If you're looking for business-grade network-attached storage (NAS) device, then Synology and QNAP are probably the first two brands that spring to mind. Both companies offer extensive support for business networks, including powerful software and hardware options. They also make consumer-grade NAS boxes for home users, although these run slightly less powerful chipsets than their enterprise equivalents. In this article, we'll compare the two companies on everything from what they do best (and worst) to which one might be better suited to your needs if you're thinking about buying a NAS device in 2022.
Synology and QNAP are two of the biggest names in the NAS market.
Both companies sell a range of NAS boxes ranging from small, simple units designed to store your files and stream media to more advanced units with built-in software that can be used as file servers or something similar. As you might expect, both companies also make network-attached storage products aimed at businesses.
However, there are some differences between Synology and QNAP's approaches to networking devices. While both offer multiple features for managing large volumes of data (including support for enterprise-class security), Synology has built an ecosystem around its software that can help you find new uses for your NAS box. On the other hand, QNAP focuses more on hardware specs than software features—though it does have some useful offerings such as Seagate IronWolf Pro drives with special firmware designed specifically for use in their devices
If you think of a NAS as a PC, you'll find that both Synology and QNAP look very similar.
A NAS is a small computer that can be used to store and share files. Think of it as a network-attached storage device. You can use one in the same way you would use a regular computer, but it's designed primarily for sharing data with other computers on your local network.
In short, if you think of a NAS as a PC, you'll find that both Synology and QNAP look very similar: they have all the same familiar desktop icons and interfaces, with different programs already installed (or available) from which to choose depending on how you want to use your NAS.
Both companies sell a range of NAS systems, although they tend to run slightly different software on them.
QNAP (of which I'm a big fan) uses its own Linux-based OS called QTS, while Synology uses a Linux-based OS called DSM. Both offer the option to install other operating systems too—you can run Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10 on your Synology box and even use it as a development server for Microsoft Azure.
Both QNAP and Synology have great support options that are available 24/7 if you need help with your setup or find yourself stuck with any problems along the way. They also both offer mobile apps so you can remotely access your files wherever you are in the world.
Both companies also make network-attached storage products aimed at businesses.
QNAP has a bit more to offer in this sphere. QNAP claims to have more than 30 mobile apps available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phones. And while Synology's business side is still growing, the company recently announced new software specifically designed for small businesses: Surveillance Station 8.
Both companies have developed some very nice mobile apps for remote access to your NAS device on the go.
You can also remotely access your NAS device through a mobile app. Both companies have developed some very nice mobile apps for remote access to your NAS device on the go. Synology's app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices while Qnap offers an iPad/iPhone version only (at the time of this writing). The Synology apps have more features than the Qnap ones.
Both QNAP and Synology provide extensive logging options, so you can keep an eye on exactly what's happening with your data.
With both systems you can set log rotation to ensure that your logs don't get too big (depending on the size of the drive in your NAS) and even filter out certain types of messages if you want - for example, if there are system messages coming through that aren't relevant to what you're doing.
Synology currently has more than 30 mobile apps available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, while QNAP has a more modest list of 17 apps currently on offer.
While Synology currently has more than 30 mobile apps available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, QNAP has a more modest list of 17 apps currently on offer.
However, there are some exceptions where QNAP leads the pack: The company offers dedicated mobile applications for its NAS devices running on Windows 10 Mobile and Android devices running on version 4.4 KitKat or higher. In contrast, Synology does not have any dedicated mobile apps for its NAS devices running on Windows 10 Mobile as well as Apple's iOS platform. However, you look at it though: Both solutions can be used with all major operating systems such as macOS/OS X (10.7 Lion or newer), Linux (Debian 6) or Microsoft Windows 7 SP1+.
Both companies have their own personal backup software called Hyper Backup for Synology and NetBak Replicator for QNAP.
Hyper Backup is a centralized backup solution that allows you to back up data from your NAS to an external hard drive or to the cloud. It’s easy to use and supports both manual and scheduled backups, so you can ensure that all your important files are safe at all times. It also provides real-time protection against ransomware attacks by scanning for viruses when a file is being copied over from one device onto another, which means it can prevent any damage before it happens.
NetBak Replicator isn’t quite as comprehensive as Hyper Backup, but it does allow you to create backups of specific folders or even individual files (unlike Hyper Backup). This makes it perfect if you want something more lightweight but still reliable enough that you don’t have anything precious in the cloud or on another device just waiting around until hackers get hold of them!
When it comes to the actual hardware within the devices, there's not much to choose between the two brands.
Both use x86 processors and come in a range of models with different CPU cores and performance. The Intel-based Synology DS918+ uses an i3-7100 3.9 GHz processor, while the ARM or PowerPC-based QNAP TS439 Pro uses an AMI Semiconductor ARMv8 Cortex A53 1.6 GHz Quad Core processor.
Both brands offer similar storage options too: Synology offers 2 x 4TB drives (8TB total), while QNAP offers 2 x 8 TB drives (16 TB total). Other features like Wi-Fi and USB ports are also generally similar across both brands but there are some minor differences here too - for example, Synology has more business-friendly hardware than QNAP like hot-swappable hard drive trays while QNAP is geared more towards consumers through its support of DLNA media streaming protocols like UPnP so you can enjoy your multimedia collection on your TV or smartphone when you're away from home
Some business-focused NAS devices from each company use Intel processors, while most consumer devices run chipset-based Atom processors on lower power consumption ARM or PowerPC cores.
Most consumer NAS devices use ARM- or PowerPC-based processors, which are more power efficient than Intel's architecture. Because of this, they're able to offer lower power consumption and longer battery life while still providing a relatively fast user experience.
Business-focused QNAP and Synology products, on the other hand, often sport Intel chipsets. This provides greater computational power compared to the chipset-based processors found in consumer products.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many similarities between Synology and QNAP. However, there are also some key differences to consider when choosing which one is right for you.
If you are working as a video professional and need a NAS that goes beyond what Synology and QNAP offer, for your specific needs, check out the ProMAX Platform.
