Weigh Up Buying a NAS Now or Later
Three costs, looked at separately: enclosure, drives, memory
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Waiting only pays if the part you are waiting on is likely to get cheaper, so take the three costs one at a time. The enclosure is the one cost for which this site has read no shortage report. Drives rose through 2026: one builder's tracking shows every line it follows up between March and August, from +15% for Seagate Exos SATA to +92% for Seagate BarraCuda, and Western Digital describes part of its output as committed into 2027. Memory contract prices rose sharply too. Nothing on record points to drives or memory being cheaper early next year, and this site makes no forecast of its own.
The three costs, and what is on record about each
| Cost | What the record shows | Whose figure |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Live prices in the first table. No supply statement about NAS enclosures has been read for this site | Live listings |
| Drives | Lowest price per terabyte up on all 6 lines tracked, March to August 2026, by +15% to +92% | eRacks, a US system builder |
| Drives, supply | Western Digital "pretty much sold out for calendar '26", with agreements into 2027 and 2028 | Western Digital earnings call, as reported |
| Memory | Conventional DRAM contract prices up roughly 93% to 98% in the first quarter of 2026; a further 10% to 15% projected for the fourth | TrendForce |
How much each drive line moved, March to August 2026
| Drive line | Class | Change in lowest price per TB |
|---|---|---|
| Seagate BarraCuda | Desktop | +92% |
| WD Red Pro | NAS | +66% |
| Seagate IronWolf Pro | NAS | +55% |
| WD Gold | Enterprise | +48% |
| Toshiba MG | Enterprise | +38% |
| Seagate Exos SATA | Enterprise | +15% |
Buy now or wait
Buying now makes sense when
- You need the storage, and the data has nowhere safe to live meanwhile
- You are waiting for drive or memory prices to fall, with no statement on record that they will
- You can start with fewer drives than bays and add more later
Waiting makes sense when
- What you have works and is backed up
- The model you want is about to be replaced and you would rather have the newer one
- You are waiting for a sale on the enclosure you have chosen
Ways to spread the cost
Buy the enclosure and two drives, and leave bays empty. A layout that can grow by adding drives lets you buy the rest when you need them.
Price second-hand drives separately from new ones. They are listed on their own pages here, each with the warranty its listing states.
Check the memory before you buy. If the model has one slot, an upgrade replaces the module it ships with, and at this year's prices that changes the sum.
Where the figures come from
eRacks' published price tracking of September 3, 2026, The Register's account of the February 2026 earnings calls, and TrendForce's press releases, read on October 12, 2026. This site's own price series starts on September 21, 2026 and is too short to say anything about the year.
Checked on October 12, 2026. Sources: eRacks, September 3, 2026: six months of its own hard-drive price tracking; The Register, February 20, 2026: Western Digital and Seagate earnings-call statements; TrendForce, June 1, 2026: first-quarter 2026 DRAM contract prices and revenue; TrendForce, September 30, 2026: fourth-quarter 2026 memory contract price outlook.
NAS enclosures, by price
New NAS units, cheapest first. Bundles sold with drives say so in the title.
NAS drives, by price per TB
Renewed, refurbished and used listings
Shown for reference. These are not counted in the best price per TB above, and warranty terms differ from new drives.
Frequently asked questions
Are NAS drive prices going down?
Not on the record so far. eRacks' tracking shows all 6 lines it follows up between March and August 2026, and this site makes no forecast.
Should I wait for a sale to buy a NAS?
A sale can lower the price of the enclosure. For drives and memory, the 2026 record is of rising prices, so waiting has not paid this year.
Can I start a NAS with fewer drives than bays?
Yes, on a layout that can grow by adding drives. Buy the rest when you need the space.