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GENERAL NAS FEATURE COMPARISON

NAS Plex (local 4K) Plex HD (remote) Plex 4K (remote) BACKUP (MS/GOOGLE OFFICE) BACKUP (BAREBONE) PHOTOS (OBJECT AI) VIDEO EDITING (4K) VIDEO EDITING (8K) DOCKER VIRTUAL MACHINES PC MODE (QVM) 2.5GbE 10GbE 25GbE Thunderbolt NVMe Pcie Expansion HDMI Drive Mixing
TS-873A โœ“ - -โœ“โœ“โ“˜โ“˜โœ“โœ“โ“˜โœ“โ“˜โ“˜โœ“โœ“โœ“โ“˜
DS1823xs+ โœ“ - -โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“
DS1821+ โœ“ - -โœ“โœ“โœ“โ“˜โ“˜โœ“โœ“โ“˜โœ“โœ“โœ“โœ“

LATEST PRICE LIST

TS-873A1169 GBP1049 USD
DS1823xs+1719.98 GBP2185.99 USD
DS1821+949.97 GBP1072.54 USD

BEST FOR Virtualisation

NAS CPU Cores Threads Speed (GHz) Docker/VM Score ECC
TS-873A AMD Ryzenโ„ข Embedded V1500B quad-core 2.2 GHz proce... 4 8 2.2 Docker/VM 4584 NO /8 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM DDR4 (1 x 8 GB)
DS1823xs+ AMD Ryzen V1780B 4 8 3.35 Docker/VM 8216 ECC /8 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM
DS1821+ AMD Ryzen V1500B 4 8 2.2 Docker/VM 4584 ECC /4 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM

BEST FOR MULTIMEDIA

NAS GPU Base_GHz/Max Codec FPS Transcoding Plex
TS-873A / 0 1080p
DS1823xs+ / 0 1080p
DS1821+ / 0 1080p

BEST FOR FILE STORAGE

NAS BAYS Bandwidth HDD storage expansion Drive mixing File System
TS-873A 8 HDD 5Gbit (2 ports combined) 176TB โœ“ EXT4
DS1823xs+ 8 HDD 12Gbit (3 ports combined) 176TB โœ“ EXT4 BTRFS
DS1821+ 8 HDD 4Gbit (4 ports combined) 176TB โœ“ โœ“ EXT4 BTRFS

*All NAS support multiple RAID/ volume groups, if you want to mix different size drive on non supported model.

BEST FOR BACKUP

NAS Level HA AI Google Microsoft encryption
TS-873A folder face โœ“ โœ“ HDD/volume /folder
DS1823xs+ folder/barebone โœ“ face+object โœ“ โœ“ volume/folder
DS1821+ folder/barebone โœ“ face+object โœ“ โœ“ volume/folder

BEST FOR VIDEO EDITING

NAS MAX LAN speed Ports transcoding PCIe NVMe
TS-873A 2.5Gbit PCIe-Slot =2 Slot 1: PCIe Gen 3 x4 Slot 2: PCIe Gen 3 x4 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 x1 slots
DS1823xs+ 10Gbit 1x RJ45 1 x Gen3 x8 slot (x4 link) 2x NVME
DS1821+ 1Gbit 1 x Gen3 x4 2x NVME Gen3 x2

BEST FOR SURVEILLANCE (CCTV)

NAS HDMI QVM transcoding AI
TS-873A pcie โœ“ โœ“
DS1823xs+
DS1821+

BEST FOR SMART HOME/ AI

NAS Virtual switch Docker/VM HDMI S/PDIF / AUX
TS-873A โœ“ Docker/VM pcie
DS1823xs+ Docker/VM
DS1821+ Docker/VM

LATEST VIDEOS RELATED


AVAILABILITY / RELEASE DATE

Brand Model TW USA UK Released
Qnap TS-873A โ€ข โ€ข โ€ข 2021-02
Synology DS1823xs+ โ€ข โ€ข โ€ข 2023-02
Synology DS1821+ โ€ข โ€ข โ€ข 2020-11

LATEST POSTS RELATED


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Synology DS1823xs+ 10GbE NAS Coming Soon
Synology DS1823xs+ 8-Bay NAS Coming - Rumour
DS1821+ RAM upgrade
DS2422+ vs DS1821+
TS-873AeU Short Depth 2U Rackmount dual-2.5GbE NAS


RELATED REVIEWS

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 8/10


8.0
PROS
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปDesktop Ryzen Powered Solution
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปDual NVMe M.2 cache
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปPCIe Gen 3 x8 PCIe Equipped
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปGreat RAID Options (inc SHR)
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปExcellent choice of Apps
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปDDR4 ECC Memory up to 32GB
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปNumerous Backup Software Options
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปHuge Virtualization Support
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป3yr Warranty and Extendable to 5yrs
CONS
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿป1Gbe Ports seem a bit limited now
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐ŸปShame it does not support 1/2 x DX1215
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐ŸปNVMe SSDs cannot be used for RAW storage

SOFTWARE - 10/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 9/10
PRICE - 8/10
VALUE - 8/10


8.6
PROS
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปSupports ALL of the Synology App Suite
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปHuge Amount of Expandability
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปHigh Capacity / Low Impact
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป10/10 Chassis Design
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปM.2 NVMe SSD Storage Pools
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปBalanced/Powerful CPU
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป5yr H/W Warranty & Long S/W Support
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปTier Storage Ready
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปECC Memory and 8GB Day 1
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปHugely User-Friendly GUI
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป10GbE x86 8-Bay Expandable Synology......FINALLY!
CONS
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐ŸปHDD/SSD Compatibility is going to Annoy some
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐ŸปM.2 NVMe SSD Lane Limits
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐ŸปLack of SHR
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐ŸปDS3622xs+ is ยฃ1000+ more, but significantly upscaled on almost everything

SOFTWARE - 8/10
HARDWARE - 7/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 7/10
VALUE - 8/10


7.6
PROS
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปZFS or EXT4 Setup Choice
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป2.5Gbe LAN Ports
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป8 Surveillance Camera Licences
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปNVMe SSD Bays for Storage/Cache
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป2x PCIe Gen3 x4 slot
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปVirtualization Support is unparalleled
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปDDR4 Memory up to an impressive 64GB
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป10Gb/s USB 3.2 Gen 2
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป10 min Windows and/or Ubuntu VM install (included)
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปHugely Expandable
๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปQuite compact for a rackmount
CONS
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿป8GB doesnโ€™t allow inline De-Deuplication
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐ŸปLacks HDMI
๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿปthe NVMe Bays are PCIe Gen 3ร—1

In terms of these two brands, there is been a long-running theme all the way through that Synology has focused on FIRST-PARTY (i.e. Synology-brand) software and hardware priority, then supporting THIRD-PARTY services/hardware when they havenโ€™t got a viable alternative in-house โ€“ to mixed degrees of popularity. Whereas QNAP has been a much more level playing field where they have released their own innovative hardware/software (occasionally a little too quickly) and singing its praises, but also tried to keep customization and flexibility for 3rd parties as open as possible and shouting loud-and-proud about that too โ€“ which can be a tad overwhelming for the less tech-savvy. Both brands have done an incredible job evolve their platforms as much as they have to date, especially when Microsoft, Google and Amazon are pouring BILLIONS into the SaaS (and PaaS and IaaS โ€“ Platform and Infrastructure as a Service) in order to create entirely streamable ecosystems for businesses, with NAS brands like Synology and QNAP not only integrating with them but also thriving alongside them as a local/bare-metal failsafe. These are all very lofty ideas and ones that most home or small business users will likely have little time for right now (aside from where NAS fits in with their Google/Office 365 office tools like documents, email and spreadsheets at a pinch) and for those users, who the NAS stands on its own two feet is what is going to matter most. Synology is earning its position in the market as the complete 1st party software and hardware package, with a genuinely groundbreaking range of available services, but still managing to make NAS accessible for all in DSM 6.2/7.0/7.1. That said, the trends we are seeing in those sub-enterprise services that are slowly receding in support of popular 3rd party hardware, software and services, making using a Synology NAS alongside your own existing setup in a frictionless way cannot be ignored and leading some to think Synology is shifting their industry position towards something higher.

QNAP NAS on the other hand, although maybe trying to cover too many bases at once, is still trying to cover as much as it can to appear to their audience. Their support of considerably more 3rd party platforms/software/services, even when they have their own software available, is certainly admirable and aside from rather aggressive pricing on their QVR Pro surveillance platform, are still the better choice for those who want a much more adaptable and customizable platform. Its a pretty understandable fact that most people who buy a NAS will be arriving with an existing collection of software in their daily workflow (Office 365 for docs, Gmail for their email, Plex for their media, Chromebook for their commute, Skype/Whatsapp for their communication, TB3 for their editing, etc) and it has to be said that QNAP keeps a more open platform to adapt a NAS into this mix than Synology โ€“ occasionally less intuitively and not without a little setup-friction, but certainly to more customizable results. Unsurprisingly, I am going to tell you that both Synology and QNAP NAS are good NAS brands and have earned their place at the top of the industry (whilst both making their own respective moves to integrate into the next tier โ€“ ie SaaS providers, Hyperscale environments and Boundless cloud storage), but there is no denying that no one brand has managed to do EVERYTHING to perfection. So, if in double, below is how I would recommend QNAP and Synology NAS to you, for each user case scenario and I hope this guide and my recommendations help you with your next big data storage purchase.

Why Choose Synology NAS?

Better Surveillance Software

More Intuative and User-Friendly Design

EXCELLENT 1st Party Alternative Apps to Existing 3rd Party Tools

(including Synology Chat, Mail, Office, Drive, Calendar and more)

Greater Support/Migration with VMware & Hyper-V

Better Redundant System Options (SHA)

Greater Support on Amazon Home Hardware

Synology Hybrid RAID for flexibility in Media Upgrades

BTRFS on Most systems

Longer Warranty Available on More Systems

First Party SSD and HDDs Available

Typically Quieter Operation

Why Choose QNAP NAS?

Better 1st Party/Hosting Virtual Machines

Better Plex Media Server NAS

More Adaptable and Customizable

Wider Support of Surveillance using AI Recognition

EXCELLENT KVM Support

More Camera Licenses

ZFS or EXT4 File System Choice on many systems now

2.5Gbe Network Interfaces at 1Gbe Cost

Allows NVMe SSD Storage Pools and Volumes

Support of QTier for intelligent Data storage for Access

Greater 1st and 3rd Party Hardware Upgrade Compatibility

(including Graphics Cards, WiFi 6 and Thunderbolt)


LATEST PRICE LIST

TS-873A1169 GBP1049 USD
DS1823xs+1719.98 GBP2185.99 USD
DS1821+949.97 GBP1072.54 USD
DEAL WATCH - Is It On Offer Right Now?

Synology DiskStation DS1823xs+ 8-Bay + 2 x NVMe, 3.5 Diskless, 2xGbE + 1x10GbE, Amazon usa USA 41 OFF (WAS 2227) [LINK]
QNAP TS-873A NAS Tower Ethernet/LAN Noir V1500B Amazon UK UK 5.94 OFF (WAS 1262) [LINK]
Synology DS1823xs+ 8 Bay NAS Desktop: High-Performance Storage Solution Amazon UK UK 51.9 OFF (WAS 1772) [LINK]
Synology DS1821+ 64TB 8 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, Installed with 8 x 8TB HAT5300 Amazon UK UK 314.34 OFF (WAS 4123) [LINK]

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