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Synology sells a lot of boxes that look alike from the outside. The difference between them is mostly bay count, processor class, networking and how far each one can grow before you run out of room. Pick wrong and you either pay for capacity you never fill, or you hit a wall two years in and start shopping again.
This guide is for anyone deciding which Synology to buy in 2026: a first NAS for photo backup and Plex, a four-bay box for a household that has outgrown external drives, or a five-bay unit that feeds a video editing workflow. It also covers the BeeStation Plus, which is a different kind of product entirely and often the right answer for people who do not want to administer anything.
Two things have changed enough recently that they deserve their own warnings: drive compatibility rules on Plus-series models, and the quiet standardisation on 2.5GbE across the current generation. Both are covered below.
What Synology is known for, and how to read the model numbers
Synology’s reputation rests on DSM, its operating system. It is the most polished NAS software you can buy, with first-party apps for photos, file sync, Mac and PC backup, and camera recording that most people can set up in an afternoon. The trade-off is hardware: Synology generally ships more conservative processors and less RAM than competitors at a similar tier, and it asks you to stay inside its ecosystem.
The naming scheme is logical once you see it. In DS925+, the leading digits are the maximum number of drives the unit supports including expansion units, the last two digits are the model year, and the + marks the Plus series. So a DS925+ is a four-bay chassis that reaches nine drives with an expansion unit, released in the 2025 cycle. DS1525+ is five bays scaling toward fifteen. DS225+ and DS425+ have no expansion path, which is why their digits match their bay count.
The Plus suffix is what unlocks the features most readers care about: Btrfs volumes with snapshots, Virtual Machine Manager, Active Backup for Business, and upgradeable memory. Value-series and J-series models drop some of that. If you want snapshots and agentless PC backup, buy a Plus.
The 2026 lineup at a glance
| Model | Bays | Expansion | Manufacturer-stated throughput | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BeeStation Plus 8TB | Sealed, 8TB included | None | Not published as a sequential figure | Personal cloud with no RAID or setup decisions |
| DS225+ | 2 (diskless) | None | 282 MB/s | First NAS, photo and media server for one household |
| DS425+ | 4 (diskless) | None | 278 MB/s | Small teams and shared file repositories |
| DS925+ | 4 (diskless) | Yes, via expansion unit | 522/565 MB/s read/write | Households wanting dual 2.5GbE and room to grow |
| DS1525+ | 5 (diskless) | Up to 300TB with DX525 units | 1,181 MB/s | Multi-editor video and large media archives |
The entry points: BeeStation Plus and DS225+
Synology BeeStation Plus
BeeStation is not a DiskStation with fewer features. It is a sealed appliance with the drive already fitted, aimed at replacing Google Photos or iCloud rather than running containers. The Plus model uses an Intel Celeron J4125 with 4GB of DDR4 and runs photo recognition locally on its onboard GPU, so image search by subject or location never touches a public cloud.
It also takes up to four Synology cameras as a licence-free NVR, keeps automated snapshots for rolling back ransomware or mistakes, and reserves dedicated Time Machine space — up to 4TB on the 8TB unit. What it will not do is RAID. One drive, no redundancy, so you still need a second copy somewhere.
- Equipped with an Intel Celeron J4125 processor and 4 GB DDR4 memory—providing a significant performance boost over st…
- License-free NVR surveillance system: Add up to four Synology cameras for secure 24/7 monitoring and AI-driven detect…
- Local AI: Uses an onboard GPU to run photo recognition, making it easy to search and sort images by subject or locati…
Synology DS225+
Two bays in mirror is the classic starting point. The DS225+ pairs an Intel CPU capable of hardware transcoding with a stated 282 MB/s transfer rate, supports up to 30 IP cameras through Surveillance Station, and runs the full DSM app catalogue. For one household streaming 4K and backing up phones, that is enough.
Skip it if you already know you want more than two drives. Mirrored pairs give you half your raw capacity, and there is no expansion port to bail you out later. Our two-bay NAS comparison covers how this class stacks up against QNAP and UGREEN alternatives.
- Your Personal Streaming Server – Build your own Netflix-style media library and stream 4K movies, shows and photos to…
- Create Your Own Cloud – Store your entire photo, video and music collection; access from anywhere with fast 282 MB/s…
- Creator-Grade Backup Solution – Protect your irreplaceable content with automated backups to cloud services, external…
Scaling up: DS425+, DS925+ and DS1525+
DS425+
Four bays, no expansion, positioned as a shared repository. Synology cites 278 MB/s and concurrent access from ten or more users, plus granular permissions and audit logs for small offices. It carries a three-year warranty with enterprise support options.
- Team Productivity & Media Hub – Share large files and stream media across your office with 278 MB/s speeds; support c…
- Centralized Repository – Store company documents, client files and media assets with granular access controls and aud…
- Multi-Layered Data Protection – Combine RAID redundancy, automated backups and snapshot technology to prevent data lo…
DS925+
The DS925+ is the one most four-bay shoppers should look at first. It lists 522/565 MB/s sequential read and write and, importantly, dual 2.5GbE ports for both speed and link redundancy. It also accepts an expansion unit, so the four-bay chassis is a starting point rather than a ceiling.
- Supports drives on the model's official compatibility list
- Up to 522/565 MB/s sequential read/write throughput supports stable data transfers.
- Dual 2.5GbE ports provide fast network transfer speeds and increased redundancy.
DS1525+
Five bays, 10GbE ready via an add-in card, and scalable to 300TB with DX525 expansion units. Synology quotes 1,181 MB/s, which is the figure that matters if several editors are cutting 4K or 8K footage off the same volume. For a household that mostly streams Plex, it is more machine than the job needs.
- Professional Video Editing Hub – Edit 4K and 8K footage directly over network with blistering 1,181 MB/s speeds; supp…
- Massive Media Library – Start with 100TB, expand to 300TB using DX525 units as your video projects, RAW photos and au…
- 10GbE Network Ready – Upgrade to 10-Gigabit networking for post-production teams working on shared high-resolution pr…
DSM, licences and the drive compatibility question
DSM is the reason to buy Synology and also the reason some people leave. Synology Photos, Active Backup for Business and Hyper Backup are genuinely good and cost nothing extra. Surveillance Station is different: each unit includes a small number of camera licences, and additional cameras require paid licences, so budget for that if you are building a camera system. BeeStation’s four-camera NVR is licence-free, which is a real distinction.
Check the compatibility list before you buy drives
Synology tightened drive validation on Plus models during 2025, then adjusted it again. Depending on the model and DSM version, unlisted third-party drives may be restricted, warned about, or fully supported. Check Synology’s current compatibility list for your exact model and DSM version before ordering disks. This policy has moved more than once and any advice written months ago may already be stale.
Who should look elsewhere
If you want more cores and RAM per unit, UGREEN and QNAP both ship heavier hardware at comparable tiers, and our brand comparison weighs the software gap against that. If you would rather pick your own disks without reference to any vendor list, a DIY build running TrueNAS or Unraid removes the question entirely. People already on DSM who want out should read our migration guide first.
Which one to buy
For most people reading this, the DS925+ is the right purchase: four bays, dual 2.5GbE, an expansion path, and the full Plus feature set. It is the model least likely to feel small in three years.
Buy the DS225+ if your needs are photo backup, documents and media streaming for one household and you are confident two bays is enough. Choose the DS425+ when the priority is shared office storage with permissions and audit logs rather than expansion. Step to the DS1525+ only if 10GbE and a path to 300TB are genuine requirements.
Pick the BeeStation Plus when nobody in the house wants to administer a server. Whichever you choose, put it behind a UPS and confirm your intended drives against Synology’s current list for that model.
How these picks were chosen: HomeNode compares products using manufacturer specifications, current Amazon listing details and published owner feedback. Products are not tested in-house, and listings change often, so confirm current specifications on the product page before buying.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, HomeNode earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.