I think over recent years NAS has grown to try to be this do-all kind of box, rather than a box where you store and access files. As long as I can get good read-write performance, immutable snapshots, and bare metal back up I am happy. I can run everything else on a $200 mini PC and not take the risk that one of those docker apps or VMs is going to allow some hacker to mess with my data if I don’t configure it just right.

Love the back and forth. Great points on both sides. I chose QNAP so I could have choice of hardware. Extra licenses for security cameras was also a factor.

I wanted to replace my DS-216+ii and in addition to the usual file storage, the new nas also had to be a good PLEX server and video surveillance. After reading and watching various reviews (of course also yours), I finally opted for the TS-664 with 16GB. I chose it and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Interesting technical stuff here guys. IMO this subject depends of whether someone is a techy and wants to get their hands dirty and play or someone who just wants to use a NAS not play with one. Have you done a video covering virtual machines. Thanks for the great content.

Ok I am called Graeme and you did just freak me out and describe EXACTLY the process that got me to this video. Nicely done. This deserves a subscribe 👍

@nascompares

2 ай бұрын

Sorry Graham. Kind regards, Robert

Was very keen on Synology but just watched some of your reviews those systems and felt that maybe I needed to take a step back and so watched this comparison. Well it didn't help get me any closer to making a decision either and I'm perplexed where to go. For several years now I've run windows servers for mostly home (family) backups and Plex but am trying to get away from the high maintenance and complexities of both the software and the giant rack system living in my cellar and into something much smaller that I can sit on a shelf and not have to think too much about after setting it up. That said I don't want to be hamstrung by a brand's missed opportunities and unwillingness to plan for the future or be nickel and dimed to death by costly needed add-ons. Uggh!

All I really care about are the following: Can I create individual dirs for family members to have their own private backups? What setup do I need to maximize network perf? Which NAS is better for iPhone photo/video backups? All this talk about cameras and virtual machines is great, but I don’t have cameras, and if I want a private Linux box then I’ll designate a private drive for. These are the questions I keep coming back to over and over again

Gentlemen, I enjoyed this episode. With a lot of humor you have pointed out serious differences, pros and cons. Professionally, I work for various clients with both brands. I do not consider my opinion or judgment to be relevant as a comment. The only thing I can say is that I recognize myself in all the pros and cons of both brands. Thank you very much for this good but also very funny video!

@nascompares

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words man

Great back and forth guys! I learned alot.

I saw your video on the Terramaster and I have to say that's going to replace my Synology as soon as it's available. It's just so much more powerful from the hardware perspective.

I have both Synology and QNAP at work. I prefer DSM more only because it feels more mature and runs faster on less RAM.

I just want a 4k media streaming NAS with capability to backup my phones data and pc images. Which NAS will do this the best?

I'm a Deadbolt Veteran. Had to re-initialize the system, change my way of securing it, because after a while I got complacent. then restored from backup... Also locked the admin account, started 2 step authentication, and use any LAN port that is not #1 (QNAP users should know why).

I can't be the only one patiently waiting for Synology to recognize a big chunk of their market who are multi media focused at home / remote access to family and friends who would like an integrated graphic processor (AMD if that's the path they are taking) to primarily run Plex/Jellyfin/Emby etc and would like to utilise hardware acceleration for transcoding? I'd love a newer more capable processor NAS unit so I can update my 920+ to ideally a new 4-6 bay unit. I've toyed with swapping back to Qnap but really prefer the Synology software and system overall.

@thewatcher476

4 ай бұрын

Like i5 13500k

@ErikSwan

3 ай бұрын

This. Honestly, they don't even need to put a super powerful CPU in it. The N100 would probably do just fine. Please just give me an updated DS923+ with an N100 CPU and 2.5GbE and it would be an instant buy. As it stands today, I can't justify spending the money on a DS923+ when it is so limited on the transcoding and future-proofing front.

Holy Crap.. Ed is on camera?

I would choose a QNAP over the Synology anytime.... I don't need all the software and do absolutely not like Synology's HDD policy. All my NAS'es is used as NAS'es and nothing else. VM's etc runs on real servers.

Great discussion! Is this like iOS (Synology) vs Android (QNAP)?

TS-855X - yeah it is a QNAP (with great 8 core chip!) , but runs Hero and the software updates have been coming in fast. Not that I would not necessarily buy any NAS for its integrated software - though it sure helps! And If there is ANY software I want, it is VMs, Docker, etc (especially for external facing apps)

I am in the process of upgrading my DS920+ and replacing it with the QNAP TS-264 as I never utilised the extra 2 HDD bays in the last 5 years of ownership of the DS920+. I am attracted to the QNAP because of the newer generation CPU with iGPU, the 2.5GbE on the QNAP as I am running 2.5GbE throughout my home and the option of expanding it to 10GbE in the future.

@afp259

3 ай бұрын

You can easily use an USB Ethernet Adapter on your 920 for 2.5GB

@cmathieu

3 ай бұрын

@@afp259 wouldn't that be slower than a direct 2.5GbE port on the NAS as it would have more overhead? The other factor I forgot to mention is using the M.2 NVME SSDs as storage and the benefit of a new generation CPU\iGPU.

@afp259

3 ай бұрын

@@cmathieu Hi, no speed is the same. SSD caching has zero effect on larger files, but it could speed up database workloads. But if you are interested in using the igpu, I think you are using more video features... The 920+ should also be fine for this. I am streaming from nearly identical Xpenology System. All decoding is done by the end device, not the NAS. For the 10GbE... Are your devices fast enough? A two bay NAS will hardly go over 200MB/s. What is your use case scenario?

@cmathieu

3 ай бұрын

@@afp259 I meant using M.2 NVME SSDs as storage not as cache. The Qnap supports this and since I have 2 spare 2TB NVME SSDs it makes sense. Yes, my primary use is to stream videos to my overseas relatives using Plex and Emby - 10GbE is a nice to have and it's something I may consider for the future. Currently my home Mac desktop has a 10GbE port and my MacBook has a 2.5GbE Thunderbolt 4 adapter and my mesh router also has 2 x 10GbE and 2 x 2.5GbE ports - only limited by my internet connection which is 1Gbps. That said, I have ordered the QNAP as I feel it's a step in the right direction - I will use the DS920+ as an offsite backup of the Qnap

@NASCompares i have a noob question. Will Synology HAT3300 4TB work with Qnap TS-233?? I know i wont get any use of hdds software, i just need a simple nas hdd and HAT3300 4TB is my only option atm. i already have TS-233 and need to know if these will work together

I wanted to run Docker on my Synology DS218 but they artificially restricted compatibility (other Synology NAS with same hardware can run Docker). Seriously considering switching to QNAP because of that.

Brand new to this area of tech, been looking to set something up something personally for myself and something for family and this video helped. QNAP for me and Synology for the Fam.

I have 2 Synology units, but am seriously considering QNAP/Asustor for their (relatively affordable) flash memory units. Why doesn't Synology seem to be at all interested in making a consumer flash NAS?

I am still on the Synology team in 2024. I have used it since 2016. I can see QNAP is coming strong from behind and may even have even larger money backing. Competition is good for consumers. It seems to force Synology to give us more. My usage for NAS is file sharing, backup, and camera in the future.

By the way I run ZFS on a Pentium 4 HT (1C2T; 3.0GHz) with 1GB of DDR4 (400MHz) with 1.21TB of storage 2x IDE 3.5" (250+320GB) and 2x SATA 2.5" (320+320GB), since June 2019 it stores my weekly backups (2nd backup). The OS is FreeBSD 14.0 booting and running from OpenZFS 2.2.0. The incremental backup takes 1 to 1.5 hours per week. It runs at 240 Mbps on a 1 Gbps link due to a >90% load on the CPU thread taking care of the ssh connection. The major part of the system comes from a 21 year OLD HP d530 SFF and the OS is a 3 month NEW FreeBSD release. All parts are reused leftovers.

@abel4776

4 ай бұрын

Beige PC case? Great simple setup though.

Yeah, I agree with the guest, not sure what his name is. Synology is the better choice. Never had an issue with it and I use it quite heavily (docker, vms, Plex, file sharing, VMware environment backup and cloud backup for external backup). It has been more than 10 years of no hassle usage

@nascompares

4 ай бұрын

Excellently put sir!

I'm called Graham, I have a Synology and I'm thinking about changing to QNAP and yes, you freaked me out when you called my name :)

Got a ts 473a for just over 600 euros. Bought in australia. I know its a relatively old model but it came with. QNAP TS-473A-8G 4 Bay NAS with AMD R-Series Quad-core 2.2GHz, and 2 2.5GbE Ports. It blitzd my synology. I am now thinking of adding the ai accelerator card just for fun. The tech setup was a bit daunting but i have sorted it out. Backups 321 r in place. Firewall is impressive. If u can pls do a video on ai accelerator cards like edge tpus which r supported by qnap. I know i dont need it but i am curious.

Hi. I see QNAP are saying this for their ZFS system.. does it really work like tiered storage? Tiered storage configuration for a QuTS hero NAS Basic requirements for setup are similar to QTS. We recommend you to follow these steps to acquire optimal storage efficiency and performance for QuTS hero. Step 1: System Drive & Default Shared Folders The first St

On the synology, you can use any drive, doesn't need to be on their compatibility list.

Still have an old Qnap TS-419P II in raid 10 setup. While upgrading the whole nas, having new disks, a disk failed in the old one. So I slotted in a new bigger disk and it just works! Can and old Synology do this so easily?

@geort45

2 ай бұрын

in synology you can purpousely remove one drive, put a bigger one, let it replicate, then remove the older small one and put a bigger one ant it replicates again, thus upgrading your total storage

The Gbit size is important even if all your equipment is only 1 Gbit. It’s all about how large your pipe is.

Hey y’all so my wife does videography and photos for weddings. We’re quicky running through externals and it’s time to make a nas for her mass storage. Which 4 bay y’all think is the best to go with? Or direct me to video I need to watch! Cheers boys

No need to convince us Eddie. A plague of Seagulls on the other guy. :) I don't want bleeding edge hardware, I want 100% bullet proof reliability for something that is holding my data.

@AllGrainHomeBrewing

Ай бұрын

If you want bullet proof reliability don't buy a consumer grade NAS.

It just works. How many time do i hear that from our Apple users...

I was tossing up which way to go for my home stuff until recently. I've now decided to use a Linux box with ZFS, Samba & NFS. The pretty gui stuff to manage it will come via Cockpit or Webmin. This will make use of a box (AMD 3950x based) that i already have and will make setting up remote access easy via Tailscale. Ok, I've been using linux for years, but I'm far from a guru. On the other hand, I have no experience using either Synology or Qnap nor a desire to buy that hardware.

So which one do consultants install into their clients I.T. Infrastructure?

@Muzammil.S

Ай бұрын

QNAP

QNAP for the win!!!

what happened to QNAP security vulnerabilities from the last year's interview?

Synology = Apple ecosystem / gaming console , Qnap = PC free for all ecosystem

@455king4help

4 ай бұрын

I'm new to this area and this comparison helps immensely

@niebieski8199

4 ай бұрын

that's so true

@dancarpenter419

4 ай бұрын

So the best compatible NAS for sync and save Apple photos is a synology ?

@niebieski8199

4 ай бұрын

@@dancarpenter419 no. synology = apple means you'll get much less for your many in terms of hardware. You can easily backup your Apple devices to QNAP

@dancarpenter419

4 ай бұрын

@@niebieski8199 gotcha- thank you. I am shopping for a nas to back up the families photos from the Apple phones ;)

plz talk about the 108TB volume limit on synology, its gonna be a big problem now when seagate 32TB comes out, i see NO NAS channel talk about this, so please do it. knowing that just 4 32TB disks is over the 108TB volume limit should be on EVERY 2024 synology video

I don't need or want all that software, more and more home users, including myself need 100+tb , so minimum 6-8 bay for media storage, and don't want to spend a fortune on business class stability/support. Just give me capable inexpensive raw storage capability in a home friendly form factor, asustor and qnap seem to be in that market more then synology right now

QNAP hardware is better, the extended warranty is costly but needed

I've had various QNAP NAS over several years, mainly because the limitations and restrictions of Sinology have been (and still are) talked about so much, BUT, I still can't get on with QTS. I find it incredibly disjointed, complicated, confusing, and therefore difficult to use. QTS would be my #1 reason for switching brands.

Prices of HDD and other computer accessories have gone up in India

Why not Asustor?

@javaman4584

4 ай бұрын

Because they only have two chairs.

QNAP is Freedom Tech. No walled gardens

Hey, do you know if a 22TB Iron Wolf Pro will work on the Synology DS920+?

@jameshopkins1919

4 ай бұрын

For reasons that seem to escape everyone but Synology their 3rd party HDD support stops at 14TB. I want a DS923+ or DS1522+ - but my existing 16TB drives wont be supported in either, so cant buy one. (Some say they wont support above 14TB as they have only just released Synology brand HDD in the larger capacity and want to force people to buy their drives, rather than let people use 3rd party, its a very disappointing predicament that I am sure is costing them more new/upgrade customer $$ than the sales value $$ of a few of their overpriced drives will generate.

@sylvainalain6637

4 ай бұрын

Really ? I use only 12TB ironwolf , I didn’t know that I can use 16 or 18tb ironwolf inside the ds923+ . Will I get a warning or it won’t see the disks inside the storage manager ?

@oushima6832

4 ай бұрын

⁠@@sylvainalain6637 You will definitely get a warning if it works. But that's about it. It should theoretically speaking work. People have tried it with success on Reddit. There's no real reason why it shouldn't. That's why I asked, perhaps he (@NasCompares) tried. I might just buy 24TB and try it in my DS920+, since I don't think he's going to reply by the looks of it. 😢

@jameshopkins1919

4 ай бұрын

I’d check symbology compatibility website - they list exactly which drives are supported. Anything else you will get an error message as a minimum, or it won’t work, or it might work for a while and then one day it won’t work. If your data is important use listed compatible drive model #’s only. Even if they list a 16TB sea gate drive - make sure you get that exact model #, as other 16TB sea gate might not work.

@blahblahwhatblahblah

4 ай бұрын

​​@@jameshopkins1919I'm still a bit confused about what Synology actually means by "Supported". Do they mean "you can try, but we won't help if you run into issues"? I'm running 20TB drives in my DS918, which aren't on the compatibility list. They still work... Or are they actually locking people out of using such drives on the newer machines?

Robbie is brutal

A QNAP 4 bays is more expensive than a Synology one, for a long time this wasn't case, this only shows where is the value now.

8:01 you actually can

Currently own a Synology DS 220j, I really do like the DSM software, but the fact Synology, with this current models, forcing you if you want to add M.2 SSD drives and memory upgrades ( ram), to Synology Brand of these items, even the 3.5 drives although they will allow for now certain brands drives, prefer to use Synology Brand. But these memory and SSD drive units are over priced. So now I realise I as funds allow a larger NAS drive, but why should I have to spend more money than really necessary. With QNAP, if I want to I can expand the memory and get SSD M.2 , if you use a brand and model from the compatibility list you can get an upgrade for the NAS, for less.

synology knows that they have better software and purposely builds with weaker hardware to squeeze out more profits. until QNAP and other nas makers develop more robust and a better software experience, synology will continue to give the bare minimum.

First time user and I went with hardware qnap as I need it to last me 5 years. I'm a noob but I rather drive a Ferrari and learn than a slow car and nit be able to do everything at max speeds.

@nosurname9652

4 ай бұрын

I've tried both Syno at home and qnap at work (not for long period of time though) and find Syno better for normal user (not an Linux geek) with my scenario of couple wifi cams 24/7, photo auto backup, up to 10-15 docker containers with things I need (added RAM to 12GB, but find it overkill at the moment). Maby, if you are into virtualization, you need more powerful hardware, but in case of linux and docker feel completely enough horse power for all my needs for next 10 years.

@CalBru

4 ай бұрын

Same - went for TS-855X with 8 cores. A lot of my software (anything needing internet) runs off docker containers, so the extra cores help.

U look like brothers

QNAP with 12 Core Intel chips + 64GB RAM + Seagate EXOS + QTS Hero ZFS + 25Gbps NICs + Thunderbolt 4 = Synology can sell their underperforming boxes and sell it to gullible consumers but not me. QNAP has far bigger product line up than Synology can ever dream of. And if I need something bigger than QNAP then I will get a baremetal Super Micro rackmount storage server and pair with any of the open source NAS platforms.

Do not forget to mention, that Qnap TS-x64 series you are promoting, have high percentage of fails, which are not reparable. Motherboard have to be replaced or entire unit have to be replaced. As many years user of Qnap and their big fan I must admit that their quality dropped down dramatically and their level of service is not the best one.... In same time you are correct, to find alternative from Synology with same hardware is impossible.

@nascompares

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing man, sucks to hear your system died to a mobo fail. I haven't heard much on the x64s having dud boards (though I did discuss the x72 series having a period of oddly high RMAs)

@mini-pouce

4 ай бұрын

Thanks I might have encounter this symptoms, have you some links about it ?

@NhatLinhNguyen-ru5lf

2 ай бұрын

​@@mini-pouceRandom reboots. Thank god it was still during the warranty period. I am scared replacement mobo will give up on my sometime in the future

Better question, why won't synology allow SHR on ALL their products, not just "consumer". give me the option

@mini-pouce

4 ай бұрын

Agree for letting the user choose (tougth it is not what Synology used to), but this one can be explaine since SHR on too differents HDD will lead to worse performance. In a "Pro" envrironement you want to avoid that. It is the same as in traditionnal RAID but you add asymetric volumes and the need to split data correctly. Not an easy task.

Gidday Fellas. Everytime you two battle it out I can’t help but wonder how much Synology paid off Eddie! As a SOHO user that desperately wants to upgrade to 10Gbe NAS for photography and video (as well as office use) I am stuck. I want a Synology - more secure and better user interface, but the NAS itself is less than half the cost, their 10Gbe adaptors are expensive and their lousy compatibility list means ALL my existing HDD’s are not able to be transferred. So a NZ$1500 nas would cost me well over NZ$3000 to set up (and lord knows how much if I want to stick with 16TB drives. QNAP on the other hand will accept my HDD’s, BUT security and poor user interface put me off (it has been 3 years since I used QNAP but hated every minute of it) and they charge just as much for their 10Gbe cards but they are gimped by their lacklustre Pcie expansion bandwidth. Maybe 2024 will see one or the other finally produce a compelling product???

@abel4776

4 ай бұрын

DIY is the route I will take.

@nosurname9652

4 ай бұрын

DIY sounds really nice, new things like Ziima boards looks interesting, but need to jump into DIY with both hands and head which is nice if you find it fun. Things changes when you already with both hands and head into something else - like photo/video editing as example and just need a good working box you don't need to jump around, trying to understand why something is not working or where to find function you need (Syno=huuuuge community, especially if you are multilingual person). Found things I need in seconds (like split VPN, media server tutorial, Docker with it's possibilities for almost everything not included in standard DSM etc, etc, etc).

For myself I've ended up on the side of qnap mostly because of the freedom. We buy NASes to have freedom of hosting our data, why give it away by buying the Apple of NAS.

Apple vs PC? Always better hardware but the user experience is quite variable…

Buy a gen 8 HP micro server and do what you want for peanuts.

@Garuthius

4 ай бұрын

Do tell us more ???

Came for technical comparison, ended in religious fight. Fuck that.

just moved my qnap to the kitchen, please tell me how dumb i am.

As a long time Synology user I consider their price raises and HDD locking scummy. They use ancient chips and sell them at premium prices. As good as the software is most people only need a fraction of the functionality but have to finance it. IMHO the company is run by bean counters.

I have an 8 bay Synology and an 8 bay Thunderbolt Qnap My synology has been running years without a problem My qnap suffered the very common motherboard problem just months out of warranty Qnap are charging me £1300 + VAT for the repair Wheni get it back I will transfer the data and sell it and never touch anything from these cowboys again Their desktop products are total garbage for reliability

@junior-OG

4 ай бұрын

TVS-x72XT ?

@paulv2411

4 ай бұрын

I had the same problem. 2 weeks out of warranty had issues with drives dropping out of the array. Was told backplane issue. Quoted $ 320 plus the cost to ship the nas to qnap. The nas only cost me $800 to buy new, so I went DIY. N54l Hp Microserver with Xpenology. Has been perfect ever sense.

@abel4776

4 ай бұрын

@@paulv2411 Does your version of Xpenology nag you on Synology-branded drives?

@nosurname9652

4 ай бұрын

QNAP had quite often seen problem with it's internal memory chip (where is OS stored). Was one of the reasons I chose Syno since DSM stored on all hard drives (looks like not a fastest, but more stable decision). Maby something changed in last couple years and QNAP have no this problem anymore, feel too lazy to investigate.

Synology DSM should have the oS from USB or the SSD not from the hdd drives

Why do this video? Both of you favor towards the Synology .

Talk after sales service. QNAP - shockingly bad.

If you don't want to see thumbnails of your videos and images, get qnap and remember qnap does not support you.

Verbal diarrhoea? Perform a word count from the transcript . . . please give us the word count percentages Would love to hear more from Eddie . . . really appreciate his points

Synology tech service sucks. -quite arrogant when they realized they do not know what they present they know.

I do not like Synology, I despise their approach to their customers, trying to lock-in with their "compatibility" (Synology-only) approach, trying to be the "Apple" of the NAS world. The ONLY thing is Synology IF you not too technical inclined, their GUI might appeal to you. Simplicity but more limited flexibility. (compared to other brands) Software-wise Synology is a bit more smooth but limiting at times, I rather have the rough edges of QNAP and all the flexibility that comes with it. As for the ransomware attacks on QNAP, that was only because users were STUPID enough to disclose their NAS to the internet without taking proper measures against it. Whilst QNAP was indeed not that forthcoming initially when the ransomeware-outbreak happened, the fact remains that the fault was primarily with the users themselves. You can argue that Synology does not need (as) powerful hardware compared to QNAP but our own tests have shown that QNAP's can easely blow Synology out of the water. SHR is something that I believe QNAP could do but the benefit would be mostly for consumer-users and, again, SHR has shown us in our own tests, a fair amount of performance hits when using SHR. I would also argue. look into the value of your NAS over a longer time; How long will it last and serve your needs over years and years. But let's open-up a can of worms on Synology, what about their roadmap and delivering on it?

@InspectorGadget2014

4 ай бұрын

PS: Yes, it is very annoying how QNAP seems to require a license for several apps but most of those are 3rd party and/or collaboratively developed with other companies. I'm okay for most of those to be licensed separately as 1) I do not need them for the most part and 2) keeps the costs down for the QNAP machines I would expect and 3) some licenses are "lifetime", and I suppose (=hope) QNAP would take that income to develop for the future. Yes, I was aggravated as much when QNAP dropped the licenses for their surveillance application and pushed (understatement) their QVR Pro & Elite. So much so, we abandoned surveillance all together and now use alternative methods which I can not disclose here. Yes, QNAP has caused some grievances and made some mistakes, odd choices and so forth. But QNAP's hardware is, using them now for 20 years, great! QNAP's Support, even outside of warranty, is also great. And responsive. And understanding, no matter how silly my questions might be at times. If you want no frills and simplicity, possibly Synology might be your best choice. And will be a smooth usage, most of the time. Do keep in your mind that Synology may chance their minds in supporting your NAS in the future DSM releases rather abruptly. But if you need power, performance, customisation and a long(er) future for your investment, I vouch for QNAP every time. Big time.

Synology is big regret becarefull there is no good services and support !!! Bad work team...

I wont buy a Synology again after this video!

All these months he has been saying buy this Synology or this one and now he is saying they suck! Not watching this channel anymore!

@nascompares

4 ай бұрын

Did you not see the disclaimer at the start? We are saying we like both these brands, but are playing devil advocate in this video and debating either side. It was literally a coin toss by us for who would have to represent either brand. Did you do debate classes at school? This is a similar format to that

@alexschmit8233

4 ай бұрын

Still it seemed very convising @@nascompares

You swear at Christ and I unsubscribe!