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Prices checked November 10, 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: It runs TerraMaster's TOS rather than Synology's DSM, which Android Central calls the best out-of-the-box software of any NAS.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Synology DiskStation DS225+ is the TerraMaster F2-425, about $300 instead of $365 (save 18%). What you give up: It runs TerraMaster's TOS rather than Synology's DSM, which Android Central calls the best out-of-the-box software of any NAS. The cheapest is the Synology DiskStation DS223j at about $210. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
Why it's a good swap A 2-bay NAS with an Intel N5095 quad-core x86 processor, 4GB of DDR4 memory and 2.5GbE, plus HDMI output, hardware 4K transcoding and Docker support, per TerraMaster.
You give up: It runs TerraMaster's TOS rather than Synology's DSM, which Android Central calls the best out-of-the-box software of any NAS.
Why it's a good swap Synology's entry 2-bay: the same DSM software and Btrfs snapshots for $155 less.
You give up: 1GB of memory, a Realtek RTD1619B processor, one 1GbE port and two USB ports, with a 2-year warranty against 3.
Why it's a good swap A 2-bay NAS with a quad-core 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A55 processor, 2GB of memory, a built-in NPU for photo recognition and snapshot protection, per QNAP.
You give up: An ARM processor instead of Intel, one Gigabit port with no 2.5GbE, and QNAP's QTS software instead of Synology's DSM.
Why it's a good swap A 2-bay NAS with an 8-core Rockchip processor, 4GB of memory and a 4K HDMI port, built for backups, photo storage and home media, per UGREEN.
You give up: UGREEN says it doesn't support Docker or virtual machines, and it has one 1GbE port with no 2.5GbE.
Why it's a good swap Synology's cheaper 2-bay with the same DSM software and Btrfs file system, 2GB of memory and three USB ports, for $78 less.
You give up: A Realtek RTD1619B processor instead of the Intel Celeron, one 1GbE port with no 2.5GbE, and a 2-year warranty against 3.
Typical US prices, checked November 10, 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Synology DiskStation DS225+? It usually sells for about $365. Here are 5 cheaper swaps from $210: the TerraMaster F2-425 is the closest match from another brand, the Synology DiskStation DS223 is a cheaper option from Synology and the Synology DiskStation DS223j is the cheapest at about $210. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
The DS225+ is worth it if you want Synology's software on an Intel-based 2-bay. Synology lists an Intel Celeron J4125, 2GB of memory expandable to 6GB, one 2.5GbE and one 1GbE port, and a 3-year warranty. Android Central says it is the home NAS it would buy for the software, while noting the aging Intel platform and just 2GB of memory.
If you want Synology's DSM for less, the Synology DiskStation DS223 ($287) and the Synology DiskStation DS223j ($210) run it on a Realtek processor with 1GbE. For more hardware per dollar from another brand, the TerraMaster F2-425 ($300) has an Intel N5095, 4GB and 2.5GbE. The UGREEN NASync DH2300 ($270) and the QNAP TS-233 ($239) are simpler backup and media boxes.
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synology DiskStation DS225+ | The original | $365 | – | – | View ↗ |
| Synology DiskStation DS223j | Budget pick | $210 | $155 (42%) | 1GB of memory, a Realtek RTD1619B processor, one 1GbE port and two USB ports, with a 2-year warranty against 3. | View ↗ |
| QNAP TS-233 | Close match | $239 | $126 (35%) | An ARM processor instead of Intel, one Gigabit port with no 2.5GbE, and QNAP's QTS software instead of Synology's DSM. | View ↗ |
| UGREEN NASync DH2300 | Close match | $270 | $95 (26%) | UGREEN says it doesn't support Docker or virtual machines, and it has one 1GbE port with no 2.5GbE. | View ↗ |
| Synology DiskStation DS223 | Same brand, cheaper | $287 | $78 (21%) | A Realtek RTD1619B processor instead of the Intel Celeron, one 1GbE port with no 2.5GbE, and a 2-year warranty against 3. | View ↗ |
| TerraMaster F2-425 | Close match | $300 | $65 (18%) | It runs TerraMaster's TOS rather than Synology's DSM, which Android Central calls the best out-of-the-box software of any NAS. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked November 10, 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The Synology DiskStation DS223j, at about $210 (42% less). Synology's entry 2-bay: the same DSM software and Btrfs snapshots for $155 less. The catch: 1GB of memory, a Realtek RTD1619B processor, one 1GbE port and two USB ports, with a 2-year warranty against 3.
The TerraMaster F2-425, at about $300 (18% less). A 2-bay NAS with an Intel N5095 quad-core x86 processor, 4GB of DDR4 memory and 2.5GbE, plus HDMI output, hardware 4K transcoding and Docker support, per TerraMaster. The catch: It runs TerraMaster's TOS rather than Synology's DSM, which Android Central calls the best out-of-the-box software of any NAS.
Yes. The Synology DiskStation DS223, at about $287 (21% less). Synology's cheaper 2-bay with the same DSM software and Btrfs file system, 2GB of memory and three USB ports, for $78 less. The catch: A Realtek RTD1619B processor instead of the Intel Celeron, one 1GbE port with no 2.5GbE, and a 2-year warranty against 3.
The TerraMaster F2-425 ($300) is the closest on hardware: an Intel N5095 processor, 4GB of memory and 2.5GbE, per TerraMaster. To keep Synology's DSM software, the Synology DiskStation DS223 ($287) is the nearest model, with a Realtek processor and 1GbE.
Yes. The QNAP TS-233 ($239) and the UGREEN NASync DH2300 ($270) are 2-bay NAS boxes from other brands, and the TerraMaster F2-425 ($300) adds an Intel processor and 2.5GbE. The cheapest Synology 2-bay here is the Synology DiskStation DS223j ($210).
Synology lists an Intel Celeron J4125, memory expandable to 6GB, a 2.5GbE port and a 3-year warranty on the DS225+. The DS223 has a Realtek RTD1619B, 2GB of memory, one 1GbE port and a 2-year warranty. Both run DSM with Btrfs.
Android Central says it is the home NAS it would buy for Synology's software and the new 2.5GbE port, but notes the same Celeron J4125 as the DS224+, just 2GB of memory and no M.2 slots. Newegg and Best Buy listed it at $364.99 without drives.
Each swap links to amazon.com. Prices are typical US prices checked November 10, 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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