08-15-2025, 07:40 PM
Thanks for your message, and you’re definitely heading in the right direction by considering a NAS. For what you’re looking to do—automated backups for laptops and iPhones, central photo storage, and long-term expandability—a NAS is absolutely the right move, and I can see why the Synology DS725+ caught your eye. DSM is one of the most polished NAS operating systems out there for home users.
That said, you’ve also correctly identified one of the main drawbacks of newer Synology units: the increasing hardware lock-in. The DS725+ and other 2025+ series models (like the DS925+, DS1825+, etc.) enforce compatibility with only Synology-branded drives, SSDs, and RAM. That limits flexibility and drives up upgrade costs, especially when there are excellent alternatives from WD, Seagate, and Kingston that are more affordable and in some cases higher-performing.
If you’d prefer to avoid that kind of vendor lock-in but still want good hardware and software, I’d suggest looking at something like the QNAP TS-264 or Asustor Lockerstor 2 Gen2 (AS6702T). Both offer similar or better performance than the DS725+, support third-party drives and RAM upgrades, and come with user-friendly software interfaces. QNAP’s QTS software is quite competitive in terms of backup solutions, multimedia support, and mobile photo backup via their QuMagie/AI Photo apps. Asustor also offers a dedicated photo backup app and generally supports time machine and SMB-level backup workflows well. Both brands are committed to long-term updates and security patches.
For iPhone backups specifically, you’re right that no NAS can fully replicate the entire iCloud device backup unless you’re using a Mac to trigger it over WiFi with iTunes or Finder. But you can set up automatic photo backups from iPhones and iPads via the Synology Photos, QNAP QuMagie, or third-party apps like PhotoSync. That covers the bulk of iCloud storage for most users. Laptop backups can be fully automated using tools like Synology Active Backup, QNAP’s NetBak Replicator, or Time Machine (for Macs). Once set up, the process runs quietly in the background with little effort.
Now, regarding your idea of building a custom NAS and using TrueNAS: that route gives you maximum hardware freedom and long-term flexibility, especially with ZFS, snapshots, and full control over updates. However, it does require more manual setup and a bit of command-line comfort, especially for remote access, mobile photo backup, and user account management. If you’re happy tinkering and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, TrueNAS CORE or SCALE can absolutely cover your needs, and hardware longevity is entirely up to your component choices.
If you’re after a more “appliance-like” setup with a good balance between power and simplicity, I’d lean toward QNAP or Asustor. But if you’re technically inclined and don’t mind rolling up your sleeves a bit, a DIY NAS with TrueNAS is very viable and gives you full control over drive choices, RAM, and network upgrades for years to come.
That said, you’ve also correctly identified one of the main drawbacks of newer Synology units: the increasing hardware lock-in. The DS725+ and other 2025+ series models (like the DS925+, DS1825+, etc.) enforce compatibility with only Synology-branded drives, SSDs, and RAM. That limits flexibility and drives up upgrade costs, especially when there are excellent alternatives from WD, Seagate, and Kingston that are more affordable and in some cases higher-performing.
If you’d prefer to avoid that kind of vendor lock-in but still want good hardware and software, I’d suggest looking at something like the QNAP TS-264 or Asustor Lockerstor 2 Gen2 (AS6702T). Both offer similar or better performance than the DS725+, support third-party drives and RAM upgrades, and come with user-friendly software interfaces. QNAP’s QTS software is quite competitive in terms of backup solutions, multimedia support, and mobile photo backup via their QuMagie/AI Photo apps. Asustor also offers a dedicated photo backup app and generally supports time machine and SMB-level backup workflows well. Both brands are committed to long-term updates and security patches.
For iPhone backups specifically, you’re right that no NAS can fully replicate the entire iCloud device backup unless you’re using a Mac to trigger it over WiFi with iTunes or Finder. But you can set up automatic photo backups from iPhones and iPads via the Synology Photos, QNAP QuMagie, or third-party apps like PhotoSync. That covers the bulk of iCloud storage for most users. Laptop backups can be fully automated using tools like Synology Active Backup, QNAP’s NetBak Replicator, or Time Machine (for Macs). Once set up, the process runs quietly in the background with little effort.
Now, regarding your idea of building a custom NAS and using TrueNAS: that route gives you maximum hardware freedom and long-term flexibility, especially with ZFS, snapshots, and full control over updates. However, it does require more manual setup and a bit of command-line comfort, especially for remote access, mobile photo backup, and user account management. If you’re happy tinkering and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, TrueNAS CORE or SCALE can absolutely cover your needs, and hardware longevity is entirely up to your component choices.
If you’re after a more “appliance-like” setup with a good balance between power and simplicity, I’d lean toward QNAP or Asustor. But if you’re technically inclined and don’t mind rolling up your sleeves a bit, a DIY NAS with TrueNAS is very viable and gives you full control over drive choices, RAM, and network upgrades for years to come.