Easiest Synology NAS in 2023

NAS enclosures come in assorted sizes and kinds, and your desires opt which form of NAS mannequin fits your invoice. Synology’s cling NAS portfolio features a mammoth option of merchandise designed for every and every patrons and companies. While home customers can with out complications earn an cheap mannequin to initiate up with their first NAS, mavens will most likely be equally impressed by Synology’s among the finest NAS units that come geared up with high-conclude processors to deal with something you throw at them.

Over the previous three hundred and sixty five days, Synology has entirely overhauled its product portfolio with upgraded units that greater align with enterprise and residential desires. Nonetheless that hasn’t changed the fabulous price Synology NAS units were identified to present across fee ranges. Plus, the rock-solid tool on these NAS units remains as unparalleled as ever, even whenever you trip for a funds mannequin.

Which that it is most likely you’ll with out complications earn something that meets your desires, be it working a enterprise with a slight crew, constructing a Plex server, or getting some freelance work executed at home. These are our top Synology NAS solutions for all forms of exercise cases.

Our option of the top Synology NAS that you must per chance buy in 2023

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Synology DiskStation DS1522+

Easiest total

Most sensible most likely for every and every work and play

With the mid-tier Synology DS1522+, you earn basically the easiest of Synology’s latest NAS lineup, in conjunction with a enormous-rapid AMD processor, the best draw to bump the RAM to a whopping 32GB, and an non-compulsory 10GbE community port. It must with out complications meet each and every your put aside of job and residential desires with out burning a gap on your pocket.

Professionals

• Solid efficiency bump over the DS1520+
• Upgradable RAM and community port
• Nice force bays which it is most likely you’ll compose bigger additional

Cons

• No video transcoding on the cruise
• Proprietary community adapter for 10GbE upgrade

The DiskStation DS1522+ tries to bridge the gap between the outgoing DS920+ and the uber-pricey DS1621+. You earn four 1GbE LAN ports, enabling hyperlink aggregation or wired connection with a bunch of computers on your put aside of job. Doubtlessly the easiest fragment is that the NAS comes with a (proprietary) slot where that it is most likely you’ll add a 10GbE community port as a separate have, keeping the fee low for of us that don’t desire a sooner port — whereas smooth giving vitality customers an upgrade probability.

In contrast to its enlighten predecessor, the DS1522+ will get a bump to a more grand twin-core AMD processor, which is made for taxing enterprise environments. And with 8GB of no longer contemporary RAM (upgradable to a whopping 32GB), that it is most likely you’ll bustle digital machines and server apps all you worship to salvage. Nonetheless with out a GPU, don’t quiz it to transcode your movies on the cruise, even supposing streaming already transcoded media must not be an argument.

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Synology DiskStation DS1621+

Top class pick

It doesn’t earn any greater than this

One among the beefiest desktop NAS that you must per chance buy from Synology, the DS1621+ is the best draw to transfer to your total heavy work desires, be it multi-cam surveillance or working digital machines. That quad-core AMD processor can deal with all of it with out breaking a sweat.

Professionals

• Tremendous-rapid and respectable AMD Ryzen processor
• Easy upgrades with PCIe equipment
• Scalable with two growth units

Cons

• Totally 4GB of no longer contemporary RAM
• Integrated LAN port is 1GbE

If the DS1522+ doesn’t decrease it for you, that it is most likely you’ll trip for the Synology DiskStation DS1621+, which is beefier in virtually all areas. Initiating with the available storage house, the DS1621+ permits you as a draw to add six onerous drives before you should buy a selection unit to retailer more data. Right here’s a mammoth deal for slight companies with massive data desires, giving them some additional headroom to work with in due direction.

Talking of companies, the DS1621+ is designed for place of work customers as an different of home customers, which is why an AMD processor makes more sense on this NAS enclosure. The quad-core Ryzen chip presents a miles superior raw efficiency over the Intel Celeron differ usually chanced on on retail NAS containers. It’s very worship minded for heavy lifting, from working digital machines and server-class apps to supporting tens of customers gaining access to the recordsdata simultaneously.

With the DS1621+, you earn a PCIe slot as a draw to add a bunch of like minded equipment to the NAS, in conjunction with a 10GbE LAN port. On the opposite hand, the unpleasant mannequin of this NAS enclosure begins with only 4GB of RAM, so it is most likely you’ll most likely want to amplify the RAM from the earn-trip. Alternatively, that it is most likely you’ll trip for the upgraded DS1621xs+ mannequin, which will get you a fair correct beefier Intel Xeon processor, a constructed-in 10GbE port, and 8GB of unpleasant RAM.

Source: Synology

Synology DiskStation DS224+

Easiest price

The ideal NAS for home customers

The upgraded DiskStation DS224+ now comes with a quad-core processor borrowed from one of Synology’s most current consumer enclosures. The efficiency upgrade lets in it to be an far more capable desktop NAS tool for home customers who’re making an try to drag 4K motion photos and likewise earn reasonably of work executed.

Professionals

• Quad-core Intel CPU
• Graceful tool
• Cheaper fee

Cons

• Now no longer too assorted from the DS220+

The Synology DiskStation DS224+ appears to be like to be to be like very such as the outgoing DS220+, but that doesn’t imply there’s nothing contemporary on the internal. The contemporary mannequin comes with a in actual fact crucial upgrade within the invent of its processor. The DS224+ makes exercise of a quad-core Intel Celeron processor that Synology beforehand extinct on its DS920+ — most likely Synology’s most sought-after NAS mannequin of all time. While this processor could per chance no longer be basically the most unique one round, it brings some considerable improvements to this funds NAS over its predecessor.

We had no disorders transcoding and streaming 4K movies on the DS224+ with Plex, which isn’t surprising for the reason that DS920+ became recurrently hailed for its media capabilities. Truly, we were in a position to bustle multiple streams of 4K movies simultaneously, and the DS224+ didn’t destroy a sweat. Our making an try out also confirmed that the transfer speeds can hit 210MB/s with out complications, which is more than ample for most home customers and even some put aside of job tasks.

Its 2GB of no longer contemporary RAM could per chance be an argument whenever you enact quite a bit of multitasking, but most customers desires so as to earn away with the unpleasant package with out having to difficulty referring to the RAM. On the opposite hand, whenever you will worship it, it is most likely you’ll most likely salvage the best draw to compose bigger the RAM to 6GB by slotting in a 4GB stick.

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Synology DiskStation DS423+

Made for Plex streaming

For your streaming desires and more

Synology’s contemporary DS423+ has an uncanny resemblance to the current (but now discontinued) DS920+ from the internal out. This implies you’re getting the same fabulous package for a decrease fee now. And basically the easiest fragment is that the DS423+ makes exercise of an Intel Celeron processor with an constructed-in GPU for very most inviting Plex streaming.

Professionals

• Integrated GPU for video transcoding
• Takes two NVMe drives for caching
• Nice storage house

Cons

• No pork up for Synology growth unit
• Totally 2GB of unpleasant RAM

While Synology has been switching to AMD processors for quite a bit of its NAS units, it stuck with the honest-venerable Intel Celeron J4125 processor on the DiskStation DS423+ — the same quad-core one extinct on the DS920+. The processor could per chance no longer be basically the most unique variant round, but it surely’s smooth a reasonably capable chip for a consumer NAS. Its four cores can with out complications deal with multiple apps and tens of surveillance cameras simultaneously. And whenever you’re wondering, the DS423+ is a truly most inviting match for Plex streaming as its constructed-in GPU can enact the heavy lifting when transcoding media recordsdata on the cruise.

Admire its predecessor (the DS420+), the DS423+ will most likely be a four-bay machine, permitting you to insert four drives of 16TB each and every for a full ability of 64TB (with out accounting for redundancy). That’s more than ample for household exercise intelligent photo backups, media streaming, surveillance, and more. On the opposite hand, the 2GB of unpleasant memory is expandable as much as only 6GB. And for the reason that DS423+ isn’t designed for commercial exercise, it lacks an eSATA port that enables you to connect a Synology growth unit as a draw to add more drives.

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Synology DiskStation DS723+

Compact powerhouse

Win all the vitality in a compact body

The Synology DS723+ comes with the internals of its more pricey siblings but with out a beefy bear. So, that it is most likely you’ll with out complications attend it on your desk and hook it on to your computer with a LAN cable. Easy peasy.

Professionals

• Immediate efficiency with Ryzen processor
• Compact, two-bay machine for home put aside of job exercise
• Supports growth unit

Cons

• Totally 2GB of no longer contemporary RAM
• No constructed-in GPU for video transcoding

For particular individual mavens and freelancers working from home, a NAS enclosure’s horsepower tends to be more compulsory than its storage ability. For these who fall in that category, the contemporary DS723+ is the honest Synology NAS for you. This contemporary mannequin will get you the brains of the pricier DS1522+ but with a compact compose of the DS220+ — all at an cheap fee. Along with, the 2-bay DS723+ comes powered by the twin-core Ryzen 1600, making it one of basically the easiest-performing NAS units in its fee bracket.

On the opposite hand, the switch to a Ryzen chip could per chance no longer trip down well with these making an try to bustle a Plex server on their DS723+. Resulting from no constructed-in GPU, or no longer it is compulsory to compose certain that your media recordsdata are in a format your consumer units pork up so that the CPU is no longer overburdened with media transcoding whereas streaming stutter material.

Synology has included eSATA and PCIe slots for attaching equipment or Synology’s growth unit for a full of seven force bays. Which that it is most likely you’ll per chance additional enhance the NAS’s efficiency by in conjunction with two NVMe drives dedicated to caching, but its 2GB of RAM remains a sore level. Which that it is most likely you’ll per chance compose bigger the RAM as much as 32GB, but that you must be in a position to have to consume additional on it.

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Synology DiskStation DS923+

The contemporary default

The mid-tier champ for home locations of work

Replacing the uber-current DS920+, the Synology DS923+ comes with a well-recognized and compact compose and a more grand processor to with out complications deal alongside with your total put aside of job desires. It’s far a huge match to your house put aside of job because it will get you basically the easiest of the DS1522+ but at a comparatively decrease fee.

Professionals

• NVMe drives could per chance also be extinct as storage
• Graceful efficiency with the AMD chip
• Supports as much as 32GB of RAM

Cons

• Lacks constructed-in GPU
• Integrated community ports are smooth 1GbE

The DiskStation DS923+ is the educate-as much as arguably basically the most up-tp-date NAS mannequin in Synology’s lineup: the DS920+. With some considerable changes on the internal, Synology has build this contemporary mid-tier mannequin honest up in opposition to its top class alternate concepts. The DS923+ comes with the same Ryzen R1600 processor as quite a bit of its pricier siblings. While the AMD chip is certainly more grand, it now permits you as a draw to add as much as 32GB of RAM as well, making the DS923+ a truly most inviting NAS for slight companies and residential locations of work.

Noteworthy worship the DS1522+, that it is most likely you’ll exercise the included PCIe slot on the DS923+ as a draw to add a 10GbE community card to compose beefy exercise of the NAS’s capabilities. With the honest setup, the firm claims the NAS can learn and write data at over 500MB/s. A mammoth commerce that Synology launched with the DS923+ is which it is most likely you’ll now exercise your NVMe drives as storage as an different of fair caching, which will support tempo up your data transfers enormously. These changes on my own compose it a terrific upgrade over the outgoing DS920+.

The selections that Synology made with the DS923+ salvage some downsides, too. For starters, the NAS lacks an constructed-in GPU, which isn’t very ideal whenever it is most likely you’ll most likely be purchasing for basically the easiest NAS for working a Plex server. And though the 2 included LAN ports pork up hyperlink aggregation, or no longer it is a shame that they are smooth 1GbE each and every.

Source: Synology

Synology DiskStation DS223j

Two-bay NAS for less

Graceful funds starter pack

The DiskStation DS223j is a two-bay funds NAS that will get you extensive storage house to your total home and put aside of job recordsdata with out many like (and pricey) aspects. Synology has given it a recent Realtek processor for greater efficiency than its predecessor. It’s an awfully good buy when put next to the quantity of money this will most likely enable you to set up in due direction over a cloud storage subscription.

Professionals

• Two-bay NAS for practical
• Made for data backup and storage
• Win accurate of entry to to Synology?s fabulous tool

Cons

• Now no longer basically the most grand NAS round

Unlike the Plus-branded Synology NAS units, the J sequence isn’t intended for heavy tasks worship media transcoding. For habitual file storage and sharing at your put aside of job, the DiskStation DS223j will enact a truly most inviting job. It’s far incessantly an cheap draw of declaring an offsite backup of your main server to enhance the safety of your data. And its two HDD bays can attend tens of TBs of recordsdata, which is ample for properties and most freelancers.

While that it is most likely you’ll earn identical funds NAS enclosures from other brands for less, no longer many can match the polish Synology’s working machine comes with. You earn the most contemporary and refreshed DSM 7 out of the box, and the accompanying first-social gathering apps work worship a appeal. The CPU and RAM combination the DS223j comes with is worship minded to bustle DSM with none mumble, but don’t quiz loads from this hardware.

The DS223j obvious has about a downsides, worship it smooth makes exercise of a 1GbE community port and there isn’t very any longer any growth slot, but these decisions salvage helped compose the NAS inexpensive. Which that it is most likely you’ll per chance build together a full package with a pair of onerous drives for under $300, which is rather cheap for home customers on a funds.

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Synology DiskStation DS120j

Price range champ

Your total smarts in an entry-stage package

The Synology DS120j could per chance also be the honest replace to your honest-venerable USB onerous drives to support up your family pictures seamlessly. Even as you mumble it up, the NAS will automatically deal alongside with your pictures over Wi-Fi with out you having to take a backup manually every few days. And the DS120j doesn’t even fee loads to earn started.

Professionals

• Graceful price for funds shoppers
• Comes with the most contemporary DSM 7 OS
• Compact and vitality-ambiance pleasant

Cons

• Single force technique no data redundancy
• Excessive-res video streaming could per chance no longer be the smoothest

Getting your first NAS enclosure must not imply spending several hundred greenbacks upfront. Which that it is most likely you’ll per chance pair a single-force DiskStation DS120j with a 4TB HDD (supports as much as 14TB) for under $200. And for that fee, you earn the same fabulous Synology tool because the more top class NAS units. The DS120j is very most inviting as a Google Photos different to retailer your family pictures and movies, or that it is most likely you’ll exercise it as a secondary backup machine to your major NAS.

The DS120j is a vitality-ambiance pleasant, compact machine that it is most likely you’ll with out complications tuck away on a shelf. Even on your desk, it can no longer absorb quite a bit of house. Its processor and RAM configurations are ample for data storage and gentle-weight streaming desires but don’t quiz it to play 1080p or greater-res movies with out a hiccup. Lawful compose obvious that to procure a 7200 RPM force to compose basically the most of the NAS’s transfer speeds, and likewise it is most likely you’ll most likely salvage an unbeatable package for its fee.

Which Synology NAS is easiest for home exercise?

Most home customers will most likely be gratified with the all-contemporary Synology DiskStation DS224+, which happens to be an upgraded mannequin of our outdated popular NAS enclosure for these on a funds. Its contemporary internals compose it a sturdy machine that’s able to doing loads more than its predecessor. It’s far terribly most inviting for streaming 4K motion photos on multiple units, and handling transcoding on the cruise is a flow for its contemporary chip. For these who to determine on to bump up its RAM to 6GB, it is most likely you’ll exercise it to your freelance make money working from home, which will possess reasonably of multitasking on the NAS.

Synology’s contemporary DS423+ could per chance be even greater for home exercise whenever you intend on streaming quite a bit of motion photos from Plex that want transcoding on the cruise. It comes with the same quad-core processor because the now-discontinued DS920+, so efficiency could per chance no longer be an argument for years to return. For these who will salvage ample money it, the DS423+ is huge to your total home desires, and with its RAM expanded to 6GB, it is most likely you’ll most likely even earn some work executed on it.

In case all this sounds overkill to your classic home exercise that concepts nothing more than saving your family pictures and movies in a stable put aside, backing up your computers, and safekeeping your venerable recordsdata that you’re too lazy to earn rid of, that it is most likely you’ll with out complications earn away with the contemporary DS223j. It’s far a enormous cheap twin-bay NAS that will get you a good deal of storage house with out going for a more pricey mannequin whenever you don’t want the additional horsepower. And whenever you’re on a fair correct tighter funds, the entry-stage single-bay DS120j must enact the job with out burning a gap on your pocket.

The ideal center ground for combined-exercise

As your utilization grows, worship within the hybrid work ambiance of this day, the quiz for raw hardware efficiency can even amplify. That’s where our upgraded picks — the DS1522+ and the DS923+ — come in. With each and every these units, you earn a miles more grand processor and extensive RAM to deal alongside with your total superior work applications. Handling multiple streams of safety cameras or supporting a slight crew is a flow for either Synology enclosure. Which that it is most likely you’ll per chance even mumble up Synology Power as your native Google Power different to your total crew, which is one of basically the easiest blueprint of proudly owning a Synology NAS.

The put aside the DS1522+ ratings more than the DS923+ is its additional force bay, 8GB of unpleasant memory, four LAN ports, and two eSATA ports for in conjunction with two force growth units. And likewise you earn all these additional advantages by spending fair $100 more over the DS923+. Nonetheless whenever you do no longer care about all these extras, which incessantly is the case whenever it is most likely you’ll most likely be a freelancer or work from a home put aside of job, that it is most likely you’ll with out complications earn by with the DS923+, concerned with how identical each and every units are otherwise, whereas saving some money, which that it is most likely you’ll invest in NAS-particular onerous drives.

The DS1522+ and the DS923+ exercise the same AMD processor that lacks an constructed-in GPU, making each and every of them a bit of less ideal for transcoding movies because it would stress out the CPU reasonably quick, counting on the file size and form. Nonetheless if your media is already transcoded in a format that your consumer units (much like your TV mumble) already pork up, then the exercise of either mannequin and even the 2-bay DS723+ could per chance no longer be a mumble.

Synology NAS for the mavens

There is a subset of customers that doesn’t fall under any category talked about above and desires a sturdy server for his or her massive crew or bustle more resource-intensive apps worship a digital machine, be it Home windows or any Linux distro. And for something worship that, a Celeron or a twin-core AMD chip doesn’t decrease it.

What your slight enterprise desires is the Synology DiskStation DS1621+ — basically the most grand desktop NAS enclosure on this list. Its highlights are the uber-capable quad-core AMD processor and the skill to rock a whopping 32GB of RAM, making it upright for superior workloads. Which that it is most likely you’ll per chance with out complications bustle Home windows applications and most likely even play a game or two with RetroArch when no longer working. Plus, it is most likely you’ll worship having extensive efficiency headroom in due direction when your crew size grows, or your NAS’s workload will enhance.

Synology also makes even bigger and beefier programs, worship the DiskStation DS36xx sequence, which comes with a class-leading Intel Xeon processor and as much as 12 bays for storing and effectively processing a full bunch of TBs of recordsdata. Nonetheless or no longer it is compulsory to also be willing to pay a top class fee for such among the finest units, which will bustle into hundreds of greenbacks for the total package.

Prepare for the future at the least

While in conjunction with more onerous drives in available slots or the exercise of growth units is easy, upgrading your Synology NAS’s efficiency ability could per chance no longer be straightforward — or cheap. Getting a NAS is a lengthy-term funding, so or no longer it is greater to stretch your funds reasonably to earn an greater-tier enclosure from the earn-trip, especially whenever it is most likely you’ll most likely be purchasing for one to your work desires.

And whereas it is most likely you’ll most likely be budgeting, consider to story for the NAS-particular onerous drives that can enormously force up your initial fee. It must ascertain you reasonably on that funding by initiating with a couple of HDDs and in conjunction with more as your desires and crew size grow.

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Synology DiskStation DS1522+

Easiest total

Most sensible most likely for every and every work and play

With the mid-tier Synology DS1522+, you earn basically the easiest of Synology’s latest NAS lineup, in conjunction with a enormous-rapid AMD processor, the best draw to bump the RAM to a whopping 32GB, and an non-compulsory 10GbE community port. It must with out complications meet each and every your put aside of job and residential desires with out burning a gap on your pocket.