This article talks about two mainstream brands of NAS on the market: Synology and QNAP. You’ll get the answer of which NAS is more suitable for you.
TABLE OF CONTENT
The mainstream brands of home NAS on the market are Synology and QNAP. So which NAS is more suitable for you? Jeager will answer your questions in this article.
There are two main purposes of using NAS. One is for ordinary users to store files, and the other is also to store files, but is mainly used by VLOG users to store video clips.
For the first usage, for ordinary users to store files. Some files that are not often accessed but are relatively large, such as photos, videos, movies, TV series and etc, it’s a waste of storage if put them on mobile phones or computers. The NAS can stand by for 7*24 hours, and these cold files can be synchronized to the NAS, which can be easily accessed in the local-area-network. And if the remote service is enabled, you can also access the data through the external network, which is very convenient.
The second usage is that for VLOG users to store video clips. VLOG users will shoot a lot of video materials, which is a waste of space to save on the computer. If you put them on the NAS and then open the SMB/NFS service, you can easily access them on the local computer just like they are in your local computer disk. Therefore, for video editing needs, the intranet transmission speed of NAS must be as fast as possible. If the speed is too slow, the editing will be more laggy. So the first thing here, jeager will introduce is the hardware comparison.
1 Hardware aspects
1.1 Network
QNAP provides Thunderbolt 3 in some mid-to-low-end NAS units, whereas Synology units only support on high-end NAS. QNAP is much more advanced in terms of hardware.
The other is the support of dual network ports. Synology only supports dual network port on high-end models, but many low-end models of QNAP are also equipped with dual network ports. For example, TS-453bmini used by Jeager also has dual network ports.
1.2 HDMI output
Many QNAP units support Direct HDMI output. By connecting QNAP with a TV/monitor through HDMI, you can use QNAP as a TV box, and watch videos or movies in the NAS directly on the TV/display. This is a function exclusively on QNAP, and Synology does not have. As you can see, each QNAP is equipped with a remote controller just like a TV.
1.3 PCIe
QNAP provides PCIe slots in some mid-to-low-end NAS units, opening up a new world of hardware expansion. You can add more advanced network cards, SSD expansion cards, and so on. These allow you to keep upgrading your QNAP NAS without buying new models.
Hardware summarize
In the same price range, QNAP’s hardware is relatively advanced then Synology, so if you have high requirements for hardware. I first recommend QNAP, which has faster LAN transmission rate, dual network port support, HDMI output, PCIe expansion and etc.
My recommended QNAP NAS
2 Software aspects
Synology uses the DSM system, and QNAP uses the QTS system. An inappropriate analogy for these system is that Synology’s system is more like Apple IOS , while QNAP is like Google Android. Synology’s principle is simple, foolproof, and quick to get started, while QNAP’s principle is to provide rich options for users to customize and configure.
2.1 Overview
A simple comparison of the home pages shows that the Synology system looks more concise and simple than QNAP.
2.2 Storage software
In terms of main function of NAS, storage management, Synology is very simple, with only four options, while QNAP looks much more complicated.
QNAP has a lot of information and a lot of professional terminology at the setup process, which is difficult for ordinary people to understand. For example, Synology’s initial disk setup may only take 5 minutes, and you don’t need to understand too many disk array concepts. Whereas, the configuration of QNAP may take more than 15 minutes, and every detail requires the user to manually determine the parameters or modes. There are also many QNAP’s own internal terms, such as storage pools and other concepts. The fifteen-minute configuration time is still up to those who relatively understand the basic technical details.
2.3 Software Ecology
In terms of software ecosystem, Synology’s Package Center is similar to QNAP’s APP Center, with some official applications plus some third-party applications. Synology has categories of official apps and third-party apps. Both platforms support users to upload software for manual installation, and QNAP supports adding third-party app sources.
Hybird Desk Station in the QNAP Application Center is a list of APP applications that are used separately for the HDMI output function mentioned above.
2.4 Streaming software
Synology’s Video Station and QNAP 's Video Station have similar functions. But both are not very recommended. My recommend software is EMBY, which has more functions and better user-experience. I’ll open a separate article to explain this later.
2.5 Virtual machine software
In terms of virtual machines, QNAP is called virtualization station, and Synology is called virtual machine manager. Because Synology’s hardware is relatively weak, installing a virtual machine will consume a lot of system resources and drag down the performance of NAS.
Software summarize
Therefore, if your needs are simple and usable, it is very good to choose Synology. The overall settings of Synology are very simple. If your needs are to personalize your own configuration and have a geek spirit, then QNAP is the right choice.
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