Synology DS1019+ vs DS918+ NAS – Which Should you Buy?

Synology DS1019+ versus the DS918+ NAS Comparison

This week Synology broke a relative silence in their releases of 2019 and released two flagship series NAS drives for home and business users, the DS1019+ and the DS1019+. Although both have their own particular audience in mind, I think it is safe to say that the Synology DS1019+ NAS is the one that has got the most attention. Featuring a great CPU, good amount of memory, NVMe SSD caching options and 5 bays of RAID-enabled storage, it isn’t a huge surprise that it got a good reception. However, more keen followers of NAS were quick to spot that as good as this hardware is, the DS1019+ for 2019 is remarkably similar to the late 2017 released DS918+ and 4-Bay. In fact, the two devices are so similar, that many users are left wondering whether to buy the new DS1019+, or the older DS918+ in the hope of grabbing a bargain. So, today I want to compare the DS918+ and DS1019+ diskstation NAS, the pros, the cons and ultimately which NAS drive you should buy for your home or business storage needs this year.

Synology DS918+ or DS1019+ NAS, Which is better?

Better is an incredibly relative term. One persons ‘perfect’ is another persons ‘annoying’. The obvious comparison is to say ‘the price’, but this is just not reliable and therefore you should forcus on ‘value’. Also, the extra bay in the DS1019+ might be a deal breaker for you if you want to use a RAID 6 or SHR-2 setup. Additionally, the 8GB of memory might just be something you were considering upgrading to at a later date. I will not deny that the hardware in the DS1019+ and DS918+ make it an excellent Surveillance NAS, a Plex Media Server, Virtual Machine handling device and more – but do you really need that extra bay and memory? So, let’s discuss which is better FOR YOU! Here is each way to measure it:

Synology DS918+ or DS1019+ NAS – Storage Space

If you want to know which is best for storage, then definitely the DS1019+. It is more than just an additional HDD/SSD Bay meaning bigger overall capacity. The more bays you have to mean that you will have more storage after a RAID 6 or SHR-2. Likewise, more bays means you can populate a NAS with smaller drives and often get the same overall capacity as a smaller box with bigger expensive drives (before and after RAID). Both the DS918+ and the DS1019+ have NVMe slots built into their base for excellent caching options, but these SSD bays cannot be used for traditional storage. Also, don’t forget that whether you buy the DS1019+ NAS or DS918+ NAS, you can always add an additional 5-Bays of storage to your RAID at a later date with the DX517 NAS expansion. So, considering the largest commercially available NAS hard drives right now are the Seagate Ironwolf 14TB Hard Drive, that means:

	Synology DS918+ NAS + Synology DX517 NAS Expansion = 126TB Maximum Storage 112TB in RAID5/SHR 98TB in a RAID 6/SHR-2
	Synology DS1019+ NAS + Synology DX517 NAS Expansion = 140TB Maximum Storage 126TB in RAID5/SHR 112TB in a RAID 6/SHR-2

Synology DS918+ or DS1019+ NAS – Power, Speed and App Performance

There is almost no difference in terms of processing and output between these two. They have the same CPU and Memory Options, however, the newer DS1019+ arrives with 8GB by default. Likewise, both have dual fans, dual USB 3.0, expandable with the DX517, hot swap bays and all the same features and functionality of the DSM 6.2 software. So in terms of power, there is barely anything in it at all!

If you currently only DS918 NAS from Synology, then chances are that the Synology DS1019+ NAS will have little or nothing that you have not seen before. Featuring an identical CPU in the Intel Celeron J3455, this quad core 1. 5 GHz processor in the DS1019+ does not present a massive upgrade to you. However, for those looking for a robust storage NAS with RAID coverage and internal hardware that will stand the test of time, the newer and larger DS1019+ represents a great starting block for your network attached storage system if you are starting from a clean slate. Both the DS918+ and DS1019+ support the exact same applications and tasks, but the DS1019+ just has a little more system resources to play with. Such as:

Synology DS918+ or DS1019+ NAS – Noise and Power Consumption

It will come as no surprise that the Synology DS1019+ will consume a pinch more power in almost every way. Nothing huge and it will, of course, be dependent on your individual usage of the device, but it will be a pinch more of a footprint in your environment. Same goes for noise, the difference will be small indeed (and again, depending on your HDD choice, this will play its part) but if you have narrowed your choice to these two NAS devices, there is little or nothing in it to be a concern.

How does the Synology DS1019+ NAS Cost Compare with the DS918?

These two NAS drives are part of Synology’ flagship NAS series and therefore will cost you a few hundred bucks easily. However, the extra hard drive bay and extra 4GB of memory (so, 8GB total) in the DS1019+ when compared with the DS918+ do push the cost a tad higher. The DS918+ is currently available around £500/$550/EUR 530, and this price has been fairly solid since it’s release back in autumn 2017. Whereas the new Synology DS1019+ NAS arrives at around £630/$800/EUR 670. Whichever currency you choose to pay in, it is still a price increase of around 130-150 or so (including local tax)  for the extra HDD bay and 8GB of memory.

https://nascompares.com/2019/02/16/synology-ds1019-nas-16gb-nas-installation-guide/

Is the DS1019+ replacing the DS918+ NAS?

It would be easy to assume that the DS1019+ will be the replacement for the DS918+, HOWEVER, the DS918+ (much like the DS916+ before it) is incredibly popular. This is not just because of a good CPU and Memory inside, but because 4-Bays of RAID storage is very much the consumer ‘sweet-spot’ and to ditch the DS918+ for a 5-Bay would be a bit unappealing to a number of NAS buyers worldwide. Given the DS1517+ has largely disappeared from the NAS radar, as well as the default 8GB of memory in the DS1019+, it is likely that the DS1019+ is here to replace that. So:

The Flagship Synology 2019 PLUS NAS series

Synology DiskStation DS1019+ 5-Bay Desktop NAS for SMB

So, as you can see from the prices, the number of bays and internal hardware, the DS1019+ does not replace the DS918+ NAS – it just slots neatly into the food chain nicely.

Should I buy the Synology DS918+ or the New DS1019+ NAS?

Right now if you need a solid, powerful, affordable and reliable NAS, but do not care about 2 disc redundancy or maxing out the memory, you should buy the DS918+ NAS. It is by far one of the best NAS of 2017, 2018 and yes, even 2019. But you should consider tehDS1019+ NAS if any of the following applies to you:

• Plan on upgrading the memory to maximum now or in the future
• Want maximum storage without factoring an expansion
• Are considering RAID 6 or SHR-2
• Are looking to take full advantage of the SMART RAID and Intelligent Hot Spare system arriving in DSM 7.0

If even one of those factors applies to you, then it is DEFINITELY worth spending a little more today, to save yourself money, time and data later.

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Synology DiskStation DS1019+ 5-Bay Desktop NAS for SMB

	Synology DS1019+ 5-Bay NAS	Synology DS918+ 4-Bay NAS

How to the Specifications of the Synology DS1019+ and DS918+ NAS compare?

Below are the hardware and software specifications of both the Synology DS1019+ and DS918+ NAS. As you will see, they are INCREDIBLY similar:

Model	Synology DS1019+ 5-Bay NAS	Synology DS918+ 4-Bay NAS

Hardware Specifications of the DS1019+ vs DS918+

CPU
CPU Model	Intel Celeron J3455	Intel Celeron J3455
CPU Architecture	64-bit	64-bit
CPU Frequency	Quad Core 2.4 GHz	Quad Core 1.5 burst up to 2.3 GHz
Hardware Encryption Engine (AES-NI)	YES	YES
Hardware Transcoding Engine	H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-2 and VC-1; maximum resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160); maximum frame rate per second (FPS): 30	H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-2 and VC-1; maximum resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160); maximum frame rate per second (FPS): 30
Memory
System Memory	8 GB DDR3L	4 GB DDR3L
Memory Module Pre-installed	4GB (1 x 4GB)	4GB (1 x 4GB)
Total Memory Slots	2	2
Memory Expandable up to	8 GB (4 GB x 2) (unofficially 16GB)	8 GB (4 GB x 2)(unofficially 16GB)
Storage
Drive Bays	5	4
Maximum Drive Bays with Expansion Unit	10	9
M.2 NVMe Drive Slots	2	2
Compatible Drive Type* (See all supported drives)	3.5″ SATA HDD 2.5″ SATA HDD 2.5″ SATA SSD M.2 NVMe 2280 SSD	3.5″ SATA HDD 2.5″ SATA HDD 2.5″ SATA SSD M.2 NVMe 2280 SSD
Maximum Internal Raw Capacity	60 TB (12 TB drive x 5) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)	48 TB (12 TB drive x 4) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
Maximum Raw Capacity with Expansion Units	120 TB (60 TB + 12 TB drive x 5) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)	108 TB (48 TB + 12 TB drive x 5) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
Maximum Single Volume Size	108 TB	108 TB
Hot Swappable Drive
External Ports
RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port	2 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support)	2 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support)
USB 3.0 Port	2	2
eSATA Port	1	1
File System
Internal Drives	Btrfs EXT4	Btrfs EXT4
External Drives	Btrfs EXT4 EXT3 FAT NTFS HFS+ exFAT*	Btrfs EXT4 EXT3 FAT NTFS HFS+ exFAT*
Notes	exFAT Access is purchased separately in Package Center.	exFAT Access is purchased separately in Package Center.
Warranty	3 Year Hardware Warranty	3 Year Hardware Warranty

Synology DS1019+ NAS Review

DSM 6.2 Specifications of the DS1019+ vs DS918+

Storage Management
Maximum Internal Volume Number	512	512
Maximum iSCSI Target Number	32	32
Maximum iSCSI LUN	256	256
iSCSI LUN Clone/Snapshot, Windows ODX	YES	YES
SSD Read/Write Cache (White Paper)	YES	YES
Supported RAID Type	Synology Hybrid RAID Basic JBOD RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 5 RAID 6 RAID 10	Synology Hybrid RAID Basic JBOD RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 5 RAID 6 RAID 10
RAID Migration	Basic to RAID 1 Basic to RAID 5 RAID 1 to RAID 5 RAID 5 to RAID 6	Basic to RAID 1 Basic to RAID 5 RAID 1 to RAID 5 RAID 5 to RAID 6
Volume Expansion with Larger HDDs	Synology Hybrid RAID RAID 1 RAID 5 RAID 6	Synology Hybrid RAID RAID 1 RAID 5 RAID 6
Volume Expansion by Adding a HDD	Synology Hybrid RAID RAID 5 RAID 6 JBOD	Synology Hybrid RAID RAID 5 JBOD RAID 6 (with Expansion Unit)
Global Hot Spare Supported RAID Type	Synology Hybrid RAID RAID 1 RAID 5 RAID 6 RAID 10	Synology Hybrid RAID RAID 1 RAID 5 RAID 6 (with Expansion Unit) RAID 10 (with Expansion Unit)
File Sharing Capacity
Maximum Local User Accounts	2048	2048
Maximum Local Groups	256	256
Maximum Shared Folder	512	512
Maximum Shared Folder Sync Tasks	8	8

Antivirus by McAfee (Trial)	YES	YES
Central Management System	YES	YES
Chat	YES	YES
Maximum Users	1500	1500
Document Viewer
Download Station
Maximum Concurrent Download Tasks	80	80
Drive
Maximum Number of Synced Files	1,000,000 / single file reaction time 437 ms	500,000 / single file reaction time 362 ms
Maximum Number of Concurrent Connections for PC Clients	550	450
Notes	The Btrfs file system was used for the purpose of testing. The maximum number of concurrent connections refers to the maximum number of connections that could be maintained when the maximum number of synced files was reached. File reaction time refers to the preparation time required for other devices to start downloading a 10KByte file from a Synology NAS after the file has been added to the NAS. For tested models with expandable memory, the maximum amount of RAM was installed. Non-encrypted shared folders were used during the aforementioned testing.	The Btrfs file system was used for the purpose of testing. The maximum number of concurrent connections refers to the maximum number of connections that could be maintained when the maximum number of synced files was reached. File reaction time refers to the preparation time required for other devices to start downloading a 10KByte file from a Synology NAS after the file has been added to the NAS. For tested models with expandable memory, the maximum amount of RAM was installed. Non-encrypted shared folders were used during the aforementioned testing.
exFAT Access (optional)	YES	YES
MailPlus / MailPlus Server	YES	YES
Free Email Accounts	5 (Licenses required for additional accounts)	5 (Licenses required for additional accounts)
Recommended MailPlus Client Number	Up to 90 (btrfs) / 90 (ext4)	Up to 90 (Btrfs) / 90 (ext4)
Media Server	YES	YES
DLNA Compliance	YES	YES
Moments	YES	YES
Facial recognition	YES	YES
Subject recognition	YES	YES
Office	YES	YES
Maximum Users	1800	1800
Snapshot Replication	YES	YES
Maximum Snapshots per Shared Folder	1024	1024
Maximum Snapshots of all Shared Folder	65536	65536
Surveillance Station	YES	YES
Maximum IP cam (Licenses required)	40 (including 2 Free License) (See All Supported IP Cameras)	40 (including 2 Free License) (See All Supported IP Cameras)
Total FPS (H.264)*	1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720) 840 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080) 550 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536) 300 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944) 180 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)	1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720) 840 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080) 550 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536) 300 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944) 180 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
Total FPS (H.265)*	1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720) 1200 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080) 900 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536) 550 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944) 300 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)	1200 FPS @ 720p (1280×720) 1200 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080) 900 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536) 550 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944) 300 FPS @ 4K (3840×2160)
Total FPS (MJPEG)*	720 FPS @ 720p (1280×720) 500 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080) 330 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536) 200 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)	720 FPS @ 720p (1280×720) 500 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080) 330 FPS @ 3M (2048×1536) 200 FPS @ 5M (2591×1944)
Video Station
Video Transcoding	4K & 1080p	4K & 1080p
Maximum Transcoding Channel Number	2 channel, 30 FPS @ 4K (4096 x 2160), H.264 (AVC)/H.265 (HEVC) or 2 channel, 30 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080), H.264 (AVC)/H.265 (HEVC)/MPEG-2/VC-1	2 channel, 30 FPS @ 4K (4096 x 2160), H.264 (AVC)/H.265 (HEVC) or 2 channel, 30 FPS @ 1080p (1920×1080), H.264 (AVC)/H.265 (HEVC)/MPEG-2/VC-1
Virtual Machine Manager	YES	YES
Maximum Virtual DSM Number (Licenses required)	4 (including 1 Free License)	4 (including 1 Free License)
VPN Server	YES	YES
Maximum Connections	20	20

 

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