Synology vs Unraid: Which Should You Use?
Quick Verdict
Synology for simplicity. Unraid for flexibility.
Synology is an appliance — buy the hardware, plug in drives, and it works beautifully. DSM’s web UI and mobile apps are best-in-class. You pay a premium for Synology hardware, but you save hours of configuration.
Unraid runs on any x86 PC and lets you mix any size drives in a single array. Add a 4 TB today, an 8 TB next month, a 16 TB next year — no RAID rebuilds, no matching drives. For homelabbers who accumulate storage over time, this flexibility is unmatched.
Most people should buy a Synology. If you want to build your own hardware and you’ll be adding drives incrementally, choose Unraid.
Overview
Synology DSM
A proprietary NAS operating system bundled with Synology hardware. Hardware + software designed together, like Apple’s approach. Current version: DSM 7.2+.
Unraid
A Linux-based NAS/server OS that runs on any x86 hardware. Boots from a USB drive. Licensed per USB key ($59-129 one-time). Current version: Unraid 7.x.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Synology DSM | Unraid |
|---|---|---|
| Price (software) | Free (bundled with hardware) | $59 (6 drives) / $89 (12 drives) / $129 (unlimited) |
| Hardware | Synology devices only | Any x86 PC |
| File system | Btrfs, ext4 | XFS or Btrfs per drive |
| RAID | SHR, RAID 0/1/5/6/10 | Parity-based (1 or 2 parity drives) |
| Mixed drive sizes | SHR supports mixed sizes | Full support — any size, any time |
| Add drives | Add to existing SHR pool | Add any drive at any time |
| Docker | Container Manager (GUI) | Native Docker + Community Applications |
| VMs | Virtual Machine Manager | KVM with GPU passthrough |
| Mobile apps | DS File, DS Photo, DS Video, DS Audio, DS Cam | None (use app-specific clients) |
| Backup | Hyper Backup (excellent) | Community plugins (Appdata Backup, etc.) |
| Surveillance | Surveillance Station (2 free cameras) | Frigate/other Docker-based solutions |
| Web UI | Excellent (desktop-like) | Good (functional, less polished) |
| Community apps | Synology Package Center | Community Applications (700+ plugins) |
| GPU passthrough | No | Yes (for Plex, Jellyfin, AI) |
| Boot media | Internal (on drives) | USB flash drive |
| Cache drive | NVMe cache (read/write) | NVMe cache pool (write-back) |
Storage Flexibility
This is the deciding factor for most people.
Synology SHR
SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) is clever — it allows mixed-size drives and maximizes usable space. But:
- Adding a new drive requires expanding the existing RAID volume (hours-long process)
- Removing a drive requires rebuilding (risky with large drives)
- You must have all your bay slots planned
Unraid Array
Unraid’s storage model is fundamentally different:
- Each data drive is independent (XFS or Btrfs)
- One or two drives are designated as “parity” drives
- The parity drive(s) must be ≥ the largest data drive
- Any drive can be read independently — if parity fails, you only lose redundancy, not data
- Add any size drive at any time — just assign it to the array
- Remove a drive by copying its data to other drives
Example growth path on Unraid:
- Start with 2x 4 TB (1 parity + 1 data) = 4 TB usable
- Add a 8 TB data drive = 12 TB usable
- Replace the 4 TB parity with a 16 TB = still 12 TB usable but now protected
- Add a 12 TB data drive = 24 TB usable
- Add a 16 TB data drive = 40 TB usable
No RAID rebuilds. No drive size matching. Just plug in drives and assign them.
The trade-off: Unraid’s parity-based array has slower write speeds than RAID 5/6 or ZFS RAID-Z. A single-drive write is limited to one drive’s speed (150-200 MB/s for HDDs). The NVMe cache pool mitigates this — data writes to the fast cache first, then moves to the array in the background.
Docker and Self-Hosting
Synology
Container Manager provides a GUI for Docker management. It works, but:
- No GPU passthrough (can’t accelerate Plex/Jellyfin with a discrete GPU)
- Limited to Synology’s hardware specs (often just 2-4 GB RAM base)
- Some Docker features (host networking, privileged mode) require CLI workarounds
- Container Manager is less flexible than Portainer
Unraid
Unraid’s Docker implementation is one of its strongest features:
- Community Applications (CA): A curated repository of 700+ Docker apps. One-click installs with pre-configured templates.
- GPU passthrough: Pass an NVIDIA or AMD GPU to Docker containers for hardware transcoding or AI workloads
- Full Docker CLI access via SSH
- Portainer-like management built into the web UI
- No artificial limitations — anything Docker can do, Unraid supports
Winner for Docker: Unraid. GPU passthrough and Community Applications make it significantly more capable for self-hosting than Synology’s Container Manager.
Performance
Read Speed
- Synology SHR/RAID 5: Reads stripe across drives — aggregate speed scales with drive count. 4x HDDs can deliver 400+ MB/s sequential reads.
- Unraid array: Each file lives on a single drive — read speed is limited to that drive (~180-200 MB/s for a modern HDD). No striping.
Synology is faster for large sequential reads (streaming 4K video from multiple drives simultaneously).
Write Speed
- Synology SHR/RAID 5: Parity calculation introduces overhead, but writes stripe across drives. Typical 200-400 MB/s with cache.
- Unraid array: Direct writes are single-drive speed (~150-180 MB/s for HDD). With NVMe cache: Writes to cache at NVMe speed (2,000+ MB/s), then cache mover writes to array in background.
With an NVMe cache pool, Unraid’s effective write speed for normal use feels fast. Only sustained large transfers (copying TBs of data) hit the array’s single-drive limit.
Pricing
Synology Total Cost
| Configuration | Cost |
|---|---|
| DS224+ (2-bay) + 2x 8 TB | ~$600 |
| DS423+ (4-bay) + 4x 8 TB | ~$1,050 |
| DS923+ (4-bay) + 4x 8 TB | ~$1,200 |
Unraid Total Cost
| Configuration | Cost |
|---|---|
| Unraid Pro license | $129 |
| Used Dell OptiPlex + USB SATA + 2x 8 TB | ~$130 + $129 + $280 = $540 |
| DIY NAS build + 4x 8 TB | ~$500 + $129 + $560 = $1,190 |
At 4 bays, pricing is comparable. Unraid’s advantage shows at 6+ bays — the hardware is cheaper than Synology’s larger enclosures, and the license is a one-time cost.
Choose Synology If…
- You want a plug-and-play experience
- You value mobile apps (DS File, DS Photo, DS Video)
- You need Surveillance Station for security cameras
- Hyper Backup is important to you
- You don’t want to maintain hardware
- Your storage needs are predictable (you know how many bays you need)
Choose Unraid If…
- You want to add any size drive at any time without rebuilding
- You want GPU passthrough for Plex/Jellyfin transcoding
- You want the Community Applications ecosystem
- You’re comfortable building or repurposing hardware
- You want to run VMs with dedicated resources
- Your storage needs will grow incrementally over time
Final Verdict
Synology is the better NAS. Unraid is the better server platform.
If your primary need is reliable storage with a polished experience, Synology wins. If your primary need is a flexible home server that also does storage, Unraid wins.
Many homelabbers eventually run both — a Synology for bulk storage and backups, and a separate mini PC or Unraid server for Docker containers and VMs.
FAQ
Can I run Unraid on Synology hardware?
Technically possible on Intel-based Synology models, but not recommended. You lose DSM, warranty, and Synology’s hardware integration. Buy generic hardware for Unraid.
Is Unraid’s $129 license worth it?
Yes. The Pro license (unlimited drives) is a one-time cost. Compared to Synology’s hardware premium ($200-400 markup over equivalent DIY hardware), Unraid is significantly cheaper for large arrays.
Does Unraid support ZFS?
Unraid 7.x added experimental ZFS support for cache pools, but the main array still uses its traditional parity system with XFS/Btrfs per drive. For full ZFS, use TrueNAS SCALE.
Which is better for Plex?
Unraid — GPU passthrough gives you dedicated hardware transcoding with NVIDIA or AMD GPUs. Synology’s Intel Quick Sync is good for 1-2 transcodes, but a dedicated GPU on Unraid handles 10+ simultaneous streams.
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