Synology’s latest 2-bay DS225+ NAS is a solid way to get started with network attached storage systems. It offers a streamlined and simple experience with an affordable-enough price for those who have never used a NAS before.
7/10
- Brand
-
Synology
- CPU
-
Intel Celeron J4125
- Memory
-
2GB
- Drive Bays
-
2
The Synology DS225+ is a great beginner storage server. It features two 3.5-inch hard drive bays and both 2.5Gb Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. Designed around Synology’s Disk Station Manager operating system, this NAS offers a simplified experience that anyone will feel at home using.
- Easy to use
- Good read/write speeds even without cache
- Synology’s established ecosystem of apps
- Solid build quality
- 7 year old processor
- Only 2GB of RAM stock, and only expands to 6GB max
- No NVMe or M.2 support
How We Test and Review Products at How-To Geek
We go hands-on with every product to ensure it’s worth your time and money.
Price and availability
The Synology DS225+ 2-bay NAS is available to purchase from Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H for $340.
- Brand
-
Synology
- CPU
-
Intel Celeron J4125
- Memory
-
2GB
- Drive Bays
-
2
- Expansion
-
None
- Ports
-
2x USB 3.2 Gen 1
- Caching
-
None
- OS
-
Disk Station Manager
- Price
-
$340
- Dimensions
-
165 mm × 108 mm × 232.2 mm
- Weight
-
1.3 kg (2.86lbs)
- Storage
-
40TB
- Wi-Fi
-
None
- LAN Ports
-
1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet
Synology continues making great starter NAS systems
If you’ve never used a NAS before, the DS225+ is one of the best places to start
I’ve used a lot of NAS systems over the years. From building my own to using pre-made ones, there’s a lot to like about many of the brands. Synology focuses on one thing, and they get it right: simplicity.
A Synology NAS is extremely simple to set up, and the DS225+ is no exception. From pulling it out of the box to having it ready to use was just a few minutes. Of course, clearing the drives and building the RAID array took a while, but that’s not a limitation of the system, but just a function of RAID itself.
Disk Station Manager also remains the simplest NAS operating system to use. Synology has perfected it over the years, and it really shows. If I had a family member looking for an entry-level NAS, I would have zero hesitation in recommending that they get the DS225+.
Older hardware doesn’t mean that there’s no power here
Though I would have liked to see more than 2GB of RAM
Synology is known for being pretty stingy in the CPU and RAM department, and the DS225+ is no exception to that, either.
It ships with a 2019-era Intel Celeron J4125 processor. This 4-core 4-thread CPU is fine for lightweight NAS tasks, but it wouldn’t be my ideal choice for something like a Plex server. The J4125 does have Intel’s UHD Graphics 600, which means it can handle transcoding, but it might struggle with newer codecs.
The RAM department on this NAS is also a bit of a letdown. For starters, it only ships with 2GB of RAM. However, the biggest drawback is it maxes out at 6GB of RAM. If you compare the DS225+ to other NAS systems in the price range, about $50 more gets you a Ugreen NAS with a much newer Intel N100 processor and 8GB of RAM, though there’s no way to upgrade it.
Really, there is no reason that Synology should be using a 2019-era processor and 2GB of RAM for a NAS in 2026. There are so many better options to choose than a J4125. I really do wish Synology would have done better in this area.
However much I wish Synology would have used more powerful hardware in this NAS, I will say that it runs fairly well. The apps I did run on it, like Synology Drive and moving files around, all worked just fine. I just don’t really know how long the NAS will last performance-wise with these measly specs.
No NVMe drive is a bit of a letdown
I’d like to see some caching abilities
I’m a huge fan of NVMe caching in a NAS, but the DS225+ doesn’t allow that at all. The only drive bays on this NAS are the two 3.5-inch bays on the front. There’s no SSD support anywhere, which is a bit of a letdown.
While that does stink, I was able to see fairly decent transfer rates to the NAS thankfully. On a gigabit connection, I saw full network saturation both for moving files to and from the DS225+. My test file was a 4GB video export from one of my YouTube videos to simulate an actual workload of what I would be moving around on the NAS.
Really, it doesn’t need a NVMe drive, but I have more reasons than just caching for wanting NVMe storage. The aforementioned Ugreen NAS which offers more power and RAM for $50 more than the DS225+ also has two M.2 NVMe slots inside.
Having NVMe on a NAS means that you can run local services off of faster storage instead of spinning disks. Things like Plex metadata, Synology Photos, or any other container or app you might run just work better when the data is on a SSD instead of a hard drive.
It feels like not including NVMe support is just one more corner that Synology cut in the DS225+. It’s not a necessity, but, when other brands are including those features without charging a ton more, it’s something they easily could have done and chose not to.
The Synology ecosystem is still unmatched
It’s hard to argue with just how simple Synology makes its ecosystem to use
Now, the real reason people buy a Synology isn’t for the horsepower or hardware specs, it’s for the ecosystem and experience. In those areas, Synology is still unmatched and the DS225+ really shows its expertise.
While I’m a big fan of NAS platforms from other companies, nobody does an ecosystem better than Synology. There is still no rival to Synology Drive on any modern NAS. If you want a NAS that is a true Google Drive replacement, it’s hard to argue with the value Synology delivers.
I’ve messed with NextCloud in the past, as well as a few other Google Drive replacements, and they all require far too much upkeep and break too often for me to actually rely on. Synology Drive is reliable, works on all platforms, and uses my own hardware as a cloud storage replacement—which is the main reason most people buy a NAS in the first place.
Synology Photos is another stand-out feature here. It acts as a full Google Photos or iCloud Photos replacement and it just works well. Sure, Immich does exist, but Synology Photos is simpler to set up, easier to use, and requires a lot less maintenance.
Should you buy the Synology DS225+ NAS?
The Synology ecosystem does a lot of heavy lifting for the Synology DS225+. If any other NAS manufacturer had released a system with the specs and hardware features of the DS225+ in 2026, it likely wouldn’t succeed at all. But, the DS225+ has Synology’s ecosystem, brand recognition, and operating system to lean on, and that’s why this NAS will be a success.
However, if you want to buy a NAS that does it all, the Synology DS225+ is a great choice. It might not be the fastest system, and it might not have the most hardware features, but the software experience is what seals the deal here, and Synology knows it.
The actual experience of using this NAS is great for beginners and I’d definitely recommend it if you want a plug-and-play solution for your home network. At $340, this is about the best bang-for-your-buck 2-bay NAS you can get without encroaching on the $400 mark.
Though, if you can spend a few more bucks, and you don’t mind setting up a few more services yourself, there are definitely better NAS options out there.
7/10
- Brand
-
Synology
- CPU
-
Intel Celeron J4125
- Memory
-
2GB
- Drive Bays
-
2
The Synology DS225+ is a great beginner storage server. It features two 3.5-inch hard drive bays and both 2.5Gb Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. Designed around Synology’s Disk Station Manager operating system, this NAS offers a simplified experience that anyone will feel at home using.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
May 25, 2026
