specifications

• Price: $379
• Drive Bays: 4 SATA bays
• NVMe Cache: 2 NVMe SSD slots
• Networking: 2.5GbE (PoE++)
• Form Factor: Desktop NAS
• Processor: Quad-core ARM Cortex A55
• Memory: 4GB RAM

Compared to other UniFi NAS devices, the UNAS 4 offers a strong middle-ground option for users who want more storage capacity than the UNAS 2 without moving to rack-mount hardware.

UniFi UNAS 4 Hardware Overview

Like most Ubiquiti hardware, the UNAS 4 features a clean, minimalist design with strong build quality.

Four Drive Bays for Flexible Storage

The four SATA drive bays allow significantly more storage and RAID flexibility than the two-bay UNAS 2.

Drives install into sleds accessed from the bottom of the unit, making installation straightforward, though it does require flipping the device over to access the bays.

NVMe SSD Cache for Faster Performance

One of the biggest upgrades in the UniFi UNAS 4 is the addition of NVMe SSD caching.

The device includes:

• Two NVMe slots
• SSD caching for faster file access
• Improved performance for frequently used files

This helps accelerate workloads like media editing, backups, and shared file access.

2.5Gb Networking with PoE++

The UNAS 4 includes a 2.5Gb Ethernet port powered by PoE++, allowing you to power the NAS directly from compatible UniFi switches.

Benefits include:

• Fewer power cables
• Simplified deployment
• Easy integration with UniFi networks

However, the biggest limitation is that the UNAS 4 does not support 10Gb networking, which is available on the UNAS Pro models.

UniFi UNAS 4 RAID Options

The four-drive configuration unlocks several RAID options for data protection and performance.

Supported RAID Types

• RAID 5
• RAID 6
• RAID 10

This provides much greater flexibility than the UNAS 2, which only supports RAID 1.

However, due to the four-bay design, the UNAS 4 supports only one RAID group.

UniFi NAS Software and Management

One of the biggest advantages of using a UniFi NAS is the integrated UniFi management interface.

When the UNAS 4 connects to your network:

1. The UniFi controller automatically detects the device
2. You adopt it into your network
3. Updates and configuration are handled from the same dashboard as other UniFi devices

Key Software Features

• RAID and storage pool management
• Drive health monitoring
• Snapshot backups
• Secure file sharing links
• Cloud backup integration
• Microsoft 365 backup support

The interface is clean, simple, and consistent with other UniFi networking products.

UniFi UNAS 4 Backup and Cloud Storage

The backup features built into UniFi Storage are surprisingly powerful.

Users can replicate data to:

• Another NAS
• SMB servers
• Cloud storage providers

Supported Cloud Services

• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• Microsoft OneDrive
• Amazon S3
• Backblaze
• Wasabi

The system can also automatically back up Microsoft 365 accounts, protecting email and cloud files.

UniFi UNAS 4 Performance

Performance depends largely on the 2.5Gb networking limitation.

While it’s slower than 10Gb NAS systems, the UNAS 4 can easily fully utilize a 2.5Gb network, especially with:

• Four spinning drives
• NVMe SSD cache

For most home labs and small businesses, this provides more than enough performance for:

• file sharing
• backups
• media storage
• collaborative work

Who Should Buy the UniFi UNAS 4?

The UNAS 4 is ideal for users who want powerful UniFi storage without upgrading their entire network to 10Gb.

Best Use Cases

• Home lab storage servers
• Small business file servers
• UniFi ecosystem deployments
• Microsoft 365 backups
• Media storage and editing workflows

If your network already runs 2.5Gb switching, the UNAS 4 is an excellent fit.

UNAS 4 vs UNAS Pro: Which UniFi NAS Is Better?

While the UNAS 4 is a strong option, the UNAS Pro remains the performance leader in the UniFi storage lineup.

For about $120 more, the UNAS Pro offers:

• 10Gb SFP+ networking
• Up to seven drives
• Hot spare support
• Greater scalability

For high-performance environments or large datasets, the UNAS Pro may be the better long-term investment.

Final Thoughts: Is the UniFi UNAS 4 Worth It?

The UniFi UNAS 4 is a powerful and affordable NAS designed for 2.5Gb networks.

Pros

• NVMe SSD cache support
• Four drive bays
• Easy UniFi ecosystem integration
• Strong backup and cloud features
• Affordable price point

Cons

• Limited to 2.5Gb networking
• Bottom-mounted drive bays
• No hot spare support

For home labs and small businesses already running UniFi networking, the UNAS 4 delivers excellent value and performance.

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