News + Trends
Synology further restricts free choice of hard drives in NAS
by Jan Johannsen
Is it time to ditch Synology? Our Community swears by these NAS alternatives
23.4.2025
Translation: Katherine Martin
Synology is planning to axe full support for non-Synology hard drives in some of its new network-attached storage models. The move has garnered a lot of criticism, sparking many users to share suggestions on how to set up a NAS without the manufacturer.
Yes, third-party hard drives can still be installed in older Synology NAS systems and used without restriction in the new Plus models. But this minor concession hasn’t been enough to calm the waters. Our news article on Synology’s decision generated numerous angry comments, as well as suggestions on alternatives to the brand.
Option one: stick with Synology
Your first option is to stick with Synology, but bypass the hard drive check. Digitec Community members KP-tec and pixel.ahoi have pointed out that the check can be overridden with a script. This reportedly doesn’t involve any functional restrictions, nor does it impact Synology’s operating system updates.
Any negative comments from Synology users so far only mention their lack of sympathy for the manufacturer’s business decisions. There’s no general criticism of hardware or software. Some users have actually explicitly praised the company for the simplicity of its software, which gives beginners easy access to the NAS world.
Others, including SwissWeasle, don’t see what all the fuss is about. They argue that people sing Apple’s praises for doing the very same thing and justifying it by saying, «This way, everything works perfectly!» Meanwhile, user thomasboin reckons the price difference doesn’t merit moving away from Synology hard drives. In their example of a 16 TB hard drive, the Synology model is currently priced at 324 Swiss francs – right between the WD and Toshiba hard drives available for 344 and 310.50 Swiss francs respectively.
Option 2: go to the competition
Numerous Community comments recommend alternative NAS models from other manufacturers such as QNAP, Asustor or Ugreen. However, as a new player on the market with five models in its range, Ugreen clearly has the smallest selection.
While QNAP was roundly praised by the Community for its software, Ugreen’s operating system came under fire. In fact, there’s a behind-the-scenes tidbit on that front. My colleague Martin Jud was given a Ugreen system when it went on sale, but software problems mean he hasn’t been able to review it yet. Users including stephane.rappo, however, have pointed out that Ugreen’s hardware can also be used with third-party operating systems such as TrueNas.
Option 3: build your own NAS
That brings us smoothly on to the numerous comments posted by people who’ve built their own NAS. Funnily enough, my colleague Richie Müller has just done exactly that. It’s an addition to his new Synology, which has replaced an older model. Check out this article to find out which hardware he went for:
While he was looking for a new NAS, Richie also did his homework on the operating systems that can be installed on more than just home-built hardware. He ended up opting for Unraid. In the comments under our news article on Synology, TrueNAS has been mentioned a lot, with Xpenology cropping up slightly less.
Header image: shutterstock.com/slawomir.gawryluk
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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