WD My Cloud: Complete Guide to Personal Cloud Storage (2026 Prices)

WD My Cloud is Western Digital's personal cloud storage line that gives you your own private cloud without monthly fees. My Cloud Home (starting ~$160 for 2TB) offers simple plug-and-play backup for families. My Cloud Home Duo (~$310+ for 4TB mirrored) adds drive redundancy so one drive can fail without losing data. My Cloud EX2 Ultra (~$160 diskless, ~$350-600+ with drives) is a true 2-bay NAS with Plex support, RAID options, and advanced features for power users. All models connect to your home router and provide remote access via the My Cloud app — your data stays in your home, not on someone else's server.

WD My Cloud Price Comparison (January 2026)

Current WD My Cloud pricing reflects the ongoing storage price surge affecting all drive categories. Prices have increased roughly 40-50% since late 2025 due to AI infrastructure demand impacting global memory and storage supply chains. Here's what to expect across the lineup:

Prices are estimates based on January 2026 market conditions. Check the live price table below for current Amazon pricing sorted by $/TB.

What is WD My Cloud?

WD My Cloud devices are network-attached storage (NAS) appliances designed to create your own personal cloud. Unlike subscription services like iCloud, Google One, or Dropbox that store your files on third-party servers, My Cloud keeps your data physically in your home while still providing remote access from anywhere via the My Cloud app or web portal.

The fundamental value proposition is straightforward: pay once for the hardware, own your storage forever, and avoid recurring monthly fees. A 4TB My Cloud Home costs roughly $200-230 as a one-time purchase. Equivalent capacity on Google One runs $10/month ($120/year) or iCloud at $10/month — meaning My Cloud pays for itself within two years while providing faster local network access and complete privacy.

The My Cloud lineup spans three distinct product tiers designed for different users. My Cloud Home prioritizes simplicity with automatic phone backup and intuitive apps for non-technical users. My Cloud Home Duo adds drive mirroring so your data exists on two drives simultaneously — when one fails (all drives eventually fail), your data survives. My Cloud EX2 Ultra is a proper NAS with advanced features including Plex Media Server support, multiple RAID configurations, third-party apps, and professional backup integration.

WD My Cloud Buying Guide: Which Model Should You Choose?

Choosing the right My Cloud depends on three factors: how much data you need to store, how important data protection is for your use case, and whether you need advanced NAS features like Plex or professional backup tools.

My Cloud Home: Simple Personal Cloud Storage

The My Cloud Home is WD's consumer-focused personal cloud designed for people who want backup simplicity without technical complexity. Setup takes about five minutes — connect the device to your router via Ethernet, download the My Cloud Home app on your phone, create a WD account, and follow the wizard. No computer required.

Under the hood, My Cloud Home runs a 1.4 GHz quad-core Realtek RTD1295 processor with 1GB DDR3L RAM. This handles basic file serving, photo backup, and video streaming adequately for typical home use. The device automatically backs up photos and videos from your phone, syncs with cloud services (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive), and works with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-controlled access.

The tradeoff for simplicity is limited flexibility. My Cloud Home doesn't support third-party apps, can't run Plex Media Server, and doesn't offer traditional NAS features like SMB/NFS shares accessible from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder without the WD Discovery software. Think of it as a backup appliance rather than a true NAS. Available capacities: 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, and 8TB.

Best for: Families wanting automatic phone backup, non-technical users, simple file access from anywhere, people replacing USB backup drives with something more convenient.

My Cloud Home Duo: Mirrored Data Protection

The My Cloud Home Duo adds the single most important feature for protecting irreplaceable data: drive mirroring (RAID 1). With two drives configured in mirror mode, every file exists on both drives simultaneously. When one drive fails — and mechanical drives do fail, typically within 3-5 years of heavy use — your data remains intact on the second drive.

The Duo uses the same 1.4 GHz Realtek processor and user-friendly interface as the single-drive Home, maintaining the simplicity that defines the Home line. The difference is hardware: two drive bays instead of one, configured by default in mirror mode. This means a 16TB Duo (two 8TB drives) provides 8TB of usable capacity — you're paying for redundancy, not additional space.

For users storing irreplaceable files like family photos, home videos, and important documents, the premium for mirroring is worthwhile. Losing decades of memories because a $100 hard drive failed is a poor tradeoff. Available capacities: 4TB (2TB usable), 6TB (3TB usable), 8TB (4TB usable), 12TB (6TB usable), 16TB (8TB usable), and 20TB (10TB usable).

Best for: Users prioritizing data safety, families with irreplaceable photos/videos, anyone who's experienced data loss before and doesn't want it to happen again.

My Cloud EX2 Ultra: Full NAS Capabilities

The My Cloud EX2 Ultra bridges consumer simplicity and prosumer NAS functionality. Its 1.3 GHz dual-core Marvell Armada 385 processor and 1GB DDR3 RAM support more demanding workloads, while My Cloud OS 5 enables features that Home models lack: Plex Media Server, DLNA streaming, iSCSI targets, multiple user accounts with quotas, and extensive backup options including Amazon S3, ElephantDrive, and Time Machine support.

Unlike Home models with fixed internal drives, the EX2 Ultra accepts standard 3.5" SATA drives in tool-less trays. You can buy it pre-populated with WD Red or WD Red Pro drives, or purchase the diskless enclosure (~$160) and add your own drives. The diskless option is particularly attractive for users who already own drives or want to choose specific models.

RAID options include RAID 0 (striping for performance, no redundancy), RAID 1 (mirroring for protection), JBOD (drives appear as separate volumes), and spanning (drives combined into single volume). For most users, RAID 1 provides the best balance of protection and usable capacity.

The EX2 Ultra officially supports Plex Media Server, making it a capable home media server for streaming your library to TVs, phones, and tablets. However, the Armada 385 processor handles direct play well but struggles with transcoding. If your playback devices require transcoding (converting video formats on-the-fly), consider a more powerful NAS like Synology DS220+ or a dedicated Plex server.

Available configurations: Diskless, 4TB, 8TB, 12TB, 16TB, 20TB, 24TB, 28TB, and 36TB (with WD Red drives pre-installed).

Best for: Plex media servers, power users wanting NAS features, DIY builders, small offices needing shared storage, users who want full control over their storage configuration.

WD My Cloud Specifications Comparison

Current WD My Cloud Prices

Live Amazon pricing for all WD My Cloud models, sorted by price per terabyte. Click any product to see current deals and availability:

WD My Cloud vs Alternatives

My Cloud vs Subscription Cloud Services (iCloud, Google One, Dropbox)

The core decision between My Cloud and subscription services comes down to ownership versus convenience. My Cloud advantages: one-time purchase with no recurring fees, complete data privacy (files never leave your home), no storage limits beyond drive capacity, faster local network access. Subscription advantages: automatic off-site backup (your data survives house fires), no hardware maintenance, professional-grade redundancy across multiple data centers, faster remote access (not dependent on your home internet upload speed).

For most users, the optimal strategy combines both: My Cloud for primary storage and local backup, with selective cloud backup (iCloud Photos, Google Photos, or a backup service like Backblaze) for truly critical files. This provides the cost benefits of local storage with disaster recovery protection for irreplaceable data.

My Cloud vs Synology/QNAP NAS

WD My Cloud (especially Home models) prioritizes simplicity while Synology and QNAP prioritize capability. Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) and QNAP's QTS offer dramatically more features: comprehensive app ecosystems, superior performance, Docker container support, advanced surveillance station capabilities, and better long-term software updates. The tradeoff is complexity — Synology and QNAP require more technical knowledge to configure optimally.

Choose My Cloud Home if you want simple backup that just works. Choose My Cloud EX2 Ultra if you want NAS features with easier setup than Synology/QNAP. Choose Synology or QNAP if you want maximum flexibility and don't mind a learning curve. Note that Synology and QNAP units typically sell diskless, requiring separate NAS drive purchases.

My Cloud vs USB External Drives

Traditional external drives like WD My Book or Seagate Expansion connect directly via USB and cost less than network-attached devices. They're simpler but limited: only accessible from one computer at a time, no remote access, manual backup process. My Cloud's network attachment enables access from all devices on your network plus remote access from anywhere — significant convenience for multi-device households.

WD My Cloud Setup and Common Issues

Initial Setup

My Cloud Home setup takes about 5 minutes: connect the device to your router via Ethernet cable, plug in power, wait for the LED to turn solid white, download the My Cloud Home app on your phone, create or sign into your WD account, and follow the setup wizard. No computer required. The app automatically detects your device on the network.

My Cloud EX2 Ultra setup is slightly more involved but still straightforward. Connect via Ethernet, power on, and access the web dashboard by typing the device's IP address in your browser (or use WD's device finder at mycloud.com/hello). Configure your RAID mode, create user accounts, and set up sharing. For Plex, install the Plex Media Server app from the My Cloud dashboard.

Common Issues and Solutions

Slow transfer speeds: The most common complaint about My Cloud devices. First, ensure both your router and My Cloud are using Gigabit Ethernet (check the connection status in your router's admin page). Use wired connections whenever possible — WiFi introduces significant overhead. If using a laptop, ensure its Ethernet adapter supports Gigabit speeds. For the fastest transfers, connect directly to the same switch as your My Cloud.

Windows 10/11 connection problems: Microsoft disabled SMBv1 by default in recent Windows versions for security reasons, which can cause issues with older My Cloud firmware. Ensure your My Cloud is running the latest firmware (check Settings > Firmware in the dashboard). If problems persist, you may need to enable SMBv1 in Windows Features (Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows Features On or Off), though this is not recommended for security reasons.

Remote access not working: My Cloud remote access requires WD's servers to function. Check service status at status.westerndigital.com. Ensure your router's firewall isn't blocking outbound connections. Some ISPs block the ports My Cloud uses — contact your ISP if problems persist. Try resetting your My Cloud's network settings from the dashboard.

Drive failure: On single-drive My Cloud Home units, drive failure means data loss without external backup. On Duo or EX2 Ultra in RAID 1, one drive can fail without data loss — the LED will indicate which drive failed. Replace the failed drive with a compatible WD Red, and the array will automatically rebuild. This process takes several hours depending on capacity.

My Cloud OS 5: What You Need to Know

WD's My Cloud operating system has evolved significantly. My Cloud OS 3 reached end-of-life in January 2022 — devices running OS 3 no longer receive security updates or remote access support. If you have an older My Cloud device, upgrading to OS 5 is essential for continued functionality and security.

My Cloud OS 5 runs on current EX2 Ultra, EX4100, PR2100, PR4100, Mirror Gen 2, DL2100, DL4100, and EX2100 devices. OS 5 features include improved security, updated mobile and web apps, enhanced cloud access, and better performance. WD has committed to supporting OS 5 through at least 2027.

My Cloud Home devices run a different, simplified operating system that's updated automatically. This system doesn't support the same features as OS 5 (no third-party apps, limited configuration options) but receives regular security updates.

Compatible devices that can upgrade from OS 3 to OS 5: My Cloud EX2 Ultra, My Cloud EX4100, My Cloud PR2100, My Cloud PR4100, My Cloud Mirror Gen 2, My Cloud DL2100, My Cloud DL4100, My Cloud EX2100. Check WD's support site for upgrade instructions specific to your model.