Best WD NAS hard drives
Western Digital covers NAS with three CMR lines: Red Plus for home and SOHO boxes, Red Pro for busier, larger arrays, and Ultrastar for datacenter duty. The list below ranks WD's current CMR drives by measured failure rate. One warning up front: skip plain WD Red - many of those are SMR. This page lists CMR only.
| Drive | Capacity | Tech | Class | Interface | AFR | C$/TB | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
WUH722222ALE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC570
|
22 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | 0.45% | - | - |
| 2 |
WUH722626ALE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC590
|
26 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | 0.67% | - | - |
| 3 |
WUH721414ALE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC530
|
14 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | 0.72% | C$63.40 | C$888 |
| 4 |
WUH721816ALE6Lx WD Ultrastar DC HC550
|
16 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | 0.88% | - | - |
| 5 |
HUH721212ALE604 WD Ultrastar DC HC520
|
12 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | 2.98% | C$58.25 | C$699 |
| 6 |
WUH722424ALE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC580
|
24 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | - | - | - |
| 7 |
WD241KFGX WD Red Pro
|
24 TB | CMR | NAS-Pro | SATA | - | - | - |
| 8 |
WD242KRYZ WD Gold
|
24 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | - | - | - |
| 9 |
WD221KFGX WD Red Pro
|
22 TB | CMR | NAS-Pro | SATA | - | C$52.73 | C$1,160 |
| 10 |
WD221KRYZ WD Gold
|
22 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | - | C$59.08 | C$1,300 |
| 11 |
WD221PURP WD Purple Pro
|
22 TB | CMR | Surveillance | SATA | - | - | - |
| 12 |
WD201KFGX WD Red Pro
|
20 TB | CMR | NAS-Pro | SATA | - | C$55.53 | C$1,111 |
| 13 |
WD202KRYZ WD Gold
|
20 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | - | - | - |
| 14 |
WUH722020BLE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC560
|
20 TB | CMR | Enterprise | SATA | - | - | - |
| 15 |
WD181KFGX WD Red Pro
|
18 TB | CMR | NAS-Pro | SATA | - | C$60.00 | C$1,080 |
Ranked by measured failure rate (Backblaze AFR). $/TB uses the cheapest live price where available.
WD's NAS line-up
- Red Plus - CMR, 5400-class, quiet and efficient for home and small-office NAS.
- Red Pro - CMR, 7200 RPM, for larger or busier arrays; 5-year warranty and vibration sensors.
- Ultrastar - datacenter-grade enterprise drives with the highest endurance and a 5-year warranty.
The naming trap is the one to remember: the original WD Red (not Plus) shipped SMR models that misbehave in RAID, and that scandal is the whole reason recording tech is front and centre on this site. Everything listed here is CMR - but if you're buying a WD Red anywhere, confirm the exact model on our CMR/SMR reference first. For a quiet 2-4 bay home NAS, Red Plus is the easy call; step up to Red Pro or Ultrastar when the array gets bigger or busier.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between WD Red, Red Plus and Red Pro?
- Plain WD Red includes some SMR drives (avoid for RAID). Red Plus is CMR for home NAS. Red Pro is 7200 RPM CMR for busier, larger arrays with a 5-year warranty. Ultrastar is WD's enterprise line.
- Is WD Red Plus or Red Pro better for me?
- Red Plus suits a quiet home NAS; Red Pro suits more bays, heavier multi-user load or write-heavy use. Both are CMR and RAID-safe.