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Should I Use Synology Inc.?

synology.com·Analyzed 14 hours ago··Based on 10 sources

Synology uniquely enables you to manage, secure, and protect your data - at the scale needed to accommodate the exponential data growth of the digital world.

Depends

Depends

Buy if you want self-hosted storage, backup, or surveillance and have someone to patch and run it.

Great self-hosted storage/backup for IT-comfortable teams; wrong pick if you want zero-maintenance cloud or won't patch hardware.

Confidence: High

4.9/5

User rating

Self-reported on synology.com

329

FeaturedCustomers reviews

Customer reviews & references listed

April 2000

Founded

Per StorageReview

Yes

CVE Numbering Authority

Runs own security advisory program

Value for money3

Good hardware value; branded SSD and add-on complaints

Ease of use4

Guess: DSM OS widely praised for usability

Feature depth5

Storage, backup, surveillance, cloud, mail in one ecosystem

Support quality3

Community-first; 24/7 premium support costs extra

Security posture3

Active advisories and CNA status, but ransomware history

Pros

  • 4.9/5 self-reported rating; 329 customer reviews and references listed²
  • Wide lineup: NAS, backup appliances, surveillance, and cloud sync
  • Toyota relies on it for business continuity backup⁹
  • Publishes advisories and operates as a CVE Numbering Authority
  • Strong enthusiast community; Drobo users migrating over

Cons

  • Deadbolt, Synolocker, Muhstik ransomware campaigns have targeted Synology NAS⁴
  • Users complain about high Synology-branded SSD prices⁷
  • Forum criticism of hardware stagnation and 'software hostility'⁸
  • 24/7 premium support is a paid add-on
  • Some buyers publicly torn about committing in 2026³

Gotchas

  • highExposed NAS units get brute-forced and ransomware-encrypted; patch DSM CVEs fast, never expose carelessly
  • mediumHardware is one-time cost, but C2, Active Insight, and Surveillance365 add recurring subscription fees
  • mediumSynology-branded SSDs draw 'crazy prices' complaints versus third-party drives⁷
  • mediumRoutine help routes through community forums; guaranteed 24/7 response requires paid premium support

Best for

  • IT-comfortable SMBs self-hosting files and backups
  • Home labs and media hoarders
  • Surveillance camera deployments
  • Teams cutting Dropbox/cloud sync bills

Not for

  • Teams wanting zero-maintenance managed cloud storage
  • Anyone unwilling to patch firmware and administer hardware
  • Buyers who won't pay add-on subscriptions or branded drive prices
  • Hyperscale or SAN-grade datacenter workloads

Companies that use it

  • Toyota⁹
  • Butler University
  • Geneva Doctors' Association (AMGe)

Pricing

Hardware + DSM

Varies by model

  • NAS purchased outright from Synology Store
  • DSM OS and core apps included
  • C2 cloud, Active Insight, Surveillance365 billed separately

Security

Active CVE program and published advisories, but internet-exposed Synology NAS units have been recurring ransomware targets.

  • Synology-SA-26:06 DSMDSM vulnerabilities including CVE-2026-40530 and CVE-2026-4036, addressed via advisory⁵
  • CVE-2025-1021Tracked in NIST NVD; patch via DSM updates⁶
  • CVE-2024-45539Listed in the CVE record database

What users say

Enthusiastic owner community and strong ratings, but growing grumbling about upgrade costs, branded drives, and software restrictions.

“pulled the trigger on Synology 8-Bay DiskStation”
— Reddit, r/drobo
“Torn about becoming a Synology customer in 2026”
— Reddit, r/synology
“Synology Lack of Hardware Innovation and Software Hostility Will Be Its Demise”
— SynoForum

Alternatives

Compare Synology Inc. with each alternative.

Google Drive / OneDrive

Simple file sync for non-technical teams; no server administration.

Full analysis

Based on 25 public sources: vendor pages, Reddit, SynoForum, CVE databases, case studies, and review aggregators.

Sources

  1. Synology Inc. official sitesynology.com
    official
  2. 329 Synology Inc. Customer Reviews & Referencesfeaturedcustomers.com
    review
  3. Torn about becoming a Synology customer in 2026reddit.com
    review
  4. A History of NAS Security Incidents – Deadbolt, Synolocker, Muhstiksynoforum.com
    security
  5. Synology-SA-26:06 DSM advisorysynology.com
    security
  6. CVE-2025-1021 - NIST NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  7. Synology brand SSD's and crazy pricescommunity.synology.com
    review
  8. Synology Lack of Hardware Innovation and Software Hostilitysynoforum.com
    review
  9. Toyota ensures business continuity with Synology backup solutionssynology.com
    news
  10. Synology NAS Solutions - StorageReview.comstoragereview.com
    news

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