NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM comparison

Why PeerSpot?

NetApp and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. NetApp is ranked #39 with an average rating of 8.0, while Synology is ranked #51. NetApp holds a 0.8% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.3% 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 28 NetApp SnapCenter reviews

3,724 Views
3,612 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

4,831 Views
4,783 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 2026).

Buyer's Guide

NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM

September 2026

Download the complete report

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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

39th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

51st

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of NetApp SnapCenter is 0.8%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.3%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
NetApp SnapCenter	0.8%
Synology DSM	1.3%
Other	97.9%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

SaneeshC

Sr. engineer at Sify Technologies

Has reduced backup time for large workloads and supports smooth workload migration

Role-based access control and multi-factor authentication are security features available in NetApp SnapCenter. The one-time password comes to our multi-factor authentication tool; we work with Cisco Duo, and that OTP is generated through that tool, which we use to access the device. There are different options through which we can migrate workloads without downtime. The user interface is very easy to handle and not complicated. There are multiple features that make NetApp SnapCenter valuable. In case of any job failure, we get an alert over email. For jobs replicating from site A to site B, we know how long it will take to complete that replication. All that information is available in the console, and there aren't any difficulties or objections that need to be improved.

Read full review

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

"The most valuable feature is the RBAC, the Role-Based Access Control. In our managed service, we can have different layers of security."

"We have found that the snapshotting mechanism is better than VMware."

"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's all together managing both storage and backup, which makes it easier for troubleshooting issues and the automation part of it."

"What is very handy for our clients is the consolidated view. They have a dashboard with everything, through a single pane of glass. This is what they really need because, within seconds, they can have a good overview and see if there are any errors or any issues."

"The centralized GUI is the best feature, that there is only one webpage where we can see the states of all the backup jobs. We can see all the tasks that are running and we can quickly see if one fails; if they are running or have any issues. We have all that in one place."

"The most valuable feature is that it's centralized. In the old SnapManager days, we had software for each server. Now, with a centralized system, we're able to manage all systems remotely, and all agents remotely, and update them remotely. That's a huge benefit for us."

"Most banks and financial institutions use the solution."

More NetApp SnapCenter pros

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

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

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

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

"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."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"The reporting could be better. It's good, but reporting of the jobs could be better."

"The GUI is still so-so. I' don't use the GUI that often anymore because it's really slow, refreshing disks, refreshing hosts, and you have to click a lot."

"What I did witness lately are issues with some Microsoft KBs, the updates. But it happened only once, and not on a major platform, it was on a small one."

"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."

"I would like to see replication support between systems. Right now, it's kind of limited. We manage them separately from the storage system interface, not from SnapCenter. It would be nice if it was integrated into SnapCenter."

"It needs to support vSphere 6.7."

"If nothing changes it works fine, but we faced some issues twice after we upgraded to the next SnapCenter release."

"We tend to have a lot of Hyper-V... so now we have two management consoles and we would ideally like to leverage SnapCenter to include Hyper-V."

More NetApp SnapCenter cons

"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."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

"The product is inexpensive."

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

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"The price of the solution is very good."

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

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

"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."

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	12

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 team handles the commercial aspects of pricing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NetApp SnapCenter?

We have not started much with the automation capability in NetApp SnapCenter. Regarding the integration aspect, I am not certain about its complexity, as this was built by the OEM NetApp team.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for NetApp SnapCenter?

The major use case for NetApp SnapCenter is that our customer previously used Commvault. For huge VMs with sizes of five TB or 10 TB, taking the file level backup in Commvault took a long time, oft...

See all answers

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

SyncBack Pro vs Synology DSM

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

NetApp SnapCenter

September 2026

Download NetApp SnapCenter product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

August 2026

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

SnapCenter

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

NetApp SnapCenter offers centralized management for backup and recovery, enhancing data protection and operation efficiency by integrating with storage systems and simplifying application management.

NetApp SnapCenter improves data protection with its centralized management, supporting essential enterprise functions with backup, restore processes, and fast recovery. Its ease of deployment, simplistic operational management, instant cloning, and role-based control contribute to its value. Integration with VMware streamlines virtualization tasks and promotes rapid restoration. While serving diverse environments like VMware, SQL, Oracle, and HANA databases, SnapCenter integrates well with existing systems but can enhance cloud integration and replication capabilities. Many enterprises leverage SnapCenter's centralized capabilities to maximize data management efficiency, managing extensive data seamlessly.

What are the key features of NetApp SnapCenter?

Centralized Management: Simplifies backup and management across environments.
Integrated Storage and Backup: Allows seamless data handling and recovery.
Instant Cloning: Promotes rapid data replication and testing.
Role-Based Access Control: Enhances security with customized user access.
VMware Integration: Streamlines virtualization tasks while ensuring quick restoration.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Efficient Data Recovery: Faster restoration minimizes downtime.
Simplified Deployment: Quick implementation with comprehensive reporting.
Enhanced Performance: Application-aware backups improve system efficiency.
Reduced Operational Costs: Effective data management maximizes ROI.

Enterprises in sectors such as technology, finance, and healthcare implement NetApp SnapCenter for reliable data recovery and protection. The tool supports databases like Oracle for efficient application-aware operations, enhancing business continuity and reducing data-related risks.

NetApp

Synology DSM offers a comprehensive disk management and virtualization backup solution, known for its seamless connectivity across Mac, Windows, and Linux systems, enabling both novice and expert users to efficiently organize and secure their digital data.

Synology DSM integrates intuitive features like the Btrfs file system, built-in backups, and Active Backup for Business, streamlining application installations such as Plex Media Server and Docker. It provides robust security and versatility, supporting VPNs, web servers, and virtualization. Synology DSM is utilized for data backup in virtual machines, local user management, file-sharing networks, and remote file accessibility. It assists organizations in centralized data replication and protection, managing multiple terabytes across locations while serving as a firewall and file management system.

What features does Synology DSM offer?

Disk Management: Efficiently manages storage across multiple platforms.
Seamless Connectivity: Supports Mac, Windows, and Linux for a unified experience.
Btrfs File System: Offers advanced data protection and recovery options.
Active Backup for Business: Provides comprehensive backup solutions for critical data.
Versatility: Supports VPN, web servers, and virtualization for expanded utility.

What benefits should users consider?

Security: Maintains data integrity and protection across networks.
Stability: Ensures consistent operation for essential applications.
Ease of Use: Facilitates straightforward installation and management of applications.
Scalability: Handles large-scale data replication and protection efficiently.

In industries like IT and media, Synology DSM is an effective tool for centralized data management and security. Businesses rely on its extensive backup capabilities to manage and protect large datasets, enabling effective collaboration and remote access solutions across locations. Users incorporate its add-ons to enhance network deployment and connectivity, optimizing data flow and operational efficiency.

Synology

Sample Customers

All for One Steeb AG, Accenture

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM

September 2026

Free Report: NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM

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