Synology will limit the use of third-party hard disks in new NASes
By ForGeeks Synology is preparing a change that many users may not like. Starting in 2025, new NAS models in the Plus lineup will no longer support all functionality if they have unofficial hard drives installed. This means that owners of future Synology NASes will have to choose between full compatibility and freedom of drive selection.
The company claims the move is motivated by reliability concerns, but it’s essentially a partial shutdown of the ecosystem, similar to printers blocking non-original cartridges.
Certified disks only – for full functionality
In an official press release to the EU, Synology said that beginning with Plus Series models available in 2025, only branded drives or drives that have been officially certified will provide a “full range of features and support.”
Synology said that only branded drives or drives that have been officially certified will provide a “full range of features and support.
According to Ars Technica, that means users may face limitations when using non-certified HDDs and SSDs, such as the inability to pool drives for storage or use proprietary wear analysis algorithms.
Importantly, these changes won’t affect NAS systems released before 2025, including J Series and Value Series devices. There will also be no restrictions on migrating disks already in use in older systems to the new 2025 NAS.
More importantly, these changes will not affect NAS systems released before 2025, including J Series and Value Series devices.
Synology attributes the decision to reliability concerns
A Synology spokesperson says the decision is based on internal testing: “Validated and certified hard drives show lower failure rates and more consistent compatibility with our systems.”
The company believes that such measures will reduce compatibility issues and improve the overall reliability and performance of NAS solutions. However, despite the formally lenient approach, it still means fewer choices for users and higher costs when purchasing new drives.
The company said it’s not just a matter of reducing compatibility issues and improving the overall reliability and performance of NAS solutions.
Less flexibility, more control
While Synology isn’t going the way of printer manufacturers by completely blocking third-party components, there is a clear commitment to limiting the ecosystem. This is especially sensitive for home users and small businesses, where every opportunity to save money counts. Against a backdrop of already rising component prices, this move will cause resentment even among loyal customers.
It’s not yet known which third-party drives will receive certification, but Synology has promised to regularly update compatibility lists on its Web site.
