HPE Zerto Software vs Synology DSM comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.0, while Synology is ranked #52. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.0% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

HPE Zerto Software

Read 346 HPE Zerto Software reviews

15,919 Views
9,074 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

3,050 Views
3,020 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HPE Zerto Software

Synology DSM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 22, 2026

HPE Zerto Software and Synology DSM compete in data management solutions. HPE Zerto Software holds the upper hand in specialized features, while Synology DSM is stronger in comprehensive storage and system management.

Features: HPE Zerto Software includes near-synchronous replication, automated failover, and ransomware protection, making it suitable for enterprises needing specialized disaster recovery. Synology DSM offers robust storage management, easy file sharing, and high data integrity, appealing to users seeking an all-in-one data management solution.

Room for Improvement: HPE Zerto Software could enhance its cloud-based analytics, streamline Hyper-V services, and reduce initial setup complexity. Synology DSM can improve speed of storage access, enhance multi-device synchronization, and expand automated data backup options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE Zerto Software provides straightforward deployment with strong support infrastructure for easy enterprise integration. Synology DSM offers intuitive setup and comprehensive support, praised for its simplicity in system management.

Pricing and ROI: HPE Zerto Software typically has a higher setup cost, promising significant ROI in data protection. Synology DSM is more cost-effective with long-term value, delivering versatile functionality at lower initial costs.

To learn more, read our detailed HPE Zerto Software vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

HPE Zerto Software vs. Synology DSM

March 2026

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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

HPE Zerto Software

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

2nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

346

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Migration (1st), Cloud Backup (2nd), Disaster Recovery (DR) Software (1st)

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

52nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of HPE Zerto Software is 2.0%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.4%, down from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
HPE Zerto Software	2.0%
Synology DSM	1.4%
Other	96.6%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

reviewer2802231

Dev Ops Engineer at a media company with 201-500 employees

Near-zero downtime has protected critical workloads and now simplifies hybrid cloud recovery

The best features of HPE Zerto Software are mainly very sophisticated and relevant to the current market. The data protection CDP part has real-time replication, unlike other solutions that have snapshot backups. We can set it up hourly, making it ideal for use with workloads. Another attraction is the near-zero RTO, with automated failover within minutes and one-click failover and failback. Currently, we are using a hybrid cloud solution, and HPE Zerto Software supports multi-cloud environments, making it easy to migrate between on-premises and cloud. Regarding the impact of HPE Zerto Software on our RTOs, we have near-zero RTO, meaning the system must be back online within thirty minutes if we measure the time. It is very quick to recover services. With HPE Zerto Software's near-synchronous replication, we have some CDP protection, so we typically write interceptions along with some asynchronous replication. There is almost real-time replication available.

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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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It reduced the time for DR tests from the infrastructure side. Being able to get our work done in a matter of a couple of minutes so the app teams can get to work and can do their testing has been significant."

"We have seen ROI. It reduced the time for failover and failback by 90%."

"The features I appreciate most about HPE Zerto Software include their journal replication, which is a faster replication technology than what else is available."

"This software allows for almost fully automatic recovery, which means that the teams are required only for the verification phase, not during the entire recovery process."

"The second feature that sold us was the sub-second RPO. One of the things that made Zerto's product stand out from some of the more traditional solutions four years ago was its ability to maintain sub-second RPO over a group of machines, and that group of machines could be spread over multiple storage hardware."

"We don't have to spend a whole lot of time worrying about DR and whether or not we are covered. Zerto just works. As it is replicating, we don't need to spend a whole lot of time with it. That is a huge benefit as far as daily management."

"Zerto has improved our restoration time and made it easier to test software upgrades. It has simplified tasks like decommissioning a site and replicating virtual machines from one location to another."

"The replication feature where it constantly replicates and sees that data is always in sync is valuable."

More HPE Zerto Software pros

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

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

"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 aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."

"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."

"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 feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."

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

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"I don't have any input for improvement or a critical feature request at this moment. If anything, a lower price is always better."

"Now, everything is moving to the cloud and many modern app solutions are based on virtualization and cloud, however, for situations where Unix platforms are used, we'd like them to be able to support that."

"I would like to see some graphical improvements in Zerto's interface. There's an option to export a list of all of our servers, but the information isn't presented the way we want. We want it in a specified sequence broken down by region, etc. We can't manipulate the data when we export it. Maybe they could change it to look more like an Excel sheet, and we can customize the graphics and data. We suggested these improvements to Zerto through their portal."

"The ease of setup can be improved in the next release of HPE Zerto Software."

"They should not make it so expensive so that I can buy more of it."

"More user support would be best for me because I'm not in the product all the time. So, having strong support is probably the most important decision on any products that we buy."

"While Zerto's current version supports VMware environments, I'd like the added flexibility of using Hypervisors as well."

"Customer service is five out of ten. There is room for improvement. We need more local support."

More HPE Zerto Software cons

"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."

"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."

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

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

"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."

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

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

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing is kind of expensive, but for what we get, it is probably worth it. I know they just had a huge price increase due to the VMware stuff getting expensive, which added about a thousand dollars a month to our bill."

"Its licensing is yearly. You can do multi-year contracts, which is what we did. You pay per VM, and you replicate a license per VM. So, we bought about 20 licenses. We paid somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000. There is an initial upfront cost. Basically, you buy the license, and then you have a maintenance cost on top of that. So, the upfront cost is somewhere between $5,000 to $10,000. The maintenance is $5,000 to $10,000 over a three-year period."

"It is cost-effective."

"Zerto is expensive but offers many features that make it competitive."

"While conducting our proof of concept, I compared prices with just one other vendor. At the time, the price for Zerto was more favorable."

"In general, it's pretty fair because it is software. In our case, we built our own colo. So, the cost of the colo was very expensive, and that's where a lot of the equipment is. The same thing is there if we were going to spin up in the cloud, but as a solution, in general, it's pretty fair for what you get out of it and how it works. It's not cheap, but at the same time, you get what you pay for, and it's definitely worth the cost. You just have to understand that the cost of the software alone is not the total cost of the project of doing ransomware protection or disaster recovery. It's a piece of the pie, not the entire pie."

"The licensing cost is fair."

"It's a little bit expensive."

More HPE Zerto Software pricing and cost advice

"The price of the solution is very good."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

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

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"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."

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Comparison Review

it_user159711

Architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Nov 9, 2014

VMware SRM vs. Veeam vs. Zerto

Disaster recovery planning is something that seems challenging for all businesses. Virtualization in addition to its operational flexibility, and cost reduction benefits, has helped companies improve their DR posture. Virtualization has made it easier to move machines from production to…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	90
Midsize Enterprise	92
Large Enterprise	195

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

Questions from the Community

What advice do you have for others considering Oracle Data Guard?

Ik fluister:VM Host Oracle en DataGuard hebben we per toeval vervangen door Zerto :-) tijdens de Zerto implementatie en VPG werden de Host Data in write-ack Block-Level gerepliceerd. Qua licentie 1...

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What do you like most about Zerto?

Its ability to roll back if the VM or the server that you are recovering does not come up right is also valuable. You have the ability to roll back a few seconds or a few minutes. The rollback feat...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zerto?

From a pricing standpoint, HPE Zerto Software was reasonably priced initially compared to SRM, but now it is almost on par, if not better.

See all answers

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Comparisons

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Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines vs HPE Zerto Software

Compared 4% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs HPE Zerto Software

Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

GoodSync For Business vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Synology DSM

Compared 3% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HPE Zerto Software

March 2026

Download HPE Zerto Software product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

February 2026

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

Zerto Virtual Replication

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Zerto is used for disaster recovery, business continuity, data migration, and ransomware recovery, providing continuous data protection and near real-time replication. Valued for ease of use, efficient failover processes, and versatile integration, it enhances organizational efficiency, reduces errors, and boosts productivity.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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

United Airlines, HCA, XPO Logistics, TaxSlayer, McKesson, Insight Global, American Airlines, Tencate, Aaron’s, Grey’s County, Kingston Technologies

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

HPE Zerto Software vs. Synology DSM

March 2026

Free Report: HPE Zerto Software vs. Synology DSM

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