Synology DiskStation DS925+ vs. DiskStation DS923+: Is it even an upgrade?

Synology DiskStation DS925+ vs. DiskStation DS923+: Design and features

Synology hasn’t changed its design in 10 years, so both the DiskStation DS925+ and the DiskStation DS923+ are practically identical. They both use the same black chassis with a vented design at the sides to allow passive cooling, and there are dual 92mm fans at the rear.

The design is unobtrusive, and the aluminum construction means it is durable. I haven’t had any issues with the DS923+ whatsoever even with extended use, and the DS925+ should be the same. The power button is located on the right, and you get status LED indicators and a USB-A port on the same side.

The drive bays are easy to access, and they can be locked should you wish to do so. Installing 3.5-inch HDDs is about as straightforward as it gets, and it doesn’t require any tools. If you need to slot in a 2.5-inch SSD instead, you’ll need to mount it to the drive bay.

Switching to the back, you get a USB port as standard, and the underside of both NAS servers has two M.2 slots if you want to add SSDs. The DiskStation DS925+ is notable as it comes with two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, giving it a good upgrade over the DS923+, which has Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. The DS925+ also uses USB-C to expand drives should you need to down the line, with the DS923+ coming with an eSATA port instead.

While it’s great to see multi-Gigabit connectivity available by default, the DS925+ doesn’t have a way to switch to 10GbE networking — unlike the DS923+. You can easily add a 10GbE card to the DS923+ thanks to the connector at the rear, and it gives the NAS greater flexibility.

Synology DiskStation DS925+ vs. DiskStation DS923+: Software and real-world use

Both NAS models have the exact same software, so there isn’t anything to differentiate either product in this area. That said, the DiskStation DS925+ comes with a quad-core Ryzen V1500B, and it holds up better with demanding workloads. That isn’t to say that the DS923+ is any slouch in this area — it’s just that the DS925+ has a little additional headroom. The rest of the hardware is identical, with both NAS systems coming with 4GB RAM pre-installed.

The main reason to buy Synology NAS servers is the DiskStation Manager (DSM) software, and the brand continues to do a great job delivering useful features and standout mobile clients. It’s effortless to upload photos and data from your phones automatically to either NAS, and you get powerful utilities that provide a local alternative to cloud-based solutions.

The biggest issue with the DiskStation DS925+ is the limitation around hard drive use. While you can use any Seagate IronWolf, WD Red, or any other hard drive in the DiskStation DS923+, that isn’t possible with the DS925+; Synology is now enforcing the use of its own drives, and unless you do so, you won’t even be able to install the DSM software and boot into the NAS.

This arbitrary restriction has huge ramifications, as Synology’s drives tend to cost more than their equivalent Seagate and Western Digital rivals. The brand says it is doing this to ensure greater reliability, but it hasn’t published any meaningful data around how its drives last longer than other NAS HDDs.

Both servers do a good job as a Plex NAS; there are no issues with playback, and remote streaming is easy to set up and use. That said, the AMD-based hardware doesn’t come with transcoding, so you miss out on this feature. That’s true with both the DS925+ and DS923+, so if you use Plex Pass and need transcoding,

Synology DiskStation DS925+ vs. DiskStation DS923+: Make the right choice

It just doesn’t make much sense to buy the DiskStation DS925+. While it has better hardware and multi-Gigabit connectivity out of the box, the hard drive restrictions curb its usability to a noticeable extent. Don’t get me wrong; the DS925+ is still a great NAS, and if you don’t care about the hard drive limitations, you should consider getting it.

But with the DiskStation DS923+ still available, the older NAS is a better choice in 2025. While the Gigabit Ethernet ports are showing their age, you can add a 10GbE networking card by shelling out an additional $100, and there are no restrictions around HDD use — you can buy any Seagate, Toshiba, and WD drive you want and slot it into the NAS.

Given the changes with the DS925+, I’d suggest getting the DS923+ while it’s still available. It continues to be a reliable 4-bay Plex NAS in 2025, and it isn’t intentionally hobbled.

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