Synology Restricts Third-Party Drive Support in 2025 NAS Models: What You Need to Know

Synology, a leading manufacturer of network-attached storage (NAS) devices, announced changes to its 2025 Plus series models that will prefer Synology-branded or certified hard drives. Third-party drives without certification will still function but will be restricted from certain features including pool creation, volume-wide deduplication, lifespan analysis, and automatic firmware updates. This move is seen as a strategy by Synology to increase revenue from consumers who are likely to opt for their branded drives to avoid potential issues. Older NAS models up to 2024, excluding XS Plus and rack-based editions, will not be affected by these changes.