NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM comparison

NetApp and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. NetApp is ranked #53 with an average rating of 7.0, while Synology is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.3. NetApp holds a 0.7% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of NetApp users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

NetApp SnapCenter

Read 27 NetApp SnapCenter reviews

1,268 Views
1,192 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

2,418 Views
2,394 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

NetApp SnapCenter

Synology DSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

NetApp SnapCenter and Synology DSM compete in the data management category. Despite NetApp SnapCenter’s strength in support and initial setup, Synology DSM has the upper hand due to its comprehensive features and overall user satisfaction.

Features: NetApp SnapCenter offers centralized management, robust backup capabilities, and high support ratings. Synology DSM provides an extensive app ecosystem, user-friendly design, and a broader feature set.

Room for Improvement: NetApp SnapCenter needs greater scalability, reduced setup complexity, and better integration with third-party services. Synology DSM requires improved third-party service integration, enhanced mobile access, and more advanced scalability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NetApp SnapCenter has detailed and complex setup processes but is backed by highly rated customer support. Synology DSM is known for its straightforward installation process and responsive customer service.

Pricing and ROI: NetApp SnapCenter is considered a valuable investment with substantial ROI, although it can be pricey. Synology DSM offers competitive pricing with quicker ROI due to lower upfront costs.

To learn more, read our detailed NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM

September 2025

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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

NetApp SnapCenter

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

53rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

22nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of NetApp SnapCenter is 0.7%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.7%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Synology DSM	1.7%
NetApp SnapCenter	0.7%
Other	97.6%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

MervynMorgan

IT Storage Engineer at Unixque Solutions Pty Ltd

Enables us to save data for data projection but could improve its integration with other backup solutions

NetApp SnapCenter is highly efficient because it allows you to automate the creation of snapshots. Instead of manually creating snapshots using IMS or HMS, you can schedule and automate them, specifying the timing and frequency. This eliminates the need for daily manual intervention and streamlines the process. SnapCenter also enables you to assign specific user roles to manage these tasks, enhancing efficiency. SnapCenter ensures that your LPOs and RTOs are extremely quick. Although it may seem expensive initially, after using it for a while, you'll appreciate the efficiencies and gains it provides. I recommend the solution. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

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Manuel Schulte

Python Developer at BNP Paribas Asset Management

A reliable and user-friendly solution for effective backup, storage, and multimedia needs

In terms of scalability, I would currently rate it an eight out of ten due to its aging nature. While I don't have access to all the latest features available on more recent devices, at the time of purchase, considering its capabilities then, I would have given it a solid ten.

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

"The simplicity of backup and restore directly with VMware is an advantage and the time to backup and restore is reduced."

"A feature that stands out is cloning databases. If you have a SQL database and it's huge, like one terabyte, the classical SQL way would be to do a backup-restore to create a clone of your database for test purposes. With SnapCenter now, we can clone a database but through the Snapshot technology, which means if you right-click and you click Clone, the one terabyte database is there instantly."

"It has very fast backup and can handle a huge amount of data. It also enables really fast recovery."

"The product’s most valuable feature is cloning."

"It allows us to easily take a Snapshot and use it with any backup tools. We can also take Snapshots on the application side. We can also take Snapshots on the application side. If we want to restore an SAP or an Oracle machine, a normal Snapshot won't do it, but we can do so with SnapCenter."

"Being able to add everything in as resource groups is a valuable feature... Having all the SQL servers put into specific buckets, based on their year of release - 2008, 2012, 2014 - allows us to get almost immediate backups that are easily seen and reported on."

"I like the instant backups and recovery feature that SnapCenter provides within NetApp storage systems."

"It helps with strategic planning because it is easy to make a strategy when you have visualized the inflow and outflow of the backup and recovery."

More NetApp SnapCenter pros

"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."

"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."

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"The interface usability needs improvement. It should be more user-friendly and easier for customers to use."

"I feel a little bit that during the whole process of putting this software into production we were like a beta program. It was full of bugs... For example, we had a problem with truncating our Exchange log files... It has improved over time."

"The compatibility with other manufacturers, like Oracle and Hyper-V, could be improved. I would like to see it be more compatible with other software."

"The replication feature needs improvement in future releases."

"SnapCenter could improve its integration with other backup solutions, such as Veeam."

"There is one area that needs improvement and that's in the alerting. When you set up your SMTP alerts, it only has - and I don't understand why - the ability to send an anonymous SMTP. It doesn't do basic authentication, which frustrated me for a while until I figured out that I'm not missing something. It's just not there."

"Reporting of the jobs could be better."

"I have an issue with SnapCenter because sometimes a VM cannot be backed up... The way SnapCenter works is that it makes a backup of all the VMs and then it removes all the old backups. If one VM cannot be backed up for some reason, it has already created a new backup for all the VMs but it cannot remove the old backups. It ends up creating so many backups in VMware and it will cause a performance problem if the condition is not fixed."

More NetApp SnapCenter cons

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

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

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

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

"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."

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

"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."

"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have a site license, so it comes with the product."

"Pricing is very good because if you already have NepApp controllers, then it's included."

"It's free. The license is included with other NetApp products."

"The licensing is well-designed because it's already included in some packages with NetApp storage. Therefore, for most customers, it's okay as the SnapCenter license is already included in some NetApp bundles."

"We see a financial value with SnapCenter because we don't have to license Commvault, which is pretty expensive."

"The product is inexpensive."

"The license for SnapCenter was included with the storage array."

"It comes free with the amount of equipment we purchase from NetApp. In terms of pricing, zero is my favorite number."

"The price of the solution is very good."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

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

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"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."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

17%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	11

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	1

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetApp SnapCenter?

The product should be free because it is just software to administrate systems purchased from NetApp, which are already expensive.

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What needs improvement with NetApp SnapCenter?

The interface usability needs improvement. It should be more user-friendly and easier for customers to use.

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What is your primary use case for NetApp SnapCenter?

I help my customers to install and integrate NetApp SnapCenter ( /products/netapp-snapcenter-reviews ). The solution is used for central consolidation of NetApp ( /products/netapp-41749-reviews ) d...

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What do you like most about Synology DSM?

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

See all answers

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

The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Synology DSM?

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

See all answers

Comparisons

Commvault Cloud vs NetApp SnapCenter

Compared 14% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs NetApp SnapCenter

Compared 14% of the time

Veritas NetBackup vs NetApp SnapCenter

Compared 10% of the time

Rubrik vs NetApp SnapCenter

Compared 10% of the time

Cohesity DataProtect vs NetApp SnapCenter

Compared 8% of the time

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Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 10% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 9% of the time

GoodSync For Business vs Synology DSM

Compared 8% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

NetApp SnapCenter

October 2025

Download NetApp SnapCenter product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

September 2025

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

SnapCenter

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Unified, scalable platform for application-consistent data protection and clone management. This software simplifies backup, restore, and clone lifecycle management with application-integrated workflows.

NetApp

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

All for One Steeb AG, Accenture

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM

September 2025

Free Report: NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM

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