Synology DSM vs Unitrends comparison

Synology and Kaseya are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Synology is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.3, while Kaseya is ranked #33 with an average rating of 9.0. Synology holds a 1.7% mindshare in BRS, compared to Kaseya’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Synology users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 84% of Kaseya users who would recommend it.

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

2,418 Views
2,394 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Unitrends

Read 34 Unitrends reviews

933 Views
877 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Unitrends

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Unitrends and Synology DSM are both robust data management solutions competing in the data management and backup space. Based on user reviews, while Unitrends excels in support and cost-effectiveness, Synology DSM is preferred for its superior feature set despite the higher price point.

Features: Unitrends offers comprehensive backup and recovery capabilities, streamlined management, and integration with various cloud services. Synology DSM provides versatile NAS functionalities, an intuitive management interface, and an extensive array of integrations and applications.

Room for Improvement: Unitrends users often highlight the need for a more streamlined upgrade process, better user documentation, and enhanced interface design. Synology DSM users point out issues with resource consumption, the need for improved data deduplication, and the desire for more streamlined user permissions management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Unitrends is noted for its straightforward deployment process and responsive support team, which is highly praised by users. Synology DSM users find the deployment slightly more complex but benefit from comprehensive documentation and active community support.

Pricing and ROI: Unitrends delivers significant value with its cost-effective pricing and solid ROI. Synology DSM's higher initial setup cost is balanced by its extensive feature set and long-term benefits, offering a compelling return on investment due to its advanced functionalities.

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

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM vs. Unitrends

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

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

Unitrends

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

33rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

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 Synology DSM is 1.7%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Unitrends is 0.5%, up from 0.5% 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%
Unitrends	0.5%
Other	97.8%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

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

Todd Guthrie

Director Of Information Technology at Creation Technologies

The solution can be used to back up servers and Hyper-V cluster nodes, but its support is super expensive

I wouldn't rate Unitrends a ten out of ten because we had some hard drive failures in the appliance. Typically, when you have OneDrive, you can get it replaced. For some particular reason, the situation caused the entire system to crash. We had to reinstall the CentOS operating system on it, and we lost all our backups. They said there was no way to retain it, and it was pretty devastating and concerning that a drive failure would cause the loss of all the data on the appliance. It was extremely disappointing, and we had to start from scratch after three years worth of backup data. I rate Unitrends a nine out of ten for stability.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

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

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

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

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

More Synology DSM pros

"What I found most valuable in Unitrends is its simple user interface. It also works reliably."

"Replication to Forever Cloud."

"The most valuable feature of Unitrends for me is the automated feedback"

"It's not easy to scale it."

"The backup feature and recovery option are good because they allow the instant recovery of Hyper-V nodes and files."

"The ability to back up both physical and virtual appliances under one roof."

"I am impressed with the tool's reporting and UniView features."

"The ability to backup both physical and virtual machines, along with having an appliance store the backups locally instead of on a file server, NAS, or SAN."

More Unitrends pros

Cons

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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."

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

More Synology DSM cons

"There are some questions as to how safely they are storing backup data."

"The solution’s support and onboarding process needs to be improved."

"The solution’s UI can be improved. I am saying this because I have seen solutions with better UIs."

"I would like to see the real-time replication process improved, and a zero RPO feature added."

"No appliance update notifications."

"Comparing the features and the working pattern, definitely they have to come down on pricing if they want to compete in the market."

"The ability to run just differentials without pulling the full on your archive."

"Making the seeding process more accessible and easier to understand. Also, make more of the undocumented best practices easier to find."

More Unitrends cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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."

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

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"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."

"When we renew the Unitrends maintenance contract and update it to the latest version, the cost would be $5,000 per year. There are no hidden costs. They've been transparent with the costs."

"Based on a scale of one to ten, with one being low and ten being high, I would rate the pricing of this solution as a three. Also, there are no additional costs involved in the standard licensing of the solution."

"The cost of Unitrends definitely draws you in. The licensing is all included in the appliance, which is a great incentive."

"When you purchase initially, get into the program which gives replacement hardware for free when you renew your support agreement."

"Initial pricing is competitive. Renewal pricing is steep, so make sure to project costs for the lifetime of the appliance(s)."

"Talk with the sales guys. They can work with you on the best package."

"I would rate the solution's pricing a four out of ten. The licensing is yearly and it depends on the customers."

More Unitrends pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

16%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Educational Organization

11%

Non Profit

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

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

What do you like most about Unitrends?

The most valuable feature of Unitrends for me is the automated feedback

See all answers

What needs improvement with Unitrends?

In terms of improvement, the UI, especially in the recovery section, is unclear about which repository it uses—I had to hover over to find that information. Figuring out the scripting part wasn't s...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Unitrends?

I use Unitrends to back up my VMware virtual machines and files, ensuring redundancy for both disks and protection against ransomware. I have implemented an air gap strategy by keeping some backups...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 7% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

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Veeam Data Platform vs Unitrends

Compared 44% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Unitrends

Compared 12% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs Unitrends

Compared 12% of the time

Rubrik vs Unitrends

Compared 11% of the time

Cohesity DataProtect vs Unitrends

Compared 11% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

September 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Unitrends

September 2025

Download Unitrends product report

Also Known As

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

No data available

Overview

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

Unitrends offers cloud replication, remote management, and instant recovery, making it highly versatile for backup needs across physical and virtual nodes. Its seamless functionality and robust support ensure enhanced operational efficiency.

Unitrends is known for its ability to integrate with physical and virtual environments, ideal for backing up Azure VMs, local systems, and diverse operating systems. Users employ Unitrends for daily backups, disaster recovery, and file recovery tasks, protecting servers, VMware, Hyper-V clusters, and legacy systems. Real-time synchronization and monitoring are key to its efficiency, although some areas like interface and support structure require refinement. Pricing and stability concerns, as well as SQL backup sensitivity, suggest room for improvement. Users often encounter issues with billing, renewals, and dual VPN support, seeking more scalable and affordable options.

What are the key features of Unitrends?

Cloud Replication: Enables seamless backup across cloud environments.
Instant Recovery: Provides immediate access to data during disruptions.
Remote Management: Facilitates easy management of backup tasks remotely.
Global Deduplication: Significantly reduces backup sizes.
Real-time Synchronization: Ensures up-to-date data storage.

What benefits should users expect from Unitrends?

Operational Efficiency: Enhanced through its seamless interface and powerful reporting.
Reliability: Offers robust protection against ransomware.
Versatility: Supports diverse operating systems and environments.
Technical Support: Provides consistent and reliable assistance.

In industries like healthcare, financial services, and education, Unitrends plays a critical role in maintaining data integrity and accessibility. It is implemented to simplify backup processes, minimize downtime, and ensure compliance with data protection regulations, offering a comprehensive security strategy.

Kaseya

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

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM vs. Unitrends

September 2025

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