Updated: October 9, 2026

Want your photos, files and backups at home instead of in someone else’s cloud? A NAS (network-attached storage) does that. For a first NAS, three names come up again and again: Synology, UGREEN and Ubiquiti’s UniFi. Here’s how their 2-bay starter models compare, in plain terms.

How we chose: research-based. We compared manufacturer specifications and official pages (cited below, checked October 9, 2026). We have not physically tested these products.

Quick picks

• Easiest software, longest standard warranty: Synology DiskStation DS225+. A mature OS (DSM) and a 3-year warranty [1].
• Most hardware for the money: UGREEN NASync DXP2800. Intel N100, 8 GB RAM and two M.2 NVMe slots [3].
• Already on UniFi, or want the simplest box: UniFi UNAS 2. Compact, PoE++-powered, managed in UniFi Drive [4][5].

Side-by-side specs

	Synology DS225+	UGREEN NASync DXP2800	UniFi UNAS 2
Drive bays	2 × 3.5″/2.5″ SATA [1]	2 × SATA + 2 × M.2 NVMe [3]	2 × 3.5″ [4]
Processor	Intel Celeron J4125, 4 cores [1]	Intel N100, 4 cores / 4 threads [3]	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A55, 1.7 GHz [4]
Memory	2 GB DDR4 non-ECC (max 6 GB) [1]	8 GB DDR5 (max 16 GB) [3]	4 GB [4]
Network	1 × 2.5GbE + 1 × 1GbE [1]	1 × 2.5GbE [3]	1 × 2.5GbE [4]
Other ports	2 × USB 3.2 Gen 1 [1]	USB-C + USB-A (10Gb/s), USB-A (5Gb/s), 2 × USB 2.0, HDMI (4K) [3]	1 × 5 Gbps USB-C expansion [4]
RAID options	SHR, Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 [1]	Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 [3]	RAID 1 [4]
Software	DSM [1]	UGOS Pro [3]	UniFi Drive [4]
Power	60 W adapter [1]	Rated 16.38 W (drive access) [3]	PoE++, 60 W PoE++ adapter included [4]
Warranty	3 years (extendable to 5 in North America/Europe) [1]	2 years [3]	2 years from Ubiquiti’s store; 1 year via resellers [6]
Price tier	Not assigned	Mid [3]	Budget [5]

Specs from the manufacturer pages numbered in Sources, checked October 9, 2026 (ET).

Price tiers are relative to the products in this article. Each tier is based on the maker’s own US store listing, checked October 9, 2026 (ET). We don’t list street or retail prices because they change. “Not assigned” means we couldn’t find a price on the maker’s own US site. Check the current price before you buy.

Synology DS225+: the “it just works” pick

Who it’s for: beginners who want polished apps for photos, file sync and backup, and the longest standard warranty of the three.

• Synology’s DSM includes Synology Photos, Synology Drive (file sync), Hyper Backup and snapshot tools [1].
• It supports SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), which Synology lists alongside Basic, JBOD, RAID 0 and RAID 1 [1].
• Two network ports: one 2.5GbE and one 1GbE [1].
• Watch out: 2 GB of RAM is modest. Synology notes that object recognition in Synology Photos needs at least 4 GB [1].

The drive question. Synology used to limit some 2025 models to its own drives. With DSM 7.3 (October 2025), Synology says 2025 model-year Plus, Value and J series NAS units can install and create storage pools with non-validated third-party drives. M.2 storage pools and cache still need drives on Synology’s compatibility list [2]. Synology still says it only guarantees full functionality with compatible drives [1]. Check the list before you buy.

See the Synology DS225+ on Synology

UGREEN NASync DXP2800: the value pick

Who it’s for: people who want more hardware headroom (Docker, virtual machines, a media server) and don’t mind a younger software platform.

• Intel N100, 8 GB DDR5 (up to 16 GB), plus a 32 GB eMMC system disk [3].
• Two M.2 NVMe slots that UGREEN says can be used for SSD cache or a separate SSD storage pool [3].
• UGREEN says it is widely compatible with third-party drives from Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba and others, with a compatibility list to check [3].
• UGREEN says it supports Docker and virtual machines, and that Plex can run in Docker [3].
• HDMI output: UGREEN lists 4K 60Hz playback over HDMI [3].
• Watch out: the warranty is 2 years versus Synology’s 3 [1][3]. 2-bay models are limited to Basic, JBOD, RAID 0 and RAID 1 [3].

See the UGREEN NASync DXP2800 on UGREEN

UniFi UNAS 2: the simple, compact pick

Who it’s for: households already using UniFi networking, or anyone who wants a basic mirrored (RAID 1) file server.

• 2 × 3.5″ bays, RAID 1 only (single RAID group) [4].
• Powered by PoE++, with a 60 W PoE++ adapter in the box. A 1.47″ color screen on the front [4].
• Managed in Ubiquiti’s UniFi Drive app (version 3.1.7 or later) [4].
• UniFi Drive runs on the UNAS itself. Files can be reached in a browser at the UNAS’s own IP address, or mounted over SMB (Windows, macOS) or NFS (Linux) [7]. Ubiquiti’s spec page lists the UniFi Drive app and UniFi mobile app as requirements, and lists no console requirement [4].
• Watch out: an ARM processor and RAID 1 only make this a storage-and-backup box, not an app server. Warranty is 2 years from Ubiquiti’s own store but 1 year when bought through a reseller [6].

See the UniFi UNAS 2 on Ubiquiti

Which should you pick?

If you…	Consider
Want the most polished apps and a 3-year warranty	Synology DS225+
Want to run Docker, VMs or a media server, and value RAM/NVMe	UGREEN DXP2800
Already run UniFi gear, or just need a mirrored file store	UniFi UNAS 2
Need RAID 5/6 or more than two drives	Look at a 4-bay model instead (UGREEN says 2-bay units don’t support RAID 5/6/10 [3])

Beginner tips

• RAID is not a backup. Mirroring protects you from one drive failing, not from deletion or ransomware. Keep a separate copy, as UGREEN’s own FAQ advises [3].
• Budget for drives. UGREEN lists the DXP2800 as diskless [3]. For the DS225+ and UNAS 2, check what’s in the box on the retailer listing and budget for drives.
• Check your network. All three have a 2.5GbE port [1][3][4]. To use that speed you need a 2.5GbE port on your router or switch. (Planned guide: Best 2.5GbE switches for a home network.)

FAQ

Does Synology still require Synology drives?
For 2025 model-year Plus, Value and J series running DSM 7.3, Synology says non-validated third-party drives can be installed and used for storage pools. M.2 pools and cache still need listed drives [2].

Can the UNAS 2 run apps like Plex?
Ubiquiti’s spec page lists file, backup and sharing features in UniFi Drive. It does not list third-party apps [4]. If you want Plex or Docker, the DXP2800 is the one of these three whose maker says it supports Docker [3].

Which is cheapest?
Based on the makers’ own US store listings (checked October 9, 2026), the UNAS 2 sits in the budget tier and the DXP2800 in the mid tier [3][5]. Synology doesn’t list a US price on its site. Prices change, so check the current price before buying.

Related (planned): Best budget NAS for Plex and Jellyfin · NAS vs DAS vs external hard drive.

Real gear for a better everyday.

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Sources (all checked October 9, 2026, ET)

1. Synology, DiskStation DS225+ specifications: https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/DS225+#specs
2. Synology, “Synology Releases DiskStation Manager 7.3” (Oct 8, 2025), including note 1 on M.2 pools/cache: https://www.synology.com/en-us/company/news/article/dsm73
3. UGREEN, NASync DXP2800 product page, specs and FAQ: https://nas.ugreen.com/products/ugreen-nasync-dxp2800-nas-storage
4. Ubiquiti, UNAS 2 tech specs: https://techspecs.ui.com/unifi/integrations/unas-2
5. Ubiquiti Store, UNAS 2 product page (used for price tier): https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-unifi-storage/products/unas-2
6. Ubiquiti, Limited Warranty: https://www.ui.com/support/warranty/
7. Ubiquiti Help Center, “Accessing UniFi NAS (UNAS) Drives”: https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/39670142044567-Accessing-UniFi-NAS-UNAS-Drives