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Synology DSM vs Unitrends comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

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

Synology DSM
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
48th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Unitrends
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
27th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.3%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Unitrends is 0.7%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Unitrends0.7%
Synology DSM1.3%
Other98.0%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

Manuel Schulte - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Derek Schneider - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager, Information Technology at a hospitality company with 201-500 employees
Daily recovery tests have validated restore readiness and ensured consistent data protection
The best features of Unitrends include the daily reporting functionality. When backups fail, it is obvious in the logs what caused the issue. Most times it is a credential problem, which is relatively easy to resolve. Though I have experienced a few more challenging issues, nothing has affected critical backup restore functionality. Every time I have needed to restore something, it has worked successfully. The support team is readily available when I need assistance, and they help walk me through issues, solving them within a reasonable timeframe. The automated backup scheduling feature has helped our organization in managing backup timelines and consistency by handling all the work automatically. We set the schedule, breaking things into smaller chunks since our main common area for files is large. I have staggered the backups so some areas receive more attention than others, particularly for less active data. Adding, removing, excluding, and inputting elements is straightforward. The system makes it simple to schedule portions and generate reports on their functionality. The impact of Unitrends' instant recovery features on strengthening data security measures is significant. I generally use instant recovery when restoring specific files or instances where we need data that has changed. The process involves loading the backup, selecting the desired version, waiting for it to unpack, and retrieving the file. Every restore attempt has been successful. I run instant recovery daily in test mode on two virtual machines. I use it to test my domain controller and file server to ensure they communicate properly in the test environment. This ensures that in case of failure, I can activate the recovery and restore server functionality.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."
"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."
"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 solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."
"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."
"With all these new features and (performance) improvements as well as the fusion between two great companies (Unitrends and PHD Virtual), and their products, UEB 7.5 is a feature rich product which I can easily promote to all my customers."
"Overall I really like the solution."
"Unitrends really has cross-compatibility and a broad area of support for various operating system backups."
"It was the first time I had ever seen a very good reporting system that provided a daily report that I call a traffic light report."
"The ability to back up both physical and virtual appliances under one roof."
"I really like the reporting options you get for various email reports, and I look forward to looking at those each day, which gives me a great overview of the current status of the whole Unitrends Backup system."
"This product has given us the ability to remote manage, monitor and report multiple client sites and we have relied on this appliance several times to recover our clients from crypto viruses that have locked their files for ransom."
"The predictive analytics are great and the reporting is awesome."
 

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."
"The platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."
"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."
"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."
"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."
"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."
"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."
"The ability to run just differentials without pulling the full on your archive."
"I would like to see more storage options for the free version."
"It needs both a better interface and a more solid support structure for when issues arise."
"Network-based storage stability could be improved."
"Though this is kinda hard to come up with at this point, but I think instead of deploying the VBAs from vCenter, it would be really nice if only the first deployment is needed from vCenter and the rest could be handled from within the solutions portal."
"We had an issue about a year ago, but it actually ended up wiping our entire backup history, because one of the databases got corrupted, and we couldn't recover the backup data."
"Technical support has not been very helpful when there are complex issues. It is sometimes difficult to find someone who can answer questions the right way."
"It seems like Unitrends moved away from enterprise customer engagement and moved more towards the managed service provider market."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is very good."
"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."
"It is quite an affordable solution."
"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."
"Unitrends is an expensive solution."
"When you purchase initially, get into the program which gives replacement hardware for free when you renew your support agreement."
"I would rate the solution's pricing a four out of ten. The licensing is yearly and it depends on the customers."
"No comment."
"Pricing model constantly changes."
"Initial pricing is competitive. Renewal pricing is steep, so make sure to project costs for the lifetime of the appliance(s)."
"We found that the cost of Unitrends was about the same as the Dell DR6300. We liked the fact that the Unitrends appliance was all-in-one."
"You should be aware how much the monthly costs are to use, what the initial costs for hardware are, and what the options to expand are, if needed."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
7%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Construction Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Retailer
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What needs improvement with Unitrends?
I would evaluate the impact of Unitrends' ransomware detection for strengthening our data security measures as somewhat misleading. The ransomware detection from the appliance incorrectly identifie...
What is your primary use case for Unitrends?
Our main use case for Unitrends is taking our on-premise virtual machines or bulk data store and backing it up on a daily basis, or more frequently depending on requirements, and testing the virtua...
What advice do you have for others considering Unitrends?
Regarding Unitrends' integration with leading cloud services, I utilize Spanning, which handles Microsoft 365 environment backup for a location without direct file server access. Their SharePoint d...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
NHL Players Association, Salvation Army, Sligro Food Group, Mason General Hospital, Tec Group, Saldab IT, Baker Tilly, Clinton Savings Bank, Ennit Magna Bank, Manukau Institute of Technology
Find out what your peers are saying about Synology DSM vs. Unitrends and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
919,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.