Synology caves, walks back some drive restrictions on upcoming NAS models

If you've been hesitant about investing in a Synology NAS due to the steep costs associated with its proprietary hard drives, there's good news for you. In a recent announcement dated October 8, Synology revealed that the upcoming models of its Disk Station Manager (DSM), particularly the Plus, Value, and J-series DiskStation NAS devices for the 2025 model year, will now allow the use of non-validated third-party drives for installation and storage pool creation. This surprising shift comes just a few months after Synology had extended its 'verified drive' policy to the entire Plus line, which initially restricted the use of non-Synology drives. The company had previously maintained that this policy was a consumer-friendly initiative aimed at enhancing system reliability. An email from Synology to Ars Technica stated, "Extensive internal testing has shown that drives that follow a rigorous validation process when paired with Synology systems are at less risk of drive failure and ongoing compatibility issues." Synology ventured into the hard drive market in 2021, mandating their use in various high-end NAS products. Although these drives were essentially rebranded versions from other manufacturers—given the limited number of hard drive OEMs—Synology asserted that its branded disks underwent thorough validation and testing, supported by customized firmware, to ensure superior reliability and performance compared to standard components. However, this proprietary approach came with significantly higher price tags. Although a specific MSRP list was not available, market checks indicated that Synology's HAT5310 enterprise SATA drives were priced considerably higher than comparable models from competitors. For instance, an 8TB Synology drive was listed at $299, while similar Seagate Exos drives were priced around $220. The discrepancies in pricing were evident across various capacities, raising concerns among potential buyers about the value proposition of Synology's offerings.