New NAS 4 bay

[Enquiries]

Hello
I have home synology 2bay ds218j 2x3tb being full now, thinking of going to 4bay, wanted to use still 2 disks 3tb and add next 2 discs min 4 tb, Nas used for family photos / videos and backup of 2 laptops
Taking into consideration synology ds423+ but looking also at qnap ts 464, i was watching your comparison but still not sure if i am happy with qumagie vs current Synology aps
I need advise - stay with synology or change
Thank you if you find a minute to suggest
BR
Wojtek

[ed]

Thank you for reaching out! It sounds like you're ready to upgrade your NAS, and it’s great to see you considering both Synology and QNAP options.

Synology DS423+ vs QNAP TS-464
Both the Synology DS423+ and QNAP TS-464 are excellent 4-bay NAS choices, but there are a few things to consider based on your needs for family photos, videos, and backups:

Synology DS423+:

Ease of Use: Synology’s DSM (DiskStation Manager) operating system is widely regarded as one of the most user-friendly and feature-rich in the NAS market. Apps like DS Photo and Hyper Backup are streamlined and highly integrated for backup and media management.
Photo and Video Management: Synology’s Photos app (DS Photos) and Synology Moments (or Synology Photos on DSM 7) are top-notch when it comes to organizing and backing up family photos and videos. The experience is very polished, and the software works seamlessly across devices, which is ideal for families who want easy access and organization.
Backup and Security: Synology also excels in data protection with features like Snapshot Replication, Hyper Backup, and Active Backup for Business, which can protect both your laptops and your NAS data.
QNAP TS-464:

QNAP’s App Ecosystem: QNAP offers a wide variety of apps, including QuMagie for photo management, which is more AI-driven for sorting and tagging photos, but it’s not as polished or widely used as Synology’s solution. If you’re a fan of more advanced features like AI-based photo recognition and organization, QNAP may appeal more to you. However, it might lack the cohesion and ease of use that Synology provides.
Flexibility & Performance: The TS-464 offers powerful hardware, especially with the Intel CPU, which can handle heavier tasks such as Plex transcoding, virtualization, and running more demanding applications. It’s great if you foresee future needs for more performance.
Backup Solutions: While QNAP has its backup solutions (like Hybrid Backup Sync), they aren’t as integrated or as intuitive as Synology’s. QNAP is more flexible with features but can require more setup and customization.
Recommendation:
Since your primary use case involves family photos and videos as well as laptop backups, I would recommend sticking with Synology for the following reasons:

Simplicity and Cohesion: Synology's apps are more user-friendly and integrated, making them ideal for a family environment where ease of use and reliability are key.
Data Protection: Synology's built-in features like Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup are hard to beat in terms of simplicity and effectiveness for backing up your laptops and other devices.
That said, if you’re looking for more flexibility, higher performance, and don’t mind spending more time setting things up, the QNAP TS-464 could be a good choice. However, considering your current use case, Synology DS423+ is likely the more straightforward and enjoyable choice.