QNAP vs Synology NAS

NAS has become a common go-to for data storage and use. Individual users and businesses utilize its capability to simultaneously share data from a centralized location to several users in diverse locations, enabling easy access and efficiency. The two most popular NAS brands are QNAP and Synology. These brands offer high-quality features, ensuring optimal performance. While they offer similar features, several factors set them apart. It’s crucial to note their differences to help you decide which NAS is best for you.

This article discusses the difference between QNAP and Synology using their features, including which is the best option for you.

What is Network Attached Storage?

Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a dedicated storage device that allows multiple users to store and share data from a centralized location. It directly connects to a network through a local area network (LAN), enabling file transfer and storage over a TCP/IP network. With NAS, users working in different locations can share and store data in a centralized location.

What is QNAP NAS?

QNAP NAS is a device designed by QNAP (Quality Network Appliance Provider). The QNAP system is quite sophisticated, making it difficult for new users to work with. One popular QNAP NAS is the TS series, which includes products like the TS-433 and TS-264.

What is Synology NAS?

Synology Inc. developed Synology NAS, a notable NAS brand best known for its user-friendly and simplistic design, making it ideal for new NAS users. Both home users and large businesses can navigate its system with little to no learning curve. Some popular Synology NAS are the Synology DS1522+ and DS923+.

QNAP vs. Synology NAS

Here are some feature comparisons between both NAS brands:

• Operating System:

QNAP uses the QTS (QNAP Turbo NAS System) as its operating system (OS). QTS has a desktop-like interface and offers a wide range of settings and features, allowing users to get personalized experiences. It also offers advanced features like snapshot protection and RAID management. While QNAP releases regular firmware updates, they don’t always provide long-term support for older QNAP NAS models.

On the other hand, Synology’s OS is Diskstation Manager (DSM). DSM prioritizes simplicity, making its interface user-friendly. Hence, anyone with basic computer knowledge can easily navigate it. It also seamlessly integrates applications and services for file management, backup, and security solutions. Although simple, DSM still offers advanced features like multimedia streaming and Synology Hybrid Raid (SHR). Synology provides long-term support for older NAS models despite firmware updates.

• Hardware Capability

QNAP offers more hardware configuration options and customization features, including high-end processors and expandable storage. However, these configuration options become more sophisticated. But Synology NAS doesn’t offer as many options as QNAP. Instead, it focuses on simplicity and reliability, making it the perfect choice for basic users. So QNAP provides high-performance hardware best suited for high-end users. But Synology offers user-friendly solutions for home users and small to medium-sized businesses.

• App Ecosystem

Both NASs offer first-party apps and support third-party apps to enhance the functionality of their NAS devices. They also update their app ecosystem regularly to improve performance and check security loopholes. However, Synology supports a broader range of apps than QNAP. It has also built strong partnerships with some software and hardware vendors, providing better benefits to users.

• RAID

It’s crucial to protect data from potential loss, and NAS guards against data loss caused by hardware failure. NAS uses a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) system to make copies of data on multiple hard disks or SSDs to prevent such loss. QNAP and Synology offer robust RAID options, but factors like customization, familiarity with RAID, and storage requirements will influence your choice.

QNAP supports classic RAID levels like RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10. It also supports Qtier technology that automatically moves your frequently accessed data to a higher storage tier and moves the less accessed ones to lower-cost, higher-capacity drives. Also, QNAP allows for flexibility and customization, enabling users to create custom RAID configurations based on their unique requirements.

On the flip side, Synology NAS offers two options: Synology Hybrid Raid (SHR) and the traditional RAID levels. Like QNAP, Synology NAS provides data protection through the conventional RAID tiers. Synology has its proprietary RAID system (SHR) designed to simplify the managerial process for users with little knowledge of RAID. You can use different disk sizes with the SHR. It is also best for storage expansion.

• File Systems

QNAP NAS mainly uses the EXT4 (Extended file system 4), which it considers faster and more stable than Btrfs. QNAP doesn’t use Btrfs because they cannot separate data volume and snapshot storage and also have a greater IO lag time. Besides EXT4, it also uses ZFS for more sophisticated business NAS requiring higher storage space. Synology uses both Btrfs and EXT4. EXT4 is their primary file system. But Btrfs provides solutions to sophisticated data problems, like metadata mirroring and file self-healing in specific Synology NAS models like the HD and the 23 series.

• Drive Bays

Both QNAP and Synology offer NAS with different numbers of drive bays. There are 1 to 4 drive bays for home and small business use. They also have six bays and larger, for users and businesses that require higher story capacity and scalability. However, Synology provides better service by allowing you to extend drive bays for classic NAS devices used at home and in small businesses. The two extension units are the DX517 and DX1215. QNAP doesn’t provide such an extension option for homes and small offices. Extensions are only available for big business use.

• Customer Support

QNAP and Synology offer customer support through various channels like emails, phone, and live chat. They also provide an in-depth knowledge base through FAQs, community forums, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides. Both companies also offer a straightforward warranty process and RMA support. While they offer similar experiences, Synology user forums like Synoforum and Synology Reddit channels have more active users than QNAP and a larger community.

• NAS File Access Permission

QNAP is best suited for accessing less frequently used files like MKV, RAR, and GIF. But Synology provides access to traditional files like DOCX, MP3, and PDF. QNAP and Synology enable administrators to control access to files and folders saved in the NAS. They also provide file permission systems with features like shared folder permission and access control list (ACL) support.

QNAP vs. Synology NAS: Which is Best for You?

Choosing between either is mainly a matter of preference and use case. If you are new to NAS and are not looking for a sophisticated device, it will be best to go for Synology. It offers a user-friendly interface and beginner-friendly features. Hence, it’s most suitable for beginners, home users, and small businesses. But, if you want something more sophisticated, QNAP provides a complex structure and enhanced features for large business use.

Conclusion

There you have it! QNAP and Synology NAS are not only the most popular NAS brands, but they also offer high quality. Both brands have fantastic features and provide top services for data storage. However, QNAP is quite complicated, making it suitable for complex use, while Synology is more approachable for new users, large businesses, and complex uses. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t limit your parameters to just this factor. Before buying a NAS device, read through our detailed comparison to clearly decide which NAS brand better serves your needs.