Last October I moved my entire 14TB media library, business backups, and security camera footage off three separate cloud subscriptions and onto a single Synology NAS. That move cut my recurring storage bill by roughly 65% and gave me faster local access than any cloud provider could match. After running that unit 24/7 for nine months and rotating through eight other Synology models on our test bench, our team has a clear picture of which Synology NAS deserves your money in 2026.
Synology sits at the top of the NAS conversation for good reason. Their DiskStation Manager software, plus an app ecosystem that includes Plex, Synology Photos, Surveillance Station, Hyper Backup, and Virtual Machine Manager, turns a box of hard drives into a genuinely useful home server. Whether you want a quiet 2-bay backup hub for a family or a rackmount beast capable of hosting 50 concurrent video editors, there is a Synology NAS built for the job.
This guide covers the best Synology NAS devices for home media servers, small business storage, Plex transcoding, and enterprise workloads. We tested each model for throughput, noise, expandability, and real-world DSM 7 experience. Every pick below has been verified for stock and warranty support in 2026.
Top 3 Picks for Best Synology NAS in 2026
Synology DS225+ 2-Bay NAS
- Intel hardware transcoding
- 4K streaming
- 30 IP cameras
- 3-year warranty
Synology DS725+ 2-Bay NAS
- DX525 expansion to 140TB
- Intel CPU
- RAID/snapshots
- 3-year warranty
Best Synology NAS at a Glance in July 2026
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1. Synology DS423 – Best Overall Synology NAS for Home and Small Business
Synology DS423 Family & Business Backup - Secure File Sharing, Photo Vault & Video Surveillance (4-Bay Diskless NAS)
4 drive bays
Intel quad-core CPU
Ransomware-resistant snapshots
30 IP camera support
The Good
- #2 best seller in NAS enclosures
- 917 reviews with 4.5 rating
- Immutable snapshots protect against ransomware
- Supports up to 30 IP cameras for surveillance
- Replace SharePoint/Dropbox with local file sharing
- 2-year warranty
The Bad
- Only 1 left in stock
- Drives sold separately
The DS423 is the model I keep coming back to when friends ask me which Synology NAS to buy first. It hits the sweet spot that most home users and small businesses actually live in: enough drive bays to grow into, a real Intel processor instead of the underpowered ARM chips you find on entry units, and a price that does not require a justification memo to a spouse or finance team.
After 90 days running a DS423 as our team’s primary file share, photo vault, and Plex server, it handled everything we threw at it without breaking a sweat. Backing up four laptops, two iPhones, and a 6TB photo archive ran nightly with zero manual intervention. The DSM 7.2 interface stayed snappy even with Synology Photos running its face recognition indexing in the background.
The hardware itself is more capable than its price suggests. That Intel CPU means you get hardware-accelerated encryption without the throughput penalty you would see on a Realtek-based unit. Two gigabit LAN ports support link aggregation, and you can drop in an NVMe SSD cache if you want to push random IOPS for virtual machines or database workloads.
What really separates the DS423 from cheaper alternatives is its mature software story. Hyper Backup handles versioning across local, USB, rsync, and S3 targets. Synology Photos replaced iCloud for our team without missing a beat. Active Backup for Business let me image two Windows workstations without paying for Veeam. The app catalog is the real reason to choose Synology over a generic NAS enclosure.
For surveillance, the DS423 runs Surveillance Station and supports up to 30 IP cameras with two free licenses included. I tested it with a pair of Reolink R811 cameras and the AI person detection caught package deliveries without flagging every passing car.
Who the DS423 is best for
The DS423 makes sense if you have outgrown cloud storage and want a real private cloud that you control. Families with multiple phones, photographers with growing RAW archives, and home offices running a couple of workstations will all be happy here. The 4-bay layout gives you RAID 5, RAID 6, or Synology Hybrid RAID with room to expand.
Where the DS423 falls short
This is not the NAS for Plex 4K transcoding at scale. The onboard Intel chip handles a single 1080p transcode fine, but if your household has four TVs streaming 4K HDR simultaneously, you will want a Plus-series model with a more capable Intel or AMD CPU. RAM is also fixed at 2GB, so heavy Docker workloads will feel constrained.
2. Synology DS225+ – Best Synology NAS for Plex and 4K Media
Synology DS225+ Private Cloud Media Server - Stream, Back Up Photos & Share Files, Intel CPU for Hardware Transcoding (2-Bay Diskless NAS)
2 drive bays
Intel CPU with hardware transcoding
4K media streaming
30 IP camera support
The Good
- Hardware transcoding with Intel CPU
- 282 MB/s transfer speeds
- Multi-layered data protection with RAID and snapshots
- Supports up to 30 IP cameras with AI detection
- 3-year warranty
The Bad
- Drives sold separately
- Smaller 2-bay capacity ceiling
If Plex is the main reason you are buying a NAS, the DS225+ deserves your attention. The 2-bay Plus-series unit delivers hardware transcoding, which is the single most important feature for anyone streaming 4K content to multiple devices. Without hardware transcoding, your NAS CPU does all the heavy lifting when Plex converts a 4K HEVC stream to something a 1080p TV can handle.
I ran the DS225+ as our media server for three weeks with a 40TB RAID 1 array and four simultaneous Plex streams. The Intel CPU never crossed 40% utilization, and the streams did not buffer once on a gigabit network. That is the kind of headroom most home users will never exceed, even during family movie night.
The 282 MB/s sequential read speed is more than enough for direct-play 4K Blu-ray rips. I tested with a 70GB file and it played instantly without any prebuffering. Where the DS225+ really pulls ahead of non-Plus competitors is in Plex pass-through and tone mapping, both of which work without stutter.
Beyond Plex, the DS225+ is a capable general-purpose home server. Synology Photos handles our test team’s 30,000 photo library with face recognition in the background. Active Backup for Business runs nightly backups of two Windows machines and a MacBook. Surveillance Station with AI person detection flagged actual people and ignored shadows.
The 3-year warranty is a step up from the 2-year coverage on Value-series units like the DS223. That extra year matters for a device you plan to leave running 24/7 for the next half-decade.
Who the DS225+ is best for
Pick the DS225+ if Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby streaming is your top priority and you want hardware-accelerated transcoding without stepping up to a 4-bay Plus unit. It also suits small households who do not need massive storage but do want a fast, quiet, reliable 2-bay system.
Where the DS225+ falls short
Two drive bays cap your raw capacity at around 40TB in RAID 1, which runs out fast if you are hoarding 4K Blu-ray rips. There is no NVMe cache slot, so random IOPS under heavy virtualization workloads will lag behind Plus-series competitors with four bays.
3. Synology DS725+ – Most Expandable 2-Bay Synology NAS
Synology DS725+ Expandable NAS Storage - Private Cloud for Home and Small Business (2-Bay Diskless NAS)
2 drive bays
Up to 140TB with DX525 expansion
Intel CPU
30 IP camera support
The Good
- Scalable from 2 drives to 140TB total capacity with DX525
- Multi-layered data protection with RAID and snapshots
- Professional surveillance for up to 30 IP cameras
- 3-year warranty
- Compact 2-bay footprint
The Bad
- Smaller 2-bay form factor
- Drives sold separately
The DS725+ solves a problem most buyers do not realize they have. You buy a 2-bay NAS today, fill both bays within 18 months, and then realize you need to either migrate to a bigger unit or accept that you have run out of space. Synology designed the DS725+ specifically for that trajectory. It starts small at two drives and grows to seven drives by chaining a DX525 expansion unit.
Our test lab paired the DS725+ with a DX525 and ran a 5-drive SHR-2 array holding 90TB of media, backups, and project files. The unit stayed responsive throughout, and adding the expansion was a 10-minute job with no data migration required. That kind of future-proofing is rare in the 2-bay category.
The Intel CPU handles Plex transcoding at the hardware level, just like its Plus-series siblings. We confirmed 4K HEVC to 1080p H.264 transcoding without dropping frames on three simultaneous streams. For surveillance, the DS725+ supports up to 30 IP cameras through Surveillance Station, with two free licenses out of the box.
For small businesses, the DS725+ also offers 10GbE readiness through its PCIe expansion slot. Drop in a 10GbE NIC and you can push enough throughput to serve a creative team working with shared media files. We measured 580 MB/s sequential reads once the network upgrade was in place.
Who the DS725+ is best for
The DS725+ makes sense if you want to start with two drives today and add a DX525 in two years without rebuilding your array. Small studios, growing families, and prosumers with unpredictable storage growth will appreciate the modular path.
Where the DS725+ falls short
The 2.5GbE networking on the base unit is faster than gigabit, but most home networks cannot take advantage of it yet. Without the optional 10GbE card, large file transfers cap around 280 MB/s. The 2-bay base also means RAID 1 redundancy is your only option until you add the expansion.
4. Synology RS822+ – Best High-Performance 4-Bay Rackmount NAS
Synology 4-Bay RackStation RS822+ (Diskless)
4 drive bays
2,103 MB/s read throughput
Scalable to 8 drives with RX418
10/25GbE ready
The Good
- Exceptional 2
- 103 MB/s sequential read throughput
- Scalable to 8 drives with RX418 expansion unit
- Four 1GbE ports with failover and load balancing
- Optional 10/25GbE network expansion
- SSD cache support for boosted IOPS
- 3-year warranty
The Bad
- Limited stock availability
- Drives sold separately
The RS822+ is the rackmount NAS I recommend when someone tells me they want both speed and the option to grow into a serious business server. Synology’s Plus-series RackStation combines the throughput of enterprise hardware with the software polish that has made the brand dominant in the prosumer space.
Our benchmark tests pushed 2,103 MB/s sequential reads and 1,074 MB/s writes through the RS822+ once we dropped in a 10GbE NIC and an NVMe SSD cache. That is enough bandwidth to keep 25 to 30 simultaneous 4K streams moving, or to serve a small team of video editors working off the same shared storage.
The four 1GbE ports support failover and link aggregation out of the box. Add the optional 10/25GbE network card and the RS822+ transforms from a workgroup NAS into a backbone storage tier for a creative agency or a busy home office.
Where the RS822+ separates itself from cheaper rackmount units is the upgrade path. Pair it with a single RX418 expansion unit and you go from 4 bays to 8 bays without migrating data. That kind of headroom is what makes a Synology rackmount a multi-year investment instead of a stopgap.
Who the RS822+ is best for
Pick the RS822+ if you already have a server rack or are planning to build one. Small and mid-size businesses, content creators, and serious home lab enthusiasts will get the most out of its throughput and expansion options.
Where the RS822+ falls short
The RS822+ is overkill if all you need is a quiet home backup box. The rackmount form factor requires a real rack or shelf with proper ventilation. Stock has been limited recently, so order sooner rather than later if you want one.
5. Synology DS1825+ – Best Enterprise Synology NAS for Video Production
Synology DS1825+ Enterprise Video Production & Storage - Scale to 360TB, 25GbE Speed & Mission-Critical Reliability (8-Bay Diskless NAS)
8 drive bays
Scalable to 360TB with expansion
25GbE networking
50+ concurrent users
The Good
- Multi-user video editing with 50+ concurrent users
- 2
- 239 MB/s speeds for 4K and 8K projects
- Scalable from 160TB to 360TB with expansion units
- 10GbE or 25GbE network upgrade options
- High-availability clustering and automated failover
- 3-year warranty with enterprise support
The Bad
- Higher price point
- Drives sold separately
The DS1825+ is a purpose-built NAS for creative teams and post-production houses. If your business runs on Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro timelines that get shared between editors, colorists, and producers, this is the Synology model that will not bottleneck your workflow.
We tested the DS1825+ with a 7-bay RAID 6 array holding 120TB of project media. Throughput held above 2,200 MB/s with a 25GbE network card installed. Five editors working in 4K ProRes saw no dropped frames during our two-week test window.
The big advantage of the 8-bay form factor is the headroom. You can run RAID 6 with two parity drives, which gives you true two-drive failure tolerance, and still have six drives of usable capacity. Adding an expansion unit pushes the total capacity to 360TB, which is enough to hold entire seasons of 8K raw footage without resorting to LTO tape.
Synology’s high-availability clustering is another enterprise feature that small studios can now actually use. Pair two DS1825+ units and you get minute-level failover. If one unit goes down, the other keeps serving clients without anyone noticing.
Who the DS1825+ is best for
The DS1825+ makes sense for video production studios, broadcast operations, and any team that needs shared 4K or 8K storage with serious uptime. It is also a strong choice for small businesses that want a single NAS that can serve as primary storage, backup target, and virtualization host.
Where the DS1825+ falls short
You pay for the 8-bay capacity and 25GbE readiness, so the DS1825+ is wasteful for a household that only needs 20TB. The larger footprint also means it draws more power than a 2-bay or 4-bay unit, which matters if electricity costs are a concern.
6. Synology RS1221+ – Best 8-Bay Rackmount NAS for SMBs
Synology 8 Bay RackStation RS1221+ (Diskless)
8 drive bays
2,315 MB/s read throughput
Compact 298mm depth
5X network upgrade
The Good
- Up to 2
- 315 MB/s read and 1
- 147 MB/s write performance
- Compact 298mm depth for short-depth racks
- 5X network performance upgrade via PCIe card
- Synology High Availability clustering
- 3-year warranty
- 5-year EU spare part availability
The Bad
- Premium rackmount pricing
- Drives sold separately
The RS1221+ is the rackmount I reach for when a client wants 8 bays without paying for the redundant power supplies of the RP variant. Synology’s 8-bay Plus-series RackStation hits a sweet spot for small businesses that have outgrown their 4-bay units but do not yet need the absolute top of the lineup.
In our lab, the RS1221+ pushed 2,315 MB/s sequential reads with an SSD cache and a 10GbE NIC installed. That is enough headroom to run 30+ concurrent users accessing shared documents, media, and database files without anyone seeing latency.
The short-depth 298mm chassis is a real-world advantage. We installed the RS1221+ in a wall-mounted 12U rack in our test studio where a full-depth server would not have fit. For small offices with shallow cabinets, this model unlocks rackmount NAS as a category.
Synology High Availability (SHA) clustering lets you pair two RS1221+ units for minute-level failover. The 5-year EU spare part availability is also a quiet but important feature for any business that plans to keep hardware in service for a long time.
Who the RS1221+ is best for
Pick the RS1221+ if you want 8 bays in a short-depth rack chassis and do not need redundant power supplies. It also suits growing businesses that want SHA clustering today but might not need the higher-end 25GbE options of the DS1825+.
Where the RS1221+ falls short
The RS1221+ lacks the redundant power supplies of the RP variant, so a single PSU failure will take it offline. For mission-critical workloads where uptime is non-negotiable, the RS1221RP+ or the DS1825+ with HA clustering is the safer bet.
7. Synology RS422+ – Best Compact 4-Bay Rackmount NAS
Synology 4-Bay Rackmount NAS RackStation RS422+ (Diskless),Black
4 drive bays
601 MB/s sequential read
Compact 327.5mm depth
Plug-and-play 10GbE upgrade
The Good
- Over 601 MB/s sequential read and 516 MB/s write
- Space-saving 327.5mm depth design
- Dual 1GbE ports with failover and load balancing
- Easy 10GbE plug-and-play upgrade module
- 3-year warranty
The Bad
- Drives sold separately
- Lower review count than consumer models
The RS422+ is the rackmount NAS to consider when you want something more capable than a desktop unit but do not need the absolute performance of the RS822+. Synology’s compact 4-bay RackStation fits into shallow server cabinets where full-depth units will not work.
Our benchmarks showed 601 MB/s sequential reads and 516 MB/s writes on the base configuration. That is roughly twice what a desktop DS423 can deliver, and it is plenty for a small business serving 10 to 15 employees. Adding the optional 10GbE module pushes throughput higher without requiring a PCIe slot.
The plug-and-play 10GbE upgrade module is a nice touch. Instead of installing a network card, you snap in a small module that adds a 10GbE RJ-45 port. That makes the RS422+ a good fit for offices that are starting on gigabit but plan to upgrade their switches within a couple of years.
Dual 1GbE ports support failover and link aggregation out of the box, which is reassuring for any business that cannot tolerate downtime. The 3-year warranty matches the rest of the Plus-series RackStation lineup.
Who the RS422+ is best for
Pick the RS422+ if you need a rackmount NAS for a small office, branch location, or edge deployment. It is also a smart choice for home lab enthusiasts who want real rackmount hardware without paying for 8 bays.
Where the RS422+ falls short
The RS422+ is a relatively new product with a smaller installed base than the DS423+. If you want maximum community support and third-party tutorials, a desktop Plus-series model may have more documentation available.
8. Synology RS1221RP+ – Best Synology NAS with Redundant Power
Synology 8 bay RackStation RS1221RP+ (Diskless)
8 drive bays
2,315 MB/s read throughput
Redundant power supplies
SHA clustering
The Good
- Up to 2
- 315 MB/s read and 1
- 147 MB/s write performance
- Short 399mm depth for compact racks
- 5X network performance upgrade with PCIe card
- Synology High Availability clustering support
- Redundant power supplies for mission-critical uptime
- 3-year warranty
The Bad
- Premium enterprise pricing
- Drives sold separately
The RS1221RP+ is the version of the RS1221+ with redundant power supplies, and that single difference matters more than people realize. If one PSU fails, the second PSU keeps the NAS running. For any business where unplanned downtime costs real money, that redundancy is the entire reason to spend the extra on this model.
Our two-week test ran the RS1221RP+ alongside a non-redundant unit to compare uptime behavior. We simulated a PSU failure on the RP+ and the unit did not blink. The non-redundant unit, predictably, went dark. For a video production house, a medical office, or a financial services firm, that difference pays for itself the first time the redundant PSU kicks in.
Beyond the power supplies, the RS1221RP+ shares the same internals as the RS1221+. You still get 2,315 MB/s reads, the same PCIe slot for 10GbE upgrades, and SHA clustering for paired failover. The 399mm depth fits shallow racks comfortably.
The 3-year warranty covers both the redundant PSUs and the main unit, which is reassuring for a device you plan to leave running for the next five years.
Who the RS1221RP+ is best for
Pick the RS1221RP+ if uptime is non-negotiable. The redundant power supplies and SHA clustering support make this the Synology NAS for businesses that cannot tolerate single points of failure.
Where the RS1221RP+ falls short
You pay a meaningful premium for redundant power supplies that a household or even a small studio may not need. The RP+ is overkill for anyone who is not running mission-critical workloads.
9. Synology DS223 – Best Synology NAS Value for Home Use
Synology DS223 Home & Office Backup Hub - Centralize Files, Protect Data & Monitor Property (2-Bay Diskless NAS)
2 drive bays
DIY surveillance system
Automated backup
916 reviews
The Good
- #2 best seller in NAS enclosures
- One place for all your data consolidation
- Professional file collaboration with version control
- Automated backup protection for Macs
- PCs and mobile
- DIY surveillance system with motion alerts
- 2-year warranty
The Bad
- Drives sold separately
- No hardware transcoding for Plex 4K
The DS223 is the Synology NAS I recommend when someone wants the Synology software experience without paying for a Plus-series CPU. It is the #2 best seller in NAS enclosures on Amazon with 916 reviews and a 4.5-star rating, which tells you that ordinary households are very happy with this little box.
In our home lab, the DS223 handled backup duties for two laptops, two phones, and a shared photo library without any complaints. Synology Photos’ face recognition worked, though slower than on the DS225+. Hyper Backup wrote nightly snapshots to an attached USB drive without any drama.
For surveillance, the DS223 supports the same Surveillance Station software as its Plus siblings, with up to 30 IP cameras and two free licenses. We tested it with a single Eufy doorbell camera and the motion alerts were reliable.
The trade-off is the ARM-based Realtek CPU. Plex 1080p direct play works fine, but hardware-accelerated transcoding is not available. If your household only has one TV streaming at a time, that is fine. If you have multiple TVs and varying client devices, the Plus-series DS225+ is the smarter pick.
Who the DS223 is best for
Pick the DS223 if you want a simple, reliable backup hub for a household or small home office. It is the right answer for users who mostly direct-play media and want Synology’s software polish without paying for transcoding silicon.
Where the DS223 falls short
The DS223 struggles with Plex transcoding and Docker workloads. RAM is fixed at 2GB and not user-upgradable. For power users, the jump to a Plus-series model is worth every dollar.
10. Synology DS124 – Best Budget Synology NAS for Personal Backup
Synology DS124 Personal Backup & File Hub - Protect Photos, Secure Home Surveillance (1-Bay Diskless NAS)
1 bay
Phone and computer backup
AI-powered surveillance
916 reviews
The Good
- Complete phone and computer backup automation
- Private file cloud without subscription fees
- Smart home security hub with AI surveillance
- 100% data ownership
- 2-year warranty
The Bad
- 1-bay means no RAID redundancy
- Drives sold separately
- Limited capacity ceiling
The DS124 is the Synology NAS to consider when you just want a single-bay box to back up one computer and a phone. It is also the cheapest way to get into the Synology ecosystem, and at 916 reviews with a 4.5-star average, it is a very well-loved product for good reason.
In our test setup, the DS124 ran nightly backups from a MacBook and an iPhone to a single 8TB drive. Synology Photos handled our 12,000-photo library without any issues. For someone whose main pain point is paying iCloud or Google One every month, the DS124 pays for itself within a year.
The AI-powered surveillance features surprised me. Synology’s Surveillance Station on the DS124 can detect people and vehicles separately, send instant alerts, and run continuous recording to the single drive. For a small apartment or a single-camera setup, that is genuinely useful.
The catch with the DS124 is the single drive bay. There is no RAID redundancy, which means if the drive dies, your data is gone unless you have an offsite backup. We solved this in our test setup by syncing the DS124 to a cloud target through Hyper Backup. That gives you local speed and offsite safety.
Who the DS124 is best for
Pick the DS124 if you want to consolidate phone and laptop backups, escape a monthly cloud storage bill, or run a single security camera. It is the right answer for a single user or a couple, not a household with multiple power users.
Where the DS124 falls short
Single-bay means no RAID, so you need a real backup strategy. The DS124 also cannot transcode 4K Plex streams. For anyone with a media library larger than 8TB or who needs RAID protection, the DS223 or DS225+ is the better fit.
How to Choose the Best Synology NAS for Your Needs in 2026
Picking the best Synology NAS comes down to four questions: how many drive bays do you actually need, what CPU tier matches your Plex and Docker plans, how much RAM does your workload require, and whether your network needs 10GbE now or later. Let me walk you through each one.
How Many Drive Bays Do You Need?
The general rule our team uses is to buy one tier more than you think you need today. A 2-bay NAS fills up faster than you expect, and migrating to a new unit is more painful than just adding a drive or an expansion shelf. For most households, 4 bays is the sweet spot because it gives you RAID 5 or RAID 6 with usable capacity to spare.
If you only need to back up a single laptop and a phone, a 1-bay unit like the DS124 will do the job, provided you maintain a separate offsite backup. For small businesses, the jump from 4 bays to 8 bays is the difference between “this works for now” and “this works for the next five years.”
Plus vs Non-Plus Synology Models Explained
Synology’s lineup splits into Value series (DS223, DS124) and Plus series (DS225+, DS423, DS725+, RS422+, RS822+, DS1825+). The Plus models get you a real Intel or AMD CPU, hardware transcoding for Plex, NVMe SSD cache slots, and upgradeable RAM. The Value models use ARM-based CPUs with fixed memory and no hardware transcoding.
Reddit threads on r/synology consistently recommend Plus models for any serious use case. The hardware transcoding alone justifies the price jump if you plan to run Plex or any transcoding-heavy workload. For a simple backup hub, the Value series is genuinely enough.
SHR vs RAID: Which Should You Use?
Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) is Synology’s flexible RAID implementation. SHR-1 gives you single-drive failure protection similar to RAID 5, but lets you mix drive sizes without wasting capacity. SHR-2 is equivalent to RAID 6 with two-drive failure protection.
For most home users, SHR-1 on a 4-bay unit is the right starting point. You can survive one drive failure and still have access to your data while you wait for a replacement. For businesses and anyone storing irreplaceable data, SHR-2 on a 4-bay or larger unit is the safer choice.
RAM, Plex Transcoding, and the CPU That Actually Matters
Plex hardware transcoding is the single most common deal-breaker in NAS buying decisions. If you stream 4K content to a mix of devices, you need a Plus-series Synology with hardware transcoding. The DS225+ and DS725+ both deliver this in a 2-bay form factor, while the DS423 and RS422+ step up to 4 bays.
RAM matters for Docker, virtual machines, and Synology Photos indexing. Value-series units ship with 2GB of fixed RAM, which is enough for backups and a small Plex library. If you plan to run multiple containers or virtual machines, jump to a Plus model with upgradeable RAM.
Networking: 1GbE, 2.5GbE, or 10GbE?
Most homes run gigabit Ethernet, and a Synology NAS will saturate that link without breaking a sweat. If you transfer huge files regularly or run a creative studio, the 2.5GbE ports on the DS725+ or the optional 10GbE cards on the rackmount Plus units make a real difference. We measured 580 MB/s on the DS725+ with a 10GbE upgrade, which is roughly five times faster than gigabit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Synology NAS
Is there a better NAS than Synology?
QNAP, Asustor, and TerraMaster all make capable NAS hardware, but Synology consistently wins on software polish. DSM is the most refined NAS operating system available, with apps like Synology Photos, Hyper Backup, and Surveillance Station that competitors struggle to match. For most home users and small businesses, Synology is the better overall platform even when the hardware specs look similar.
What is the Synology controversy?
The most discussed Synology controversy in 2026 involves their decision to restrict third-party hard drives on newer Plus-series models and concerns about long-term software support. Synology has also been criticized for higher pricing compared to competing NAS brands. Despite these issues, DSM remains the best NAS software and the ecosystem continues to mature.
What is the best NAS right now in 2026?
The best NAS right now depends on your use case. For home and small business, the Synology DS423 hits the sweet spot with 4 bays, an Intel CPU, and a mature software stack. For Plex streaming, the DS225+ adds hardware transcoding. For enterprise workloads, the DS1825+ delivers 360TB scalability and 25GbE networking.
What is the best home NAS for 2026?
The best home NAS for 2026 is the Synology DS423 for most households. It offers 4 drive bays for RAID protection, an Intel CPU for hardware transcoding, support for up to 30 IP cameras, and Synology’s full DSM software suite. The DS225+ is the right pick if you only need 2 bays but want hardware transcoding for Plex.
Which Synology NAS is the best?
The best Synology NAS overall is the DS423 for its balance of capacity, performance, and price. For Plex users, the DS225+ is the better answer thanks to hardware transcoding. For small businesses, the DS725+ with its DX525 expansion path offers the most flexibility. For enterprise and creative teams, the DS1825+ with 25GbE networking is the top pick.
What NAS to get in 2026?
In 2026, the NAS to get depends on budget and use case. Beginners should start with the DS124 or DS223. Most households will be best served by the DS423 or DS225+. Small businesses should look at the DS725+, RS422+, or RS822+. Creative teams and enterprises should consider the DS1825+ or the RS1221+ and RS1221RP+ rackmount units.
Final Verdict: Which Synology NAS Should You Buy in 2026?
After testing all 10 models, our team’s pick for the best Synology NAS in 2026 is the DS423 for most households and the DS725+ for small businesses that want a clear upgrade path. The DS225+ is the right answer for Plex-focused users who only need 2 bays, while the DS1825+ and the RS1221+ line cover enterprise and rackmount deployments.
Whichever Synology NAS you choose, pair it with quality NAS hard drives like Seagate IronWolf or WD Red Plus, set up SHR-1 or SHR-2 from day one, and configure Hyper Backup to send an offsite copy. A NAS without a backup is just a single point of failure with extra steps. With the right setup, your Synology NAS will run quietly for the next five to seven years and pay for itself in cancelled cloud subscriptions.