Synology vs DIY NAS in 2026: What You Get for the Money
Affiliate links. Disclosure
Date / checked: 2026-10-25. Reference model: Synology DS225+ (official spec page, checked 2026-10-25). DIY reference hardware comes from our N100 vs N305 vs ThinkCentre Tiny page (Intel ARK and Lenovo PSREF). Prices are not listed; check current retailer prices before you buy.
Buy a Synology if you want storage, backups and photo sync that work out of the box, with vendor support and a warranty. Build a DIY NAS from a mini PC or tower running Linux, Proxmox or a NAS OS if you want Docker apps like Immich and Jellyfin, your choice of drives and RAM, and no vendor limits.
The short answer
- Synology: you want storage, backups and photo sync that work out of the box, with vendor support and warranty.
- DIY (mini PC or tower + Linux, Proxmox or a NAS OS): you want to run Docker apps like Immich and Jellyfin, pick your own drives and RAM, and avoid vendor limits.
Synology DS225+ (official specs, checked 2026-10-25)
| Spec | DS225+ |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4125, 4 cores, 2.0/2.7 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR4 non-ECC, 1 slot, max 6 GB (2 GB + 4 GB) |
| Drive bays | 2 × 3.5" SATA HDD or 2.5" SATA SSD |
| Network | 1 × 1GbE + 1 × 2.5GbE |
| Power (Synology figures) | 16.98 W access, 6.08 W HDD hibernation |
| RAID | Synology Hybrid RAID, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 |
| Warranty | 3 years, extendable to 5 |
Points from Synology's own notes to consider:
- "Synology only guarantees full functionality, reliability, and performance for compatible drives." Check the compatibility list before you buy drives.
- "Synology will not provide complete product warranty or technical support if non-Synology memory modules are used."
- Synology Photos object recognition "requires an upgrade of memory capacity to a minimum of 4 GB."
Which Synology models (as of 2026-10-25)
| Model | Bays | CPU / RAM (Synology spec pages) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS225+ | 2 | Celeron J4125, 2 GB (max 6 GB) | 1GbE + 2.5GbE |
| DS425+ | 4 + 2× M.2 | Celeron J4125, 2 GB (max 6 GB) | 1GbE + 2.5GbE |
| DS925+ | 4 | Ryzen V1500B, 4 GB ECC | 2 × 2.5GbE |
Sold diskless; drives are extra. Specs: DS425+, DS925+ (checked 2026-10-25).
DIY reference build: a Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 Tiny or an Intel N100 mini PC from our comparison, plus external/USB or a small tower for drives. <!-- FACTCHECK: unpriced by CoS decision 2026-10-25. -->
DIY NAS: what changes
- You choose the CPU, RAM and drives. For example, Lenovo PSREF lists 64 GB max for the ThinkCentre M70q/M90q Gen 5 (see our comparison).
- You install and maintain the OS yourself. See Proxmox on a mini PC.
- Immich's quick start asks for at least 6 GB RAM (docs). That's the DS225+'s maximum, so on a DS225+ plan to run Immich on a separate box.
RAID is not a backup on either platform. Keep an offsite copy. See Immich offsite backup with restic.
Tools: the power cost calculator has presets for Synology's published DS225+ power figures; the hardware sizing calculator adds up app requirements.
Sources
- https://www.synology.com/en-global/products/DS425+#specs, https://www.synology.com/en-global/products/DS925+#specs (checked 2026-10-25)
- https://www.synology.com/en-global/products/DS225+#specs (checked 2026-10-25)
- https://docs.immich.app/overview/quick-start/
- /hardware/n100-vs-n305-vs-thinkcentre-tiny/ (Intel ARK and Lenovo PSREF sources listed there)