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For most households, the Synology DS1821+ is the safer home-NAS choice. It offers eight drive bays, ECC memory, mature DSM software, documented low noise and a clear expansion path to 18 bays. Choose the UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro instead when you have a specific need for dual 10GbE, Thunderbolt 4, local AI, virtualisation or very fast creator-workstation transfers. Its Core Ultra processor and 64GB memory are dramatically newer, but the platform has six native bays and software that is still developing.
The right answer therefore depends less on benchmark speed than on your network, applications and growth plan. This comparison covers hardware, usable capacity, expansion, software, noise, power, drive costs and the workloads each enclosure handles best.
Quick verdict
| Choose this model | Best for | Main reason | Main compromise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synology DS1821+ | Backups, family files, photos, surveillance archives and gradual capacity growth | Eight bays, ECC memory, mature DSM and expansion to 18 bays | Older CPU and four 1GbE ports; 10GbE requires an add-in card |
| UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro | 10GbE or Thunderbolt editing, local AI, containers, virtual machines and homelab experimentation | Core Ultra 7 255H, 64GB memory, dual 10GbE and two Thunderbolt 4 ports | Six bays, soldered/non-expandable memory on the cited specification and less mature software |
If you are building a conventional home server and do not already operate a 10GbE network, buy the DS1821+. If your workstation can actually use 10GbE or Thunderbolt and the UGREEN’s AI or compute features solve a defined task, the iDX6011 Pro is worth the trade-off.
Hardware and capacity
UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro
The iDX6011 Pro is a high-performance six-bay NAS built around Intel’s Core Ultra 7 255H. UGREEN specifies 64GB of LPDDR5/x memory, two M.2 slots, a 128GB system SSD and six SATA drive bays. The memory is soldered and not expandable according to the cited specification, so the 64GB allocation is both a strength today and a limit for future upgrades.
#1 Best Overall
- Pro-Performance NAS Engineered for Demanding Workflows: This NAS is built for offices, businesses, and power users who need serious performance. Powered by a pro-performance Intel processor, it serves as a versatile private workstation that delivers smooth performance for running virtual machines and Docker containers. It functions as an IT hub for video editors, developers, virtualization tasks, and growing teams with advanced workflows
- Pro-Grade Core Hardware Performance: Features the Intel Core i3-1315U Processor (6 Cores, 8 Threads, up to 4.5GHz Turbo), offering a significant performance lead. It's paired with 8GB of high-speed DDR5 RAM (expandable to 96GB) and 13th Gen Intel UHD Graphics for smooth multitasking. Dual high-speed network ports (10GbE + 2.5GbE) enable blazing-fast transfers, reaching up to 1.25GB/s
- Ultimate Flexibility with Docker, VMs & Smart AI: It offers comprehensive support for Docker and Virtual Machines, unlocking endless possibilities to run personal websites, smart home hubs, or private development environments. The local AI-powered Photo Album automatically recognizes faces, scenes, and content. All AI processing happens on-device, ensuring your privacy while managing massive photo libraries effortlessly
- Massive Storage & Intuitive All-in-One System: It supports a colossal 144TB capacity (4x HDD + 2x M.2 SSD), enough for approximately 4.2 million 35MB RAW photos, 3.6K 40GB 4K movies, 5 million 30MB lossless music, or 150 million 1MB files. Dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD slots can be used as a high-speed cache or storage pool to eliminate HDD bottlenecks. The intuitive UGOS Pro operating system integrates a media center, photo management, cloud sync, downloads, and more for a one-stop experience
- Enterprise-Grade Data Security & Privacy: Provides multiple RAID configuration options (0, 1, 5, 10) for flexibility between capacity, speed, and protection. Features granular user permission controls (supporting up to 2048 accounts). The Data Vault offers an extra layer of security by hiding and encrypting sensitive files. Certified for strong privacy and data protection by TV SD (ETSI EN 303 645) and TRUSTe
UGREEN lists RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10, JBOD and Basic modes. Its stated maximum of 208TB combines six 32TB SATA drives and two 8TB M.2 SSDs. That is a raw-device figure from the manufacturer, not guaranteed usable capacity: RAID protection, filesystem metadata and reserved space reduce what your shares can hold.
Expansion is unusually fast for a home enclosure. The system has dual 10GbE, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a PCIe Gen4 x8 slot, OCuLink, an SD 4.0 reader and HDMI output up to 8K. Those interfaces are useful only when the rest of the chain supports them; a 10GbE NAS connected to a gigabit switch still transfers at roughly gigabit-network rates.
Synology DS1821+
The DS1821+ uses AMD’s four-core Ryzen V1500B at 2.2GHz. It ships with 4GB of DDR4 ECC SODIMM memory and can be expanded to 32GB. ECC can detect and correct certain single-bit memory errors, a useful safeguard for a server that stays powered on and maintains large files or backup sets.
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Eight hot-swappable SATA bays give the Synology two more native drive positions than the UGREEN. It also has two M.2 NVMe slots, four 1GbE ports, two eSATA ports and a Gen3 x8 PCIe slot that operates at an x4 link. Synology specifies a 108TB maximum single volume. Two DX517 expansion units can add ten more bays, bringing the enclosure-plus-expansion total to 18 bays.
The larger bay count matters even if you start with only four disks. You can add drives later without replacing the whole chassis, reserve bays for a second backup pool, or use a mix of data and surveillance disks. The UGREEN’s six bays can still provide substantial capacity, but reaching more than six SATA disks requires a different storage strategy rather than an official disk shelf.
Rank #2
- Enterprise-Grade NAS: The 6-bay NAS is engineered for demanding businesses looking for a high-performance NAS with massive storage, a powerful processor, and productivity-boosting features. Whether you run Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android or Google services-or a mix of them all-UGREEN protection strategy work seamless across any devices. Its peak performance and largest capacity help users to work efficiently on business projects with clients and collaborators
- Dual 10GbE Network Ports: Two 10GbE high-speed network ports that can be aggregated into 20G bandwidth for download speeds of up to 2500MB/s. Transfer large files smoothly like a breeze. Load between the two port links can be dynamically adjusted and balanced to improve transmission efficiency
- Unparalleled Processing Performance: With a 12th Gen, 10-core 12-thread Intel Core i5 Processor, processing performance is improved by leaps and bounds compared to previous processors
- 6-Bay, 208TB Massive Data Storage: Equipped with six SATA and two M.2 NVMe drive bays, the NASync DXP6800 Pro has a maximum storage capacity of up to 208TB. And supports JBOD/Basic/RAID0/RAID1/RAID5/RAID6/RAID10 RAID levels. Store thousands of HD movies, pictures, and documents, Making NASync a movie library, photo album, and file storage space all in one
- One, All-Inclusive App: Rather than downloading individual applications for specific functions, the NAS App incorporates these functions into one place. Access Storage Manager, Files, Photos, and more, all from one convenient location. Please follow the instructions to upgrade the firmware for a better experience
Hardware comparison
| Specification | UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro | Synology DS1821+ |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H | AMD Ryzen V1500B, 4 cores at 2.2GHz |
| Memory | 64GB LPDDR5/x, soldered/non-expandable on cited specification | 4GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM, expandable to 32GB |
| Native SATA bays | 6 | 8, hot-swappable |
| M.2 slots | 2 | 2 |
| Network | 2 × 10GbE | 4 × 1GbE |
| High-speed expansion | PCIe Gen4 x8, 2 × Thunderbolt 4, OCuLink | PCIe Gen3 x8 slot operating at x4, 2 × eSATA |
| Video and removable media | HDMI up to 8K, SD 4.0 | Not stated in the cited specification |
| System storage | 128GB SSD | Not stated in the cited specification |
| Manufacturer-stated capacity | Up to 208TB: six 32TB drives plus two 8TB SSDs | 108TB maximum single volume; up to 18 bays with two DX517 units |
Which NAS is faster on a home network?
The iDX6011 Pro has the faster interfaces by a wide margin. A single 10GbE link has ten times the line rate of one 1GbE port, and two 10GbE ports can serve separate clients or be configured according to the operating system’s networking options. Thunderbolt 4 can provide a direct high-bandwidth path from a compatible workstation without sending traffic through a conventional Ethernet switch.
That advantage appears during large sequential transfers, multi-user editing, virtual-machine storage and copying datasets to or from NVMe devices. It does not automatically make every operation ten times faster. Hard disks, RAID calculations, small-file metadata, client storage and switch uplinks can each become the bottleneck.
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The DS1821+ has four 1GbE ports. Link aggregation can increase aggregate throughput for multiple clients when the switch and configuration support it, but it does not turn one ordinary client connection into a 10GbE link. A compatible PCIe network card is required for 10GbE, adding hardware cost and installation complexity.
What you need to exploit UGREEN’s interfaces
- A 10GbE-capable switch, router or direct connection, plus Cat6A-or-better cabling for typical full-speed copper runs.
- A workstation with 10GbE or Thunderbolt 4 and storage fast enough to read and write at those rates.
- RAID and SSD layouts that can sustain the workload; a single mechanical disk will not saturate 10GbE for most transfers.
- Network configuration that avoids a slower uplink between the NAS and the client.
Without those components, you are paying for interfaces that remain mostly idle. In that situation, the DS1821+’s gigabit ports are adequate for backups, office files and photo libraries, while its bay count and software become more important.
Software: mature DSM versus a newer platform
Synology DSM
DSM is documented as supporting Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10, Btrfs and ext4 filesystems, and SMB, NFS, FTP, WebDAV and rsync file services. Hyper Backup provides a defined path for backing up NAS data to other destinations. DSM also includes virtualization capabilities in the DS1821+ specification, making it suitable for a conventional home server that combines files, backups and selected services.
Rank #3
- 【10GbE Speed for Creators & Heavy Workflows】Powered by AMD Ryzen Embedded R2514, 4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.70GHz, with 8GB DDR4 RAM expandable to 64GB, 10GbE networking, and high-speed SSD expansion, DXP2800 GT accelerates backups, large photo libraries, media streaming, file sharing, Docker apps, and multi-device access. Ideal for creators, freelancers, and personal users building a faster, more capable home cloud.
- 【UGOS Pro with Powerful Expansion Options】UGOS Pro combines an intuitive interface with advanced capabilities. In addition to file management, photo organization, backup, and global search, it supports Docker, virtual machines, and SAN Manager. Easily expand your NAS with Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, personal cloud services, and other self-hosted applications, all managed through the UGREEN NAS app on phone, tablet, computer, and TV.
- 【Surveillance Center Built-In】Connect compatible ONVIF/RTSP IP cameras and use DXP2800 GT as a central place for home security recordings. View live feeds, record 24/7 footage, review events, and manage security videos from one platform. Recordings stay stored locally under your control, helping you avoid rising cloud storage and camera subscription fees while keeping important footage easy to access across your devices.
- 【Local Privacy with Multi-Layer Protection】Keep your data private by storing it at home instead of relying on the cloud. DXP2800 GT helps protect photos, documents, videos, and backups with TLS/SSL, RSA, AES, and SHA-512 encryption technologies. Built-in Security Manager help safeguard your data, while RAID 1 support provides redundancy to help reduce the risk of data loss if a drive encounters a problem.
- 【80TB Capacity for Your Growing Digital Life】DXP2800 GT supports 2 SATA drives up to 32TB each, with up to 2 of the same bays compatible with U.2 NVMe SSDs, plus up to 16TB via 2 M.2 SSDs, for up to 80TB total capacity. Store photos, phone videos, work files, movies, security footage, and smart home data in one place. Free up phones and computers, stop relying on scattered external drives, and say goodbye to “storage full” stress. Drives not included. Purchase HDDs/SSDs from a third party.
For a family NAS, maturity reduces maintenance work. You can build a storage pool, create shared folders, set user permissions and schedule backups in a platform with extensive documentation and a long-established application ecosystem. The trade-off is that the V1500B processor is old and much slower than the UGREEN’s Core Ultra chip for compute-heavy tasks.
UGREEN software and local AI
TechRadar’s review found the iDX6011 Pro straightforward to set up and said it offered the standard NAS functions expected of a mid-range system. The reviewer also found that local AI could run offline. More advanced file organisation required cloud APIs and familiarity with SSH, so the most powerful workflows are not always point-and-click.
The review reported software instability in some areas and noted that Plex was not in the main application library. Jellyfin, Theatre, Docker or SSH were identified as alternatives, but each demands a different level of configuration. This distinction matters if your goal is a television-friendly media server that another family member should be able to administer without technical help.
UGREEN’s software is therefore attractive to an enthusiast who enjoys experimenting and can troubleshoot containers or command-line services. It is less predictable than DSM for a household that wants a set-and-forget appliance.
Workload-by-workload comparison
Backups and family files
Choose the DS1821+ for the ordinary home-server brief: computer backups, shared documents, phone photos and a few household accounts. Eight bays let you begin with a protected array and add capacity later, while ECC memory and DSM’s documented backup and file-service tools favour reliability and predictable administration.
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- High-Performance NAS with Powerful Procesor: DXP4800 Plus is ideal for small offices, & More. You can enjoy smooth performance and seamless collaboration, while making use of advanced features like Docker and virtual machines. It works semalessly across every device inluding Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android or Google services and so on.
- Better Way to Store Than External Drives: NAS offers centralized storage, automatic backups, remote access, and a wide range of RAID options for easy data recovery even if a drive fails. Massive Storage Capacity: Never worry about storage limits again. With up 144TB capacity, you can store 50 million 1MB photos or 98K 1.5GB movies，5 million 30MB songs! *Hard Drives not included.
- Super-Fast Transfers: Back up 1GB in less than a second using either the 10GbE network port or the 10Gbps USB ports.
- Secure Private Cloud: Retain 100% data ownership with advanced encryption to protect your files. Flexible permission management makes it easy to protect your privacy when collaborating with others.
- AI-Powered Photo Album: Automatically organizes your photos by recognizing faces, scenes, objects, and locations. It can also instantly remove duplicates, freeing up storage space and saving you time.
The iDX6011 Pro can perform these jobs, and its extra memory leaves considerable headroom for simultaneous services. Its advantage is visible only if you also need high-speed client access or compute-intensive applications. For a gigabit-connected family, the UGREEN’s performance surplus is unlikely to justify giving up two bays and a more mature management environment.
Photos and personal media
Both systems can store large photo and video libraries, but the selection depends on how many users will browse them and how much capacity you expect to add. The DS1821+ starts with eight SATA positions and can grow to 18 with two DX517 units, which is useful when original-resolution media accumulates over many years.
UGREEN is compelling when a creator edits directly from the NAS over 10GbE or Thunderbolt. Keep the library’s working set on fast SSD storage or a disk layout that can feed the network; otherwise, the interface will not eliminate hard-drive latency.
Plex and other media servers
The iDX6011 Pro review specifically noted that Plex was absent from the main app library. You can use Jellyfin, Theatre, Docker or SSH-based installation paths, but those alternatives may require manual updates and troubleshooting. If a familiar media-server package is a purchase criterion, verify current application availability for your region before buying.
The DS1821+ is the less adventurous choice for a conventional media library because DSM’s software catalogue and administration model are more established. Neither enclosure’s suitability for a particular video-transcoding format should be assumed from the bay count alone; check the client devices and required transcoding workload before committing.
Best Value
- Pro-Performance NAS Engineered for Demanding Workflows: This NAS is built for offices, businesses, and power users who need serious performance. Powered by a pro-performance Intel processor, it serves as a versatile private workstation that delivers smooth performance for running virtual machines and Docker containers. It functions as an IT hub for video editors, developers, virtualization tasks, and growing teams with advanced workflows
- Pro-Grade Core Hardware Performance: Features the Intel Core i3-1315U Processor (6 Cores, 8 Threads, up to 4.5GHz Turbo), offering a significant performance lead. It's paired with 8GB of high-speed DDR5 RAM (expandable to 96GB) and 13th Gen Intel UHD Graphics for smooth multitasking. Dual high-speed network ports (10GbE + 2.5GbE) enable blazing-fast transfers, reaching up to 1.25GB/s
- Ultimate Flexibility with Docker, VMs & Smart AI: It offers comprehensive support for Docker and Virtual Machines, unlocking endless possibilities to run personal websites, smart home hubs, or private development environments. The local AI-powered Photo Album automatically recognizes faces, scenes, and content. All AI processing happens on-device, ensuring your privacy while managing massive photo libraries effortlessly
- Massive Storage & Intuitive All-in-One System: It supports a colossal 144TB capacity (4x HDD + 2x M.2 SSD), enough for approximately 4.2 million 35MB RAW photos, 3.6K 40GB 4K movies, 5 million 30MB lossless music, or 150 million 1MB files. Dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD slots can be used as a high-speed cache or storage pool to eliminate HDD bottlenecks. The intuitive UGOS Pro operating system integrates a media center, photo management, cloud sync, downloads, and more for a one-stop experience
- Enterprise-Grade Data Security & Privacy: Provides multiple RAID configuration options (0, 1, 5, 10) for flexibility between capacity, speed, and protection. Features granular user permission controls (supporting up to 2048 accounts). The Data Vault offers an extra layer of security by hiding and encrypting sensitive files. Certified for strong privacy and data protection by TV SD (ETSI EN 303 645) and TRUSTe
AI indexing, virtual machines and containers
The UGREEN is the clear hardware choice for local AI experimentation. Its Core Ultra 7 255H, 64GB memory and offline-AI capability provide substantially more compute and memory than the DS1821+’s four-core V1500B and 4GB starting configuration. The PCIe Gen4 slot, Thunderbolt 4 and OCuLink also give an enthusiast more options for accelerators and fast attached devices.
The Synology can still host documented virtualization and container-style workloads, but its older CPU and lower memory ceiling make it better suited to light services than to multiple demanding virtual machines. Expanding to 32GB helps, yet it does not change the processor generation or network interfaces.
Surveillance storage
For cameras that continuously write footage, extra bays and a long expansion path are practical advantages. The DS1821+ can dedicate additional disks or an expansion chassis as the retention requirement grows. The UGREEN’s six bays may be sufficient for a modest camera count, especially when the same system also stores creator data, but calculate retention before purchase rather than assuming the 208TB headline figure is all available to one protected pool.
Noise and power
| Measurement | UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro | Synology DS1821+ |
|---|---|---|
| Drive-access power | 43.07W, manufacturer’s published figure | 59.8W, measured under Synology’s stated test conditions and specified drives |
| Hibernation power | 24.91W, manufacturer’s published figure | 26.18W, measured under Synology’s stated test conditions and specified drives |
| Noise | No directly comparable official figure found | 22.2dB(A), measured under Synology’s stated conditions |
Do not treat these numbers as a universal room-noise or electricity forecast. Drive models, fan curves, ambient temperature, network activity and expansion units change real-world results. Synology’s 22.2dB(A) value is a documented reference rather than a promise for every disk combination. UGREEN publishes lower access and similar hibernation power figures, but the absence of a comparable official noise measurement makes a noise winner impossible to establish from these specifications alone.
Drive, cache and expansion planning
Neither enclosure includes the data drives needed for a usable array. Budget for NAS-rated 3.5-inch SATA hard disks, and add M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs only when you have a defined cache or SSD-pool workload. Cache does not replace a backup and may add complexity without helping workloads dominated by large sequential files.
Starting with four drives
Four equal-capacity disks are a practical starting point for either NAS. RAID 5 or SHR provides one-disk fault tolerance while leaving more usable space than mirroring; RAID 6 protects against two disk failures at the cost of capacity. RAID 10 favors predictable I/O and rebuild behavior but uses approximately half of raw capacity. Select the filesystem and RAID mode before copying data, because changing layouts later generally requires migration or a new pool.
Planning for growth
- Choose the DS1821+ when you expect to add disks gradually, need more than six SATA drives, or want a documented route to two DX517 expansion units.
- Choose the iDX6011 Pro when six bays plus two M.2 devices cover your foreseeable capacity and your priority is fast access rather than a disk shelf.
- Keep a separate backup. RAID protects availability after a disk failure; it does not protect against deletion, malware, theft or a failed enclosure.
- Record the exact drive sizes and the protected capacity your chosen RAID layout will deliver instead of using the raw total as a budget assumption.
Installation checklist
- Set a capacity target based on current data, annual growth and the retention period for backups or camera footage.
- Buy NAS-rated SATA disks as a matched set where possible, and decide whether M.2 SSDs are for cache or a separate SSD pool.
- Install the disks, connect the NAS to an uninterruptible power supply if available, and attach it to the fastest network link your clients can use.
- On the DS1821+, create the storage pool and volume in DSM, choosing SHR or a conventional RAID level and Btrfs or ext4 for the intended services. On the iDX6011 Pro, use its storage manager to create the corresponding protected array.
- Create separate shared folders for documents, photos, media and backups; apply least-privilege accounts instead of sharing one administrator login.
- Enable scheduled local and off-device backups before moving the only copy of important files.
- Run a restore test with a sample folder. A backup that has never been restored is only an assumption.
- For 10GbE or Thunderbolt work, copy a representative project and observe sustained throughput, CPU load and disk activity before reorganising your entire workflow around the link speed.
Advantages and drawbacks at a glance
| Model | Advantages | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro | Very new Core Ultra 7 255H; 64GB memory; dual 10GbE; two Thunderbolt 4 ports; PCIe Gen4, OCuLink and HDMI 8K; offline local-AI capability; lower published drive-access power | Six bays instead of eight; memory is soldered/non-expandable on the cited specification; software instability has been reported; advanced automation may require cloud APIs and SSH; no directly comparable official noise figure; regional retail pricing is uncertain |
| Synology DS1821+ | Eight hot-swappable bays; ECC memory expandable to 32GB; mature DSM; Btrfs/ext4 and broad file-service support; Hyper Backup; documented 22.2dB(A) reference; expansion to 18 bays | Four-core, older CPU; four 1GbE ports; 10GbE requires a compatible PCIe card; 108TB maximum single volume; higher published drive-access power under Synology’s test conditions |
How to decide
Pick the DS1821+ if most answers are “yes”
- You want a dependable household backup, file and photo appliance.
- You value ECC memory and documented DSM workflows more than cutting-edge compute.
- You expect to grow beyond six SATA disks or may need an 18-bay path.
- Your network is gigabit today and there is no firm plan for 10GbE editing.
- Several non-technical people will administer or use the NAS.
Pick the iDX6011 Pro if most answers are “yes”
- Your workstation, switch and storage can exploit 10GbE or Thunderbolt 4 now.
- You need local AI indexing or transcription that can run offline.
- You plan containers, virtual machines or homelab experiments that benefit from 64GB and a newer CPU.
- Six SATA bays plus two M.2 devices meet your capacity plan.
- You are comfortable using SSH, cloud APIs or alternative media-server packages when the main app library does not provide what you need.
Final recommendation
The Synology DS1821+ is the better general-purpose home NAS because its eight bays, ECC memory, mature DSM software and 18-bay expansion option solve the problems most households actually have: dependable backups, shared files, photos and predictable growth. Its older processor is a real limitation for compute-heavy workloads, but it is rarely the first constraint in a normal family network.
The UGREEN NASync iDX6011 Pro is the more capable specialist platform. Buy it when dual 10GbE, Thunderbolt 4, local AI or homelab compute is a concrete requirement and you accept six native bays and a less mature software experience. Without that requirement, its extra hardware is difficult to justify over the DS1821+.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
