The TerraMaster F4-425 Pro offers a compelling blend of speed, flexibility, and value, featuring advanced hardware and AI-powered surveillance tools, challenging established rivals like QNAP and Synology in the four-bay NAS market.
Macworld says TerraMaster’s F4-425 Pro sits in an attractive part of the market: a four-bay NAS that is quick, flexible and priced below many rival systems from QNAP and Synology. The appeal is not just raw storage. It is the combination of private file control, local backup and home media streaming, all without the recurring fees that can make cloud services or camera licences expensive over time.
The hardware is unusually capable for a consumer NAS. TerraMaster has fitted twin 5GbE network ports, three M.2 NVMe slots and an Intel N350 processor paired with 16GB of DDR5 memory in the review unit. Macworld found the chassis solid overall, with tool-free drive trays and a useful spread of ports, including multiple 10Gbps USB connections. TechRadar also noted the same broad hardware direction, while adding that the N350 is efficient rather than class-leading for heavy compute work.
Setup is straightforward in practical terms, but not entirely frictionless. Macworld reported that TerraMaster still asks for an email address during initial configuration, although the step can be bypassed. The review also criticised the non-locking drive trays and said TOS 7, the company’s operating system, remains a little rough in places. That said, the same review found the newer software much faster and more responsive than earlier versions, especially when multitasking.
The software package is one of the product’s strongest arguments. TerraMaster bundles a broad set of tools for backup, synchronisation, surveillance and media playback. Macworld singled out Centralised Backup and CloudSync as especially useful, while also pointing to TerraSync and other utilities for folder mirroring and online backup. Surveillance Manager is another major selling point, because TerraMaster does not impose the camera licence limits common elsewhere. Forbes recently described the platform as AI-native and said local processing is used for features such as facial recognition and automated sorting, which may appeal to users who want those functions handled on the device rather than in the cloud.
Performance is where the F4-425 Pro makes its case most strongly. Macworld’s testing showed fast file transfers over 5GbE, with little practical gain from bonding both network ports in its setup. The reviewer also said the system remained highly responsive under load, with quick firmware updates and faster reboot times than older NAS hardware. Forbes said the platform can reach about 1,010MB/s in favourable conditions, although that figure is best understood as a peak rather than an everyday guarantee.
For buyers weighing value against polish, the verdict is clear enough. TerraMaster is asking less than many competitors for a box that can handle storage, media, backups and surveillance with serious speed. The trade-off is a few software quirks and some setup choices that may annoy privacy-conscious users. Even so, Macworld concluded that the F4-425 Pro is one of the stronger four-bay options available, particularly for anyone who wants a fast NAS without paying extra for features such as IP camera support.
Disclaimer: This content is intended for informational purposes only. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgement, conduct due diligence, or consult a qualified expert before acting on any information provided.
