UGREEN NAS vs Synology in 2026

The UGREEN DXP4800 Plus and Synology DS925+ represent the hardware-first and software-first approaches to a four-bay NAS.

UGREEN gives the owner built-in 10GbE, integrated graphics, and DDR5 memory that expands to 64GB. Synology provides ECC memory and the more mature operating, backup, and support environment.

Quick verdict

Choose UGREEN for fast networking, Docker, media processing, and hardware value. Choose Synology for simpler administration, mature backup tools, and a system that people who do not want to become NAS specialists can administer.

CPU and applications

The DXP4800 Plus uses an Intel Pentium Gold 8505 with one performance core and four efficiency cores (six threads), rated up to 4.4 GHz, with integrated graphics. The DS925+‘s Ryzen V1500B has four cores and eight threads at 2.2 GHz but no integrated graphics.

The Intel chip’s higher peak clock favors lightly threaded tasks, while the V1500B’s extra threads help with many parallel jobs. For hardware transcoding or mixed media use, the Intel platform is the safer fit; for direct-play media, either unit can serve files.

Winner: UGREEN, mainly for the integrated graphics.

Memory

The UGREEN ships with 8GB of DDR5 and expands to 64GB, twice the Synology’s ceiling. The Synology starts with 4GB but uses ECC and expands to 32GB across two slots. Synology recommends its own memory modules and says it will not provide complete warranty or technical support if you expand with third-party modules, so factor Synology RAM into the upgrade cost.

Choose capacity for dense container workloads; choose ECC when storage integrity and appliance behavior are the priority.

Winner: Depends on the workload.

Networking

This is the clearest difference. The DXP4800 Plus includes one 10GbE port and one 2.5GbE port. The DS925+ has dual 2.5GbE and no PCIe slot, so it cannot take Synology’s E10G22-T1-Mini 10GbE module.

If a workstation, virtualization host, or editing workflow needs more than 2.5GbE to the NAS, UGREEN wins without qualification. The 10GbE port pays off only if your switch and the client on the other end also run at 10GbE.

Winner: UGREEN.

Software, drives, and ownership

DSM is the reason to choose Synology. Its storage management, accounts, alerts, backup packages, snapshots, remote administration, and accumulated support documentation reduce operational uncertainty. Since DSM 7.3 (October 2025), Synology’s 2025 Plus, Value and J models, such as the DS925+ and DS225+, accept third-party 3.5-inch HDDs and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, but M.2 storage pools and cache still need drives on Synology’s compatibility list.

UGOS Pro covers core NAS and Docker functions but has a shorter history. Owners should be more deliberate about configuration exports, independent backups, update timing, and recovery tests.

Winner: Synology.

Bottom line

The DXP4800 Plus is the stronger compact server and the better 10GbE value. The DS925+ is the stronger storage appliance. For the other current four-bay options, see our best 4-bay NAS roundup.

Whichever model you choose, do not treat RAID as backup. Keep a separate versioned copy and perform a real restore test before trusting the system with irreplaceable data.