Arcserve UDP vs Synology DSM comparison

Arcserve and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Arcserve is ranked #24 with an average rating of 6.8, while Synology is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.3. Arcserve holds a 1.1% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.7% mindshare. Additionally, 84% of Arcserve users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

Arcserve UDP

Read 43 Arcserve UDP reviews

2,434 Views
2,118 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

2,418 Views
2,394 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Arcserve UDP

Synology DSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Arcserve UDP and Synology DSM are both robust data management solutions competing in data protection and management. Synology DSM seems to have the upper hand due to its extensive features and superior customer service.

Features: Arcserve UDP's valuable features include efficient backup, recovery options, and comprehensive support. Synology DSM offers scalable storage, versatile application integration, and an additional feature set that gives it an edge in functionality.

Room for Improvement: Arcserve UDP users suggest enhancements in reporting tools, integration capabilities, and overall usability. Synology DSM users would like to see improvements in system updates, documentation, and user interface. Both products have specific areas needing development.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Arcserve UDP has a straightforward deployment model, but its customer service receives mixed reviews. Synology DSM is noted for its relatively smooth setup process and superior customer service responsiveness, giving it an advantage in overall user satisfaction.

Pricing and ROI: Arcserve UDP is considered cost-effective with a good ROI. Synology DSM is more expensive but offers better long-term value due to its extensive features and high ROI. The main difference lies in cost versus value balance, with Synology DSM offering higher perceived value.

To learn more, read our detailed Arcserve UDP vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Arcserve UDP vs. Synology DSM

September 2025

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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

24th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Disaster Recovery (DR) Software (16th)

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

22nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Arcserve UDP is 1.1%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.7%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Synology DSM	1.7%
Arcserve UDP	1.1%
Other	97.2%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

TeresitaSabile

Head of Operation and IT at Elgrade Inc

Cost savings and efficient decompression but needs better cloud integration

Our primary use case for Arcserve UDP is its decompression feature, which helped us save money by reducing storage needs. Despite moving to cloud applications, we have been using Arcserve UDP for backup and disaster recovery Arcserve UDP has helped our organization save considerable amounts of…

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Michael Adejoh

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of StorageCraft ShadowProtect is the speed and the compression of the backups. The compressed backed-up files do not take up as much storage. Additionally, the incremental backups can be done in one minute and be backed up on a disc very fast."

"The most valuable features are the replication to the cloud and the deduplication."

"The most valuable feature of Arcserve UDP is the initiative UI and the logs are clear and detailed that are generated when there has been an issue or failure on the user's system. We only have to log onto the client's system to retrieve the information. It is possible to precisely identify the problem's location. The system categorizes and logs every step in a structured manner, selectively displaying only the essential logs. However, to view a comprehensive log, one must access the line machine log and examine the actual client for detailed logging."

"It is a very stable solution...It is a scalable solution."

"I like the tool's speed."

"The most valuable feature of Arcserve UDP is its decompression capability."

"We are satisfied with Arcserve UDP. The most important feature that we use and why we choose this product is the RHA feature."

"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."

More Arcserve UDP pros

"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."

"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."

"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."

"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."

"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."

"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."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"The support could be more knowledgeable and faster."

"We are looking at scaling up to the cloud and using immutable copies on the cloud. Arcserve UDP 8.0 does have the immutable feature supporting AWS, but I'm looking for multi-cloud support. So, I'm waiting for Arcserve to release that in the next release."

"We have to use a Microsoft hypervisor for installation which is expensive."

"The only problem with the solution is that when I change the drive capacity, it has to do a full backup. It's a problem when I have five servers to backup. When I only want to change the size of the drive, I have to do a full backup that can take one week."

"Licensing can be quite difficult."

"Backups are very slow and time consuming."

"A lot of their new technologies are not very good."

"It takes much time to verify and consolidate images for backups."

More Arcserve UDP cons

"The platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."

"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."

"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."

"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."

"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."

"Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly."

"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."

"Normally our customers purchase the premium plus license, rather than the standard one, which provides more options."

"As an MSP partner, I believe that the prices are fair."

"The solution is priced well compared to other solutions."

"The price of StorageCraft ShadowProtect is competitive in the market."

"The solution is very expensive."

"The solution is not very expensive, but it is not cheap."

"The licensing cost is for one year. There are not any hidden costs involved in the pricing model of the solution."

More Arcserve UDP pricing and cost advice

"It is quite an affordable solution."

"The price of the solution is very good."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"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."

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Non Profit

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	9

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	1

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 ...

See all answers

What do you like most about StorageCraft ShadowProtect?

The interface is very refined, works fine, and is very intuitive most of the time. Scalability is nice. The multi-tenancy feature is very welcome. The integration with Linux works fine too.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for StorageCraft ShadowProtect?

Pricing for SPX MRP/MSP is under $400 per server (Single VM) with a 1-year subscription. After discounts, it could decrease by 20%-30%, and opting for a 3/5/10 server pack may offer even better (lo...

See all answers

What do you like most about Synology DSM?

The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Synology DSM?

The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Synology DSM?

Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly.

See all answers

Comparisons

Veeam Data Platform vs Arcserve UDP

Compared 31% of the time

Rubrik vs Arcserve UDP

Compared 10% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs Arcserve UDP

Compared 10% of the time

HPE Zerto Software vs Arcserve UDP

Compared 6% of the time

More Arcserve UDP Competitors

Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 10% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 10% of the time

GoodSync For Business vs Synology DSM

Compared 8% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 7% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Arcserve UDP

September 2025

Download Arcserve UDP product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

September 2025

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

StorageCraft ShadowProtect, StorageCraft Backup Analyzer

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Arcserve UDP is a comprehensive solution that empowers even a one-person IT department to protect virtual and physical environments with a high degree of simplicity. It allows you to design and manage your entire data protection strategy with a unified management console, and enables you to scale your data backup coverage as your organization grows with the push of a button.

Arcserve

Synology DSM (DiskStation Manager) is a comprehensive software platform designed for Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices. It serves as the operating system for these devices, providing a wide range of features and functionalities.

The primary use case of Synology DSM is to centralize and manage data storage for organizations. It allows businesses to store, access, and share files securely across multiple devices and platforms. With its intuitive user interface, DSM simplifies the management of data, making it easy to create shared folders, set access permissions, and monitor storage usage.

One of the most valuable functionalities of Synology DSM is its robust data protection capabilities. It offers various RAID configurations, including SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), which ensures data redundancy and safeguards against drive failures. DSM also supports advanced backup and disaster recovery solutions, such as Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup, enabling organizations to protect their critical data effectively.

Furthermore, Synology DSM provides a wide range of productivity and collaboration tools. It offers applications like Synology Drive, which allows seamless file synchronization across devices, and Synology Office, a web-based suite for document editing and collaboration. DSM also supports various third-party applications, including popular cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, enabling organizations to integrate their existing workflows seamlessly.

Synology

Sample Customers

ITPS, North Hertfordshire Homes, SEMIKRON, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, Test Valley Borough Council, EK Services

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Arcserve UDP vs. Synology DSM

September 2025

Free Report: Arcserve UDP vs. Synology DSM

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