BackupAssist vs Synology DSM comparison

BackupAssist and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. BackupAssist is ranked #70, while Synology is ranked #18 with an average rating of 9.0. BackupAssist holds a 0.2% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of BackupAssist users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

BackupAssist

Read 5 BackupAssist reviews

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169 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

2,068 Views
1,585 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

BackupAssist

Synology DSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

BackupAssist and Synology DSM compete in the backup and data management software category. Synology DSM seems to have the upper hand due to its rich feature set and perceived value.

Features: BackupAssist offers robust backup options, easy setup, and reliability in core backup functions. Synology DSM includes extensive features such as file synchronization, collaboration tools, and enhanced security measures.

Room for Improvement: BackupAssist users often request a more modern interface, faster performance, and better integration with third-party services. Synology DSM users suggest more intuitive navigation, improved performance, and better integration with third-party services.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: BackupAssist is noted for its straightforward deployment and strong customer support. Synology DSM offers extensive documentation and community support but may require a more complex setup.

Pricing and ROI: BackupAssist is recognized for its cost-effectiveness and clear ROI, appealing to smaller businesses. Synology DSM is more expensive but justifies its price with advanced features and versatility, making it a valuable investment for wider functionalities.

To learn more, read our detailed BackupAssist vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

BackupAssist vs. Synology DSM

June 2025

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Helped 859,129 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

BackupAssist

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

70th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

MSP Backup (12th)

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

18th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of BackupAssist is 0.2%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.9%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

RichardMukarakate

Director at Gemini Systems

Provides ransomware protection, does good reporting, and is close to perfect for our use case

The main challenge that I have had with it was no line of support, but I've anyway taken away the Linux machine that I was using. So, I don't need that anymore. I'm migrating my Exchange to the cloud. So, I probably will stop using the exchange backup side of it sometime next year, but the rest of the virtual machines that I have on-premises are very well covered by it. To be able to back up my online Exchange, I know there is a backup in the cloud, but I prefer to have something physical with something on my premises as well. It stopped doing my backups after I did the last update on it.

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Michael Adejoh

Solutions Manager at Excel Connect Ventures

Reliable and cost-effective

One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication. Currently, it lacks the capability to automatically stop backups if it detects a virus or suspicious network activity, as some third-party solutions can. Having AI-driven analytics to identify anomalies and halt backups during potential attacks, along with notifications to administrators, would be valuable. Additionally, providing a dashboard for monitoring the backup environment's security would be a beneficial feature. These improvements would help address security concerns and make Synology more competitive in this aspect.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I have found that the backups are usually very successful."

"We can configure the notifications themselves so that the right people get the notifications. This is very helpful. It allows key stakeholders to know if backups have happened and to remind each other to check the backups if something is not right."

"I get my reports. It is generally very reliable. Unless there is a major change, it doesn't stop backing up. I've got my server room set up with everything connected to the same power, and I never have power issues or failures of backups because a sub-site has gone off."

"The most valuable features of BackupAssist are ease of use, configure is simple, and more importantly, ease of recovery. If you needed to do a complete system recovery or another recovery it is straightforward."

"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."

"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."

"Because of its simplicity and the wide array of features it offers, I would recommend DSM for both tech-savvy individuals and those who prefer a straightforward file-serving solution."

"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."

"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."

"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."

"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"The solution needs a dashboard or some form of central control from which you can manage all backups."

"Many solutions become stagnant over time. However, BackupAssist has been consistent in updates but they must continue to innovate and improve to avoid stagnation."

"In the future I would like to see more support for Linux."

"It stopped doing my backups after I did the last update on it."

"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."

"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."

"The platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."

"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."

"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."

"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."

"There's a surveillance application that allows you to connect IP cameras and stream footage to Synology and it is a great feature, but it's not always clear that adding more cameras may require purchasing additional licenses."

"Synology DSM is a good enough solution for small and medium companies, but I have not seen a big configuration of the solution for a big organization."

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's on a yearly basis, but I'm not the one who does the licensing on that. I don't have any figures, but it's on a yearly basis, and I believe it's reasonable."

"There's a yearly licensing cost. The costs might be around $2000 USD annually."

"The product pricing here in Zimbabwe is good, I cannot complain."

"The cost of the solution is reasonable and there are add-on options that can be purchased. I have used other solutions that are a lot more expensive that are not as good. The ability to get support is very simple and very reasonable from a cost standpoint."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"The price of the solution is very good."

"The licensing part of the solution is free. The hardware is more expensive than the other solutions in the market, but it's okay in the long run."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about Synology DSM?

The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Synology DSM?

The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive.

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What needs improvement with Synology DSM?

Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly.

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Comparisons

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Compared 63% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs BackupAssist

Compared 37% of the time

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Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 15% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 9% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 8% of the time

GoodSync vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

BackupAssist

June 2025

Download BackupAssist product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

May 2025

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

No data available

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

BackupAssist is a comprehensive backup and recovery software designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a wide range of features to ensure data protection and minimize downtime in case of system failures or disasters. With BackupAssist, users can easily create and manage backups for their critical data, applications, and systems.

One of the key features of BackupAssist is its support for multiple backup types, including full, incremental, and differential backups. This flexibility allows users to choose the backup strategy that best suits their needs and optimize storage space and backup time. Additionally, BackupAssist supports both local and remote backups, enabling users to store their backups on external drives, network shares, or cloud storage services.

BackupAssist also provides advanced features for application-specific backups, such as Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, and Hyper-V. These features ensure that critical business applications are backed up correctly and can be quickly restored in case of data loss or system failures. Moreover, BackupAssist offers granular recovery options, allowing users to restore individual files, folders, or even specific application items.

To further enhance data protection, BackupAssist includes features like encryption, compression, and verification. Encryption ensures that backups are securely stored and can only be accessed by authorized users. Compression reduces the backup size, optimizing storage space and reducing backup time. Verification checks the integrity of backups, ensuring that they can be successfully restored when needed.

BackupAssist also offers a range of disaster recovery options, including bare-metal recovery and virtual machine backups. Bare-metal recovery allows users to restore their entire system to new or existing hardware, minimizing downtime in case of hardware failures or system crashes. Virtual machine backups enable users to protect their virtualized environments, ensuring business continuity in virtualized infrastructures.

BackupAssist

Synology DSM (DiskStation Manager) is a comprehensive software platform designed for Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices. It serves as the operating system for these devices, providing a wide range of features and functionalities.

The primary use case of Synology DSM is to centralize and manage data storage for organizations. It allows businesses to store, access, and share files securely across multiple devices and platforms. With its intuitive user interface, DSM simplifies the management of data, making it easy to create shared folders, set access permissions, and monitor storage usage.

One of the most valuable functionalities of Synology DSM is its robust data protection capabilities. It offers various RAID configurations, including SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), which ensures data redundancy and safeguards against drive failures. DSM also supports advanced backup and disaster recovery solutions, such as Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup, enabling organizations to protect their critical data effectively.

Furthermore, Synology DSM provides a wide range of productivity and collaboration tools. It offers applications like Synology Drive, which allows seamless file synchronization across devices, and Synology Office, a web-based suite for document editing and collaboration. DSM also supports various third-party applications, including popular cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, enabling organizations to integrate their existing workflows seamlessly.

Synology

Sample Customers

Monash University, NASA, NYU, Pfizer, RAF Association, Rockwell Colins, University of Arizona, US Department of State, Volvo

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

BackupAssist vs. Synology DSM

June 2025

Free Report: BackupAssist vs. Synology DSM

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