Synology DiskStation DS225+ vs UGREEN NASync DH2300

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

all judged against NAS at a similar price

The Synology DiskStation DS225+ scores 4.5/10 overall, ahead of the UGREEN NASync DH2300 at 4.4/10.

The Synology DiskStation DS225+ leads on networking and software and ecosystem.

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 leads on storage capacity (bays, M.2), CPU and transcoding and openness.

They score the same on memory ceiling.

The biggest difference is software and ecosystem, where the Synology DiskStation DS225+ scores 8/10 to the UGREEN NASync DH2300's 4/10.

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

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UGREEN NASync DH2300

4.4/10verdict: skip

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 is for people who want a simple, low-power two-bay box for backups, photos and file storage. It suits a first NAS buyer who will use UGREEN's own UGOS Pro apps and doesn't need containers or virtual machines. Homelabbers who want Docker, more memory or faster than 1GbE networking should look at something else.

Typically about £174.95 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+	UGREEN NASync DH2300
Storage capacity (bays, M.2)	20%	3/10	5/10
CPU and transcoding	20%	3/10	5/10
Networking	20%	6/10	4/10
Memory ceiling	15%	3/10	3/10
Software and ecosystem	15%	8/10	4/10
Openness	10%	4/10	5/10
Overall		4.5/10	4.4/10

Specifications

Spec	Synology DiskStation DS225+	UGREEN NASync DH2300
Drive bays	2 × 3.5" SATA HDD / 2.5" SATA SSD, hot-swappable	2 SATA bays (3.5"/2.5"), up to 64TB (2× 32TB)
CPU	Intel Celeron J4125, 4 cores / 4 threads, 64-bit, 2.0 GHz base / 2.7 GHz turbo, hardware encryption engine	Rockchip RK3576, 8 cores 2.2GHz (4× Cortex-A72 2.2GHz + 4× Cortex-A53 1.8GHz)
Memory	2 GB DDR4 non-ECC installed, 1 slot, max 6 GB (2 GB + 4 GB)	4GB LPDDR4X (fixed, not upgradeable)
Networking	1 × 1GbE RJ-45 + 1 × 2.5GbE RJ-45	1× 1GbE
M.2 slots	None	None
Expansion	No expansion unit or PCIe slot; 2 × USB 3.2 Gen 1	2× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, HDMI (4K 60Hz); no PCIe slot or expansion unit published
Operating system	Synology DSM	UGOS Pro (on 32GB eMMC)

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 ›

UGREEN NASync DH2300

+ Very low power: 0.2W standby, 3.1W idle measured
+ Owners describe it as quiet in use
+ Eight-core ARM chip with Mali-G52 GPU and 6 TOPS NPU
− UGREEN states no Docker or virtual machine support
− 4GB RAM fixed, not upgradeable
− Single 1GbE port; design rules out 2.5GbE

Skip it if:

Homelabbers who want to run Docker containers or virtual machines
Anyone who needs 2.5GbE or faster networking, or M.2 cache
Plex or Jellyfin users who need confirmed Quick Sync transcoding

Read the full UGREEN NASync DH2300 review ›

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