Great comparison video. I have a UGreen DXP8800 Plus 8 bay model from the Kickstarter program and think it’s a great product overall. I’ve chosen to use UGOS exclusively to see how it matures real-time bare metal, although, I have heard of people running UGOS in a VM instead. I agree that ~90% of users would probably be fine with UGOS but it still has some teething issues. Last I checked there was still no iSCSI LUN support. Also VM’s and docker containers can’t access external storage (USB thumb drives to Thunderbolt RAID enclosures) which IMO feels very limiting. The hardware is outstanding though. The Intel i5 1235U with 10 cores and 12 threads is really robust for most NAS uses. Thunderbolt 4 is also a nice touch. BTW, the UGreen DXP8800 Plus basically replaces my old Synology DS1815+ 8 bay NAS. My major concern based on owning three previous NAS units (Synology DS1815+, QNAP TS-653D, QNAP 451+) is that they all suffered or potentially could suffer from Intel SoC erratic that could brick the entire system. I recently had to install a pull-down resister to get the TS-451+ working again. The DS1815+ was RMAed back to Synology preemptively for a fixed version in 2017.
Nice comparison video. Thanks! It's great that you mentioned Marius hosting. He makes great guides and thanks to him I have the apps I need running on the Ugreen.
Excellent side-by-side comparison! I was ready to upgrade my home NAS with an off-brand motherboard, but your video solidly convinced me to go with the UGreen NAS instead.
I have recently subscribed. Awesome comparison, just what I needed! More Ugreen videos please 🙂 In response to my inquiry regarding the availability of UGREEN NAS products in the United Kingdom, I was informed that they anticipate a launch sometime after February. I have been using Synology for over a decade. While UGREEN’s software may not be the most advanced, it has consistently demonstrated improvement over the past ten months. I firmly believe that within the next five years, UGREEN’s software will reach a very high standard. The hardware offered by UGREEN is significantly superior to its competitors. As a basic user, I have decided to purchase the DXP48 Plus when it becomes available in the UK. Currently, I am using a Synology DS 918+. It has served me well, but it is time for me to upgrade to a more advanced NAS. It is highly unlikely that Synology will release a consumer NAS with comparable build, specifications, and a price point to UGREEN. I have noticed Synology are now restricting what hardware you can use with their new products.
Just picked up the 2bay ugreen. Works wonderful. Not know much about NAS os's and software. The simplicity was perfect. Got Plex set up through a docker and that runs wonderfully as well. Found a guide online and went with it
It’s UGreen over Synology for me these days. There was a time that would be a ridiculous statement, by they have taken their eye off the ball/consumer. UGreen is very impressive and the hardware is a no brainier!! I bought a 6 and 4 bay, couldn’t be happier!!
The NAS space is reallyheating up it seems. Ubiquiti just came out with their UNAS Pro and I really would love to see your quicklook / impressions video about Linus's invested HexOS Nas software. It seems right up your ally Logan. You bring you hardware and you buy a lifetime license for the software.
I got my Ugreen last week and already tried TrueNAS, Ubuntu, and even Windows on it. Everything runs great on it but I ended up sticking to UGOS and I like it a lot
Appreciate the review and also you have an install video for TrueNAS for the ugreen. Being an older IT guy I always like to do a sanity check by listening to the video in the background while doing something else in prep for a new project.
Newbie here. Great advice. I'm setting up a NAS to run a VERY large music collection and videos via Jellyfin/Plex to Apple TV. Can I buy a 4 bay and run it with 2 of the bays empty? I have 2 10TB drives on the way and a UGreen. Thanks!!!
Great video! It's helped me make a decision about my upgrade. That said, is there any dependable information available for encryption capabilities, specifically data at rest? I've seen conflicting information and want to see whether anyone can add to my understanding. TIA
I think it's odd that so many reviewers recommend the ugreen nas and not a single one of them have done a proper Deep dive on its stock operating system would you be willing to remedy that
I have to say I’m a bit dubious about Ugreen’s security profile, particularly when other Chinese companies like TP-Link have proved so riddled with backdoors and other security flaws. What is Ugreen’s rep in this space?
Can u run windows and game servers off these? I currently have a old PC with 4 hdds and windows 10 as a server pc that i run game servers off of and a Jelly Fin media server off of...can these do that? IM running out of HDD room is all lol
I really wanted that Ugreen hardware-but opted for Qnap. I wanted something with decent specs and mature software since I'm not that technical of a user. Unfortunately, I didn't realize a single NVME drive can't be used for both read and write cache. Still haven't learned how to get Plex to stream more than 2mbps outside of my home network 🤪
You'll never get R/W cache on any system with just 1 NVMe, as far as I know anyway. For Plex, make sure you have Transcoding set to on in, Spanner Icon > Settings > Transcoder > "Make my CPU hurt" and use hardwre acceleration ticked. If you're CPU and your connection can handle it that should do it. good luck.
Sell it or return it if you can. The UGreen is way more hardware for the money and software is more flexible. Can run UGOS or load something completely different (TruNAS, Unraid, HexOS, etc.) without violating the warranty. Pretty cool.
Personally, I'd buy an Aoostar WTR Pro for cheaper than either of these options and install Proxmox + TrueNAS on it. To be honest, I've already done it twice, one for the main nas and one for backup lol
I've been a Synology user since 2011.. But for the last couple years it seems like Synology is letting their hardware fall way behind other vendors, and no longer interested in the small off/home office market. Ugreen is looking very attractive.
I was a happy Synology customer for many years and waited as long as I could for better hardware to be launched. Never happened. Come Ugreen 4800plus and it's like a space ship next to the 923. The construction (all Aluminium) makes the Synology look cheap in comparison. Software is less capable but after a month it's 100% stable and is doing all I need from it. Security is a lesser concern for me as I don't have the NAS exposed to the internet. I VPN into my home network.
Synology is out. They're no longer interested in home/small office users and they got complacent all right. Their software is good but dated and their hardware is just underwhelming. I'll be trying the UGreen soon, hardware specs are most interesting.
Even when it comes to hardware Synology has their thing: their NAS'es are almost indestructible, something UGreen still have to prove. So if you want to play around with a NAS then yes, you might consider a UGreen NAS, but when you truly value your data I would not trust this in the hands of a NAS that still has to prove itself when it starts to age.
SHR is really a dated limited concept. To get the most out of your system, using drives of the same size are going to really give the best options. It’s a cool concept, but for the limitations that Synology brings (restrictive upgrades, must their brand only, super expensive as well usually 3x cost). Plus Synology is also moving away from consumers. SO many limitations to Synology compared to UGreen. Yeah they have a more robust software platform, but so many of those of apps are just duplicates of the same thing. But most importantly, they allow you to install other OS if you desire (TruNas, UnRaid, HexOS, etc.), without violating the warranty. Synology is so yesterday. UGreen is the future.
imo neither of these provides enough bays for a basic nas. 4 bays is EXTREMELY inefficient, only providing a single disk of redundancy (raid5/raidz) and OFTEN a second disk will fail on rebuilding an array. I always recommend at LEAST raidz2/raid6. the minimum number of disks I would recommend for a basic nas is 6, and 8 is strongly preferred in order to have a better ratio of data to redundancy (usable storage). Also, these days I have issues recommending linux mdraid when zfs exists and is SIGNIFICANTLY more reliable.
The killer apps, for me, on the Synology are Drive and Hyper Backup, both just excellent at what they do and super easy to setup and use! The absolute turn-off now with Synology is the lacklustre, outdated hardware and their seeming reluctance to meaningfully upgrade at the pro-sumer, enthusiast level! Let's see what the new models bring, but if it's just more of the same I reckon I'll be jumping ship when I upgrade one of my NAS later this year. p.s. regarding Plex on Synology, the best way is to download directly from Plex and do a manual install. Always more up to date than through package center, same goes for Tailscale, and probably a few other third party apps as well.
The only thing Synology has going for them is their software suite. Their hardware is utterly outdated and middling. If you are willing to install Synology unofficially on the UGREEN...well...you got great software with good hardware.
Thank you so much for this video. I was on the fence with what 4 bay to buy. You've solved that for me. Thank you so much man!
Great comparison video. I have a UGreen DXP8800 Plus 8 bay model from the Kickstarter program and think it’s a great product overall. I’ve chosen to use UGOS exclusively to see how it matures real-time bare metal, although, I have heard of people running UGOS in a VM instead. I agree that ~90% of users would probably be fine with UGOS but it still has some teething issues. Last I checked there was still no iSCSI LUN support. Also VM’s and docker containers can’t access external storage (USB thumb drives to Thunderbolt RAID enclosures) which IMO feels very limiting. The hardware is outstanding though. The Intel i5 1235U with 10 cores and 12 threads is really robust for most NAS uses. Thunderbolt 4 is also a nice touch. BTW, the UGreen DXP8800 Plus basically replaces my old Synology DS1815+ 8 bay NAS. My major concern based on owning three previous NAS units (Synology DS1815+, QNAP TS-653D, QNAP 451+) is that they all suffered or potentially could suffer from Intel SoC erratic that could brick the entire system. I recently had to install a pull-down resister to get the TS-451+ working again. The DS1815+ was RMAed back to Synology preemptively for a fixed version in 2017.
Synology is removing things...Ugreen is adding things. To me that is a clear indication of which is better or will be in the future.
Totally agree 🙂
Nice comparison video. Thanks! It's great that you mentioned Marius hosting. He makes great guides and thanks to him I have the apps I need running on the Ugreen.
Excellent side-by-side comparison! I was ready to upgrade my home NAS with an off-brand motherboard, but your video solidly convinced me to go with the UGreen NAS instead.
I have recently subscribed. Awesome comparison, just what I needed!
More Ugreen videos please 🙂
In response to my inquiry regarding the availability of UGREEN NAS products in the United Kingdom, I was informed that they anticipate a launch sometime after February. I have been using Synology for over a decade. While UGREEN’s software may not be the most advanced, it has consistently demonstrated improvement over the past ten months. I firmly believe that within the next five years, UGREEN’s software will reach a very high standard.
The hardware offered by UGREEN is significantly superior to its competitors. As a basic user, I have decided to purchase the DXP48 Plus when it becomes available in the UK.
Currently, I am using a Synology DS 918+. It has served me well, but it is time for me to upgrade to a more advanced NAS.
It is highly unlikely that Synology will release a consumer NAS with comparable build, specifications, and a price point to UGREEN. I have noticed Synology are now restricting what hardware you can use with their new products.
Thanks a lot for all the info.
Just picked up the 2bay ugreen. Works wonderful. Not know much about NAS os's and software. The simplicity was perfect. Got Plex set up through a docker and that runs wonderfully as well. Found a guide online and went with it
It’s UGreen over Synology for me these days. There was a time that would be a ridiculous statement, by they have taken their eye off the ball/consumer. UGreen is very impressive and the hardware is a no brainier!! I bought a 6 and 4 bay, couldn’t be happier!!
I'm thinking of getting Nas unit but been on fence about it now got me thinking time pull the trigger 🤯
The NAS space is reallyheating up it seems. Ubiquiti just came out with their UNAS Pro and I really would love to see your quicklook / impressions video about Linus's invested HexOS Nas software. It seems right up your ally Logan. You bring you hardware and you buy a lifetime license for the software.
I got my Ugreen last week and already tried TrueNAS, Ubuntu, and even Windows on it. Everything runs great on it but I ended up sticking to UGOS and I like it a lot
Appreciate the review and also you have an install video for TrueNAS for the ugreen. Being an older IT guy I always like to do a sanity check by listening to the video in the background while doing something else in prep for a new project.
Newbie here. Great advice. I'm setting up a NAS to run a VERY large music collection and videos via Jellyfin/Plex to Apple TV. Can I buy a 4 bay and run it with 2 of the bays empty? I have 2 10TB drives on the way and a UGreen. Thanks!!!
Have you tried replacing the fans of Ugreen? The factory ones are so loud.
Great video! It's helped me make a decision about my upgrade. That said, is there any dependable information available for encryption capabilities, specifically data at rest? I've seen conflicting information and want to see whether anyone can add to my understanding. TIA
I think it's odd that so many reviewers recommend the ugreen nas and not a single one of them have done a proper Deep dive on its stock operating system would you be willing to remedy that
I have to say I’m a bit dubious about Ugreen’s security profile, particularly when other Chinese companies like TP-Link have proved so riddled with backdoors and other security flaws. What is Ugreen’s rep in this space?
tp-link riddled with backdoors? :D have you got any source for this statement?
Can u run windows and game servers off these? I currently have a old PC with 4 hdds and windows 10 as a server pc that i run game servers off of and a Jelly Fin media server off of...can these do that? IM running out of HDD room is all lol
You should be able to if the game server specs are within the hardware you can throw at it through a virtual machine or container.
Yes you can.
Is there can option on UGREEN that compares to Active Backup for business? I use that to backup my VMware VMs.
I just don’t think the value prop is there for these with the unas being 7 bay at 499$.
Hey! I have a DS923 and I want to run Immich, but not in the NAS. Which pc would you recommend?
I really wanted that Ugreen hardware-but opted for Qnap. I wanted something with decent specs and mature software since I'm not that technical of a user. Unfortunately, I didn't realize a single NVME drive can't be used for both read and write cache. Still haven't learned how to get Plex to stream more than 2mbps outside of my home network 🤪
I bought 5 recertified 18tb hard drives from ServerPartDeals which is crazy 😅
You'll never get R/W cache on any system with just 1 NVMe, as far as I know anyway. For Plex, make sure you have Transcoding set to on in, Spanner Icon > Settings > Transcoder > "Make my CPU hurt" and use hardwre acceleration ticked. If you're CPU and your connection can handle it that should do it. good luck.
Sell it or return it if you can. The UGreen is way more hardware for the money and software is more flexible. Can run UGOS or load something completely different (TruNAS, Unraid, HexOS, etc.) without violating the warranty. Pretty cool.
Personally, I'd buy an Aoostar WTR Pro for cheaper than either of these options and install Proxmox + TrueNAS on it. To be honest, I've already done it twice, one for the main nas and one for backup lol
I've been a Synology user since 2011.. But for the last couple years it seems like Synology is letting their hardware fall way behind other vendors, and no longer interested in the small off/home office market. Ugreen is looking very attractive.
I was a happy Synology customer for many years and waited as long as I could for better hardware to be launched. Never happened. Come Ugreen 4800plus and it's like a space ship next to the 923. The construction (all Aluminium) makes the Synology look cheap in comparison. Software is less capable but after a month it's 100% stable and is doing all I need from it. Security is a lesser concern for me as I don't have the NAS exposed to the internet. I VPN into my home network.
Synology is out. They're no longer interested in home/small office users and they got complacent all right. Their software is good but dated and their hardware is just underwhelming.
I'll be trying the UGreen soon, hardware specs are most interesting.
Totally agree.
Please make some more dessicated UGreen videos. 🙏🏻
👍
Even when it comes to hardware Synology has their thing: their NAS'es are almost indestructible, something UGreen still have to prove. So if you want to play around with a NAS then yes, you might consider a UGreen NAS, but when you truly value your data I would not trust this in the hands of a NAS that still has to prove itself when it starts to age.
We'll see how it goes, but I would like to pressure Synology in regard to their hardware/specs
@teksyndicate You're not the only one, we are all waiting for a new Synology NAS, me included.
Synology definitely for me. The software is almost perfect & is rock stable. If ugreen came with an option comparable to SHR but without that no
SHR is really a dated limited concept. To get the most out of your system, using drives of the same size are going to really give the best options. It’s a cool concept, but for the limitations that Synology brings (restrictive upgrades, must their brand only, super expensive as well usually 3x cost). Plus Synology is also moving away from consumers. SO many limitations to Synology compared to UGreen. Yeah they have a more robust software platform, but so many of those of apps are just duplicates of the same thing. But most importantly, they allow you to install other OS if you desire (TruNas, UnRaid, HexOS, etc.), without violating the warranty. Synology is so yesterday. UGreen is the future.
imo neither of these provides enough bays for a basic nas. 4 bays is EXTREMELY inefficient, only providing a single disk of redundancy (raid5/raidz) and OFTEN a second disk will fail on rebuilding an array. I always recommend at LEAST raidz2/raid6. the minimum number of disks I would recommend for a basic nas is 6, and 8 is strongly preferred in order to have a better ratio of data to redundancy (usable storage). Also, these days I have issues recommending linux mdraid when zfs exists and is SIGNIFICANTLY more reliable.
Why do you keep trying?
The killer apps, for me, on the Synology are Drive and Hyper Backup, both just excellent at what they do and super easy to setup and use! The absolute turn-off now with Synology is the lacklustre, outdated hardware and their seeming reluctance to meaningfully upgrade at the pro-sumer, enthusiast level! Let's see what the new models bring, but if it's just more of the same I reckon I'll be jumping ship when I upgrade one of my NAS later this year.
p.s. regarding Plex on Synology, the best way is to download directly from Plex and do a manual install. Always more up to date than through package center, same goes for Tailscale, and probably a few other third party apps as well.
Shhhhhh…… on the xpenology lol 😂 … best vm ever
Hey how did you install expenoloy, I can't seem to find a concrete way
*Laughs in Unraid
Synology's raid system is hands down the winner for me. If I want to the beefier hardware I will purchase a beefier Synology unit.
It's basically unraid if you use shr 1 or 2, it's like raid 3, one disk acts as the parity drive. But still limited to it's hardware.
The only thing Synology has going for them is their software suite. Their hardware is utterly outdated and middling. If you are willing to install Synology unofficially on the UGREEN...well...you got great software with good hardware.
synology is for people who dont have the ability to see if something is overpriced like apple!