- Synology to restrict NAS features to ‘certified’ drives.
- Uncertified drives will show warnings and lose some features.
Synology plans to implement new restrictions on third-party hard drives in its next generation of network attached storage (NAS) devices, starting with the Plus Series models in 2025.
The company confirmed that the full range of features and support will be available exclusively on Synology-branded drives and only third-party drives that have been certified to meet its specifications. The move follows what Synology describes as successful deployments of its high-performance NAS series using its own storage media.
The company is extending the approach to the more widely-used Plus Series, which serves both home and small business users. “By extending our integrated ecosystem to the Plus Series, we aim to provide all users – from home users to small businesses – with the highest levels of security, performance, and significantly more efficient support,” said Chad Chiang, Managing Director of Synology GmbH and Synology UK, in a press release.
Stronger integration for stability and support
According to the company, the tighter hardware-software integration will help reduce compatibility difficulties and improve system performance and reliability. It will allow Synology to deliver firmware updates and security patches more efficiently, the company says.
The policy change will apply only to new Plus Series models released from 2025 onward. Existing Plus models released up to and including 2024 – excluding XS Plus and rackmount units – will remain unaffected. Synology also stated that users can continue migrating drives from older Synology NAS systems into 2024 Plus models without restrictions.
However, the use of non-certified drives in 2025 models and beyond will result in limitations, including the possible unavailablity of features like drive pooling, volume-wide deduplication, firmware updates, and drive lifespan analysis. Additionally, support for issues caused by incompatible drives may be limited.
Part of a broader industry trend
Synology’s decision reflects a broader industry trend of tighter hardware-software integration in NAS systems. The approach is frequently positioned as a way to guarantee consistent performance and system reliability by validating components to work together as expected. QNAP and other manufacturers maintain compatibility lists and recommend using verified drives. While QNAP allows third-party drives more broadly, it cautions that using unsupported models can result in reduced performance or potential compatibility issues.
Similarly, Western Digital advises customers to consult compatibility lists when choosing drives for NAS enclosures, warning that unsupported drives could lead to errors or instability.
The practices extend an industry-wide emphasis on validated hardware ecosystems.
Balancing control with consumer choice
While Synology has framed the change as a step toward improved stability and support, it narrows users’ options for those choosing hard drives on criteria of their own. The company says it plans to update its compatibility lists to reflect which third-party drives meet its certification standards.
In a statement to Ars Technica, Synology said that its testing had shown better system stability and lower drive failure rates when validated storage devices were used. The rationale is echoed in the EU press release, which emphasised that the company’s proprietary storage solutions had already yielded benefits in several deployment scenarios.
Warnings for uncertified drives still allow basic use
Although the approach stops short of completely locking out third-party drives – as seen in some other consumer hardware ecosystems – it imposes restrictions. The change is unlikely to affect general users with current systems, but those considering new hardware in 2025 may want to review vendor options. Choosing Synology’s Plus NAS boxes with un-approved drives will trigger warning messages about limited support and functionality. The restrictions will push customers to buy Synology’s storage media rather than alternatives. As Synology prepares to implement the changes, the company says it remains committed to helping users maintain high levels of performance and security.
