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Arcserve UDP vs Synology DSM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Arcserve UDP
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
32nd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
Disaster Recovery (DR) Software (17th)
Synology DSM
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
52nd
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Arcserve UDP is 1.1%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.3%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Arcserve UDP1.1%
Synology DSM1.3%
Other97.6%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

Sergio Itikawa - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Solutions Architect at SPEData
Has supported hybrid IT environments effectively and offers strong data protection
With Arcserve UDP, the most valuable feature is to improve persistent data, which I consider important. I use other products too, not only Arcserve UDP, as we use TrueNAS as well. Arcserve UDP improves the precision of data. I have utilized Arcserve UDP's data deduplication feature, and the data deduplication feature helps my storage efficiency significantly. I have used Arcserve UDP's continuous data protection. It is beneficial for operational continuity because we use it constantly and have no objections to Arcserve UDP technology; I think it is very good. Arcserve UDP's integration with multiple operating systems is very good and very efficient. This brings value for me since many of my clients have different operating systems like Windows and Linux; there is no problem. Regarding the deduplication and compression with Arcserve UDP, I think Arcserve UDP is still a solid solution that we primarily use.
Michael Adejoh - PeerSpot reviewer
Solutions Manager at Excel Connect Ventures
Reliable and cost-effective
One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication. Currently, it lacks the capability to automatically stop backups if it detects a virus or suspicious network activity, as some third-party solutions can. Having AI-driven analytics to identify anomalies and halt backups during potential attacks, along with notifications to administrators, would be valuable. Additionally, providing a dashboard for monitoring the backup environment's security would be a beneficial feature. These improvements would help address security concerns and make Synology more competitive in this aspect.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The ability to switch between different hardware platforms and utilization tools are some of this solution's most valuable features."
"Arcserve has a feature called virtual standby (VSB), which has been very helpful because I already have a hot standby copy of my critical infrastructure. If something breaks, I can spin up that virtual standby copy in less than five minutes and ensure that my data is available to everyone and that business continuity is maintained."
"I proposed and set up DR and HA solutions for customers who are high profile and in need of business critical functionalities."
"It works out of the box, and it saves my life a lot."
"The ROI is very good because of the speed of the backup."
"Arcserve UDP has a good configuration and user interface. It makes the job of an administrator easy."
"We are satisfied with Arcserve UDP."
"The most valuable feature of Arcserve UDP is live replication."
"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."
"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."
"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."
"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."
"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."
"Because of its simplicity and the wide array of features it offers, I would recommend DSM for both tech-savvy individuals and those who prefer a straightforward file-serving solution."
"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."
 

Cons

"We cannot restore each user's mailbox. Each user's mailbox should be independently restorable. Also, this solution is very slow. If you select all of the servers, it runs for a long time... It needs to be faster. Finally, If anything happens to one server we should be able to switch to another server."
"Taking a snapshot level backup with this solution is very slow compared to other products."
"The high use of RAM memory is a headache for those who want to implement the system with all the resources in use."
"It takes much time to verify and consolidate images for backups."
"One of the biggest drawbacks of Arcserve UDP is that it does not have a single console, making it an area that needs to be considered for improvement."
"The product requires too many VMs as intermediaries."
"The product is not user-friendly."
"Bad. They delay completing the analysis of a problem and absence of contouring solution for unresolved problems."
"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."
"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."
"Synology DSM is a good enough solution for small and medium companies, but I have not seen a big configuration of the solution for a big organization."
"The platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."
"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."
"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."
"There's a surveillance application that allows you to connect IP cameras and stream footage to Synology and it is a great feature, but it's not always clear that adding more cameras may require purchasing additional licenses."
"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In comparison to other vendors, it is a low-cost solution."
"Normally our customers purchase the premium plus license, rather than the standard one, which provides more options."
"The licensing cost is for one year. There are not any hidden costs involved in the pricing model of the solution."
"There is an annual license required for this solution and it is priced well."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a four or five out of ten."
"Its price seems reasonable. Its price is average as compared to the other products I've looked at. We have a three-year license right now. There are no other costs beyond the standard licensing fee."
"I do not work with the pricing or licensing issues of the solution for our organization."
"The solution is very expensive."
"The price of the solution is very good."
"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."
"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."
"Synology DSM is a free tool."
"The licensing part of the solution is free. The hardware is more expensive than the other solutions in the market, but it's okay in the long run."
"It is quite an affordable solution."
"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business25
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise9
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

Major Differences Between These 4 Backup and Disaster Recovery Solutions?
Comparing the features of the four is not the right approach. You need to develop a list of requirements for backup and DR that are specific to your organization and then compare each of the four ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for StorageCraft ShadowProtect?
Regarding the setup cost for Arcserve UDP, it is significantly important, but the price is similar to all our options where clients need to have backup on-premises and replication in the cloud.
What needs improvement with StorageCraft ShadowProtect?
One area for improvement in Arcserve UDP is its capability to interact with other cloud servers. We faced challenges in capturing the data from these servers and had to subscribe to another applica...
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Also Known As

StorageCraft ShadowProtect, StorageCraft Backup Analyzer
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ITPS, North Hertfordshire Homes, SEMIKRON, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, Test Valley Borough Council, EK Services
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Arcserve UDP vs. Synology DSM and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.