Synology DiskStation DS225+ vs TERRAMASTER F2-425

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

both judged against NAS at a similar price

The TERRAMASTER F2-425 scores 5.6/10 overall, ahead of the Synology DiskStation DS225+ at 4.5/10.

The Synology DiskStation DS225+ leads on software and ecosystem.

The TERRAMASTER F2-425 leads on storage capacity (bays, M.2), CPU and transcoding, networking, memory ceiling and openness.

The biggest difference is CPU and transcoding, where the TERRAMASTER F2-425 scores 6/10 to the Synology DiskStation DS225+'s 3/10.

Synology DiskStation DS225+

4.5/10verdict: skip

The DS225+ suits home and small-office buyers who want Synology's DSM software for file sharing, backups, photos and a few cameras on two drives. Its 2.5GbE port and mature app set fit light, dependable storage duties. Media servers that need hardware transcoding, heavy container or VM use, and anyone wanting NVMe cache are poorly served by its 2019-era CPU, 6 GB RAM ceiling and lack of M.2 slots.

Typically about £339.98 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

TERRAMASTER F2-425

5.6/10verdict: skip

The TerraMaster F2-425 is for people who want a two-bay NAS with 2.5GbE for file storage, backups and light media serving. It suits buyers who will add their own SATA drives and run a few containers or a Plex server. It is less suited to anyone who needs more than two bays, M.2 cache or a lot of memory headroom.

Typically about £252 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Synology DiskStation DS225+	TERRAMASTER F2-425
Storage capacity (bays, M.2)	20%	3/10	4/10
CPU and transcoding	20%	3/10	6/10
Networking	20%	6/10	7/10
Memory ceiling	15%	3/10	6/10
Software and ecosystem	15%	8/10	5/10
Openness	10%	4/10	5/10
Overall		4.5/10	5.6/10

Specifications

Spec	Synology DiskStation DS225+	TERRAMASTER F2-425
Drive bays	2 × 3.5" SATA HDD / 2.5" SATA SSD, hot-swappable	2
CPU	Intel Celeron J4125, 4 cores / 4 threads, 64-bit, 2.0 GHz base / 2.7 GHz turbo, hardware encryption engine	Intel Celeron N5095, quad-core, x86 64-bit, 2.0 GHz base, up to 2.9 GHz burst
Memory	2 GB DDR4 non-ECC installed, 1 slot, max 6 GB (2 GB + 4 GB)	4 GB DDR4 non-ECC SODIMM pre-installed, 1 SODIMM slot, 16 GB maximum
Networking	1 × 1GbE RJ-45 + 1 × 2.5GbE RJ-45	1 x RJ-45 2.5GbE port
M.2 slots	None	None
Expansion	No expansion unit or PCIe slot; 2 × USB 3.2 Gen 1	Front USB 3.2 host port (10 Gbps); rear USB ports totalling 2 x 10 Gbps + 1 x 5 Gbps; 1 x HDMI (terminal use only, per one reviewer)
Operating system	Synology DSM	TerraMaster TOS 6, web-based and Linux-based

Strengths and weaknesses

Synology DiskStation DS225+

+ 2.5GbE port alongside a 1GbE port
+ Mature DSM with SHR, snapshots and Hyper Backup
+ Third-party drives supported again since DSM 7.3
− Quick Sync not enabled for Plex or Jellyfin
− Only 2 GB RAM installed, 6 GB maximum
− No M.2 slots, PCIe slot or expansion unit

Skip it if:

Plex or Jellyfin users who need supported hardware transcoding
Homelabbers wanting several VMs or many containers within a 6 GB limit
Buyers who want M.2 cache, PCIe expansion or a path to 10GbE

Read the full Synology DiskStation DS225+ review ›

TERRAMASTER F2-425

+ 2.5GbE port on a two-bay NAS
+ Owners praise quiet operation and tool-free drive trays
+ Owners rate it as good value for money
− No M.2 slots and only two drive bays
− Owners call the CPU and RAM modest
− Owners report plastic build and a software learning curve

Skip it if:

Buyers who want more than two bays or M.2 cache slots
Anyone planning several virtual machines or heavy container workloads
Users who need multiple network ports or faster than 2.5GbE

Read the full TERRAMASTER F2-425 review ›

More comparisons

Compare all NAS · Best NAS