Microsoft DPM vs Synology DSM comparison

Microsoft and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Microsoft is ranked #36 with an average rating of 7.8, while Synology is ranked #53. Microsoft holds a 0.9% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 73% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

Microsoft DPM

Read 21 Microsoft DPM reviews

2,637 Views
2,321 Comparison Views

73% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

2,887 Views
2,858 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft DPM

Synology DSM

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Microsoft DPM and Synology DSM are competitors in data protection and management. Synology DSM is generally seen as superior due to its rich features, making it worth the investment.

Features: Microsoft DPM integrates deeply with Microsoft products, offering robust backup support for SQL servers, Exchange, and SharePoint. It has strong integration through the System Center suite, enhancing its Microsoft ecosystem capabilities. Synology DSM provides comprehensive NAS functionalities, extensive third-party app compatibility, and advanced data protection tools, with features like the Btrfs file system and "Active Backup for Business."

Room for Improvement: Microsoft DPM could enhance its usability outside the Microsoft ecosystem and improve its file system reliability. It may also benefit from better synchronization and support for non-Microsoft platforms. Synology DSM could reduce its initial costs and enhance native support for enterprise environments and integrations. It might improve its performance for more extensive datasets and refine its documentation for broader configurations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft DPM integrates smoothly within Microsoft environments, simplifying deployment but can pose challenges outside of it. Its customer service is noted for responsiveness. Synology DSM offers user-friendly deployment across platforms and has extensive documentation and community support. It supports diverse ecosystems and offers numerous deployment options, making it versatile.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft DPM is cost-effective for organizations within the Microsoft ecosystem, offering a favorable ROI through reduced complexities. Synology DSM may require a higher upfront investment but offers long-term value with scalable solutions and adaptability across diverse environments, balancing its initial costs with extensive features.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM

February 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

Microsoft DPM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

36th

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

53rd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Microsoft DPM is 0.9%, down from 1.2% 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 Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft DPM	0.9%
Synology DSM	1.4%
Other	97.7%

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

Nirukshitha Gamage

Senior Manager - System Infrastructure Software Support Team at DMS Electronics (Pvt) Ltd

User finds setup straightforward but seeks wider platform support and advanced features

Microsoft DPM could implement backup capabilities for third-party systems such as Linux. They also need to consider other features such as replication to DR sites, similar to what Veeam and other products offer. Microsoft DPM didn't have that capability at that time. If they want to remain competitive in the market, they need to observe the competition and implement improvements. The backup should have compression, deduplication, and DR replication. They should also improve monitoring of the environment. Microsoft DPM didn't have these basics at that time. If they had continued development on the products, they could have reached a higher level, especially given Microsoft's significant presence and majority of servers. Microsoft DPM didn't have any support structure in the backend. If they had a support structure, we could have escalated issues. I never received any support from Microsoft DPM.

Read full review

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 initial setup is quite straightforward."

"I could back up all the stuff we had, even the VMs we have for Hyper V."

"This solution helps us to manage all of the operations across servers and different workstations."

"It has an application backup, a file backup, a system backup and a hypervisor."

"It is almost perfect for Microsoft products. It is not a very powerful tool, but it is okay for small sites and small businesses with Microsoft products. It is easy to use for backup and restore. It is good for backing up Microsoft servers such as Exchange and SharePoint servers."

"Microsoft DPM was more affordable for customers compared to other products such as Veritas, which were somewhat expensive."

"One of the most effective features of Microsoft DPM is its integration with the entire Microsoft ecosystem."

"The most important feature is that it's easy to use."

More Microsoft DPM pros

"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 features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."

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

"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."

"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 aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"It can back up, yet it lacks features compared to Veeam."

"The problem lies with the 2019 version, it's the file system they’re using."

"The user friendliness could be improved."

"Microsoft DPM could improve if it was available in a public or private cloud."

"Setting up the solution can be complex."

"Management reporting could be improved."

"Compatibility and integration with other products needs improvement."

"The data tagging feature needs improvement. The solution could be a bit more intuitive in certain aspects."

More Microsoft DPM cons

"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."

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I think Microsoft DPM pricing is reasonable. The additional costs are related to storage and technical support."

"Microsoft DPM is a free solution. However, we pay approximately $3,000 annually for support."

"Microsoft DPM can be considered as an expensive solution for smaller or medium enterprises, but we have been satisfied with the price structure as it is fixed and it offers a variety of useful features"

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

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"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."

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

"The price of the solution is very good."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Educational Organization

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	9
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	7

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

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft DPM?

The pricing of Microsoft solutions rates in the middle range at five out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft DPM?

Microsoft DPM could improve by adding S3 backup to S3 storage capabilities. AI integration is not necessary for backups as this is not a security solution.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft DPM?

We use Microsoft DPM for backup servers. ManageEngine is used to manage workstations and servers, and Operation Manager is used for monitoring.

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Comparisons

Veeam Data Platform vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 16% of the time

Dell PowerProtect Data Domain vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 7% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 5% of the time

Hornetsecurity Altaro VM Backup vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 4% of the time

Acronis Cyber Protect vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 3% of the time

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Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 6% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 6% of the time

GoodSync For Business vs Synology DSM

Compared 5% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

NAKIVO Backup & Replication vs Synology DSM

Compared 4% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft DPM

January 2026

Download Microsoft DPM product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

January 2026

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

DPM, Data Protection Manager, MS DPM

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) is an enterprise backup system that can be used to back up data from a source location to a target secondary location. Microsoft DPM allows you to back up application data from Microsoft servers and workloads, and file data from servers and client computers. You can create full backups, incremental backups, differential backups, and bare-metal backups to completely restore a system. Microsoft DPM can store backup data to disks for short-term storage, to Azure Cloud for both for short-term and long-term storage off-premises, and to tapes for long-term storage, which can then be stored offsite. Backed up files are indexed, which allows you to easily search your recovered data.

Microsoft DPM contributes to your business continuity and disaster recovery strategy by facilitating the backup and recovery of enterprise data, ensuring resources are available and recoverable during planned and unplanned outages. When outages occur and source data is unavailable, you can use DPM to easily restore data to the original source or to an alternate location.

Key Features of Microsoft DPM:

Application-aware backup: Application-aware backup of Microsoft workloads, including SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange, and SharePoint.
File backup: Back up files and folders on computers running Windows Server and Windows operating systems.
System backup: Back up the entire system state or run complete backups of physical computers running Windows Server or Windows client operating systems.
Hyper-V backup: Back up Hyper-V virtual machines running either Windows or Linux. You can choose to back up an entire virtual machine or specific applications on the virtual machine.

Reviews from Real Users

Microsoft DPM stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust and flexible backup capabilities and its being easy to manage with one central dashboard.

William M., the head of ICT infrastructure & security at a tech services company, notes, "The automated procedure is quite good for us, as it is able to capture all of the information that we require. The compatibility is very good. We have an IBM AS/400 machine in our office that we're using, and we're able to back it up fine. This is the same for other systems, as well. I think that overall, it is really adaptable, compatible, and scalable."

Mohammed I., a managing director at Adalites, notes, "I would definitely recommend data protection DPM. It has an application backup, a file backup, a system backup and a hypervisor. It works flawlessly, never a problem."

Rodney C. a system analyst at a financial services firm, writes, "The most valuable feature is that DPM has an index so individual files can be searched. This is our primary tool for recovering deleted files or folders. Once we implement a System Center Operations Manager, all of our DPM servers can then be seen on one dashboard."

Microsoft

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

Medical Park, Centropol Energy, a.s., NCFE, D & H Distributing, Metalor, Colosseum, a.s., Sanitas S.A., Icebreaker

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM

February 2026

Free Report: Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM

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