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NetApp SnapCenter 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

NetApp SnapCenter
Ranking in Backup and Recovery
43rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
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 June 2026, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of NetApp SnapCenter is 0.8%, up from 0.6% 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 (%)
NetApp SnapCenter0.8%
Synology DSM1.3%
Other97.9%
Backup and Recovery
 

Featured Reviews

SaneeshC - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. engineer at Sify Technologies
Has reduced backup time for large workloads and supports smooth workload migration
Role-based access control and multi-factor authentication are security features available in NetApp SnapCenter. The one-time password comes to our multi-factor authentication tool; we work with Cisco Duo, and that OTP is generated through that tool, which we use to access the device. There are different options through which we can migrate workloads without downtime. The user interface is very easy to handle and not complicated. There are multiple features that make NetApp SnapCenter valuable. In case of any job failure, we get an alert over email. For jobs replicating from site A to site B, we know how long it will take to complete that replication. All that information is available in the console, and there aren't any difficulties or objections that need to be improved.
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 Exchange plugin is the most valuable because we have a lot of customers that use SnapManager Exchange and have to migrate to SnapCenter."
"We have now gotten to 100 percent compliance in backing up all of our data, and it's regularly measurable: daily, weekly, and monthly."
"While Commvault took two to three days to complete jobs, especially with VM sizes above 8 TB or 10 TB, the same workload configured for NetApp SnapCenter completes in a few seconds."
"The stability seems good."
"When we're talking about databases, it gives us a fast way to make clones and test environments."
"The product’s most valuable feature is cloning."
"From the feedback I've heard from clients, they do experience time savings with this solution."
"Being able to add everything in as resource groups is a valuable feature... Having all the SQL servers put into specific buckets, based on their year of release - 2008, 2012, 2014 - allows us to get almost immediate backups that are easily seen and reported on."
"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."
"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."
"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 are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."
"The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity."
"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."
"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."
 

Cons

"The Microsoft environment is its biggest disadvantage due to the central management of all the actions."
"NetApp technical support is struggling. I feel there is definitely room for improvement in tech support."
"Plugins should be developed in shorter times. Performance generally could be a little bit faster."
"The reporting could be better. It's good, but reporting of the jobs could be better."
"The Microsoft environment is its biggest disadvantage due to the central management of all the actions. Because the SnapCenter server is where we deploy everything, it also affects the Microsoft environment, which can cause many difficulties when resolving issues like Windows update problems."
"If it was possible to create backups on non-NetApp storage, that would be helpful."
"One thing that might be improved is the ease of management."
"The UI, the User Interface, needs to be improved. It's not as clean or modern as it could be."
"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."
"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."
"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."
"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."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We see a financial value with SnapCenter because we don't have to license Commvault, which is pretty expensive."
"We have a site license, so it comes with the product."
"The license for SnapCenter was included with the storage array."
"It comes free with the amount of equipment we purchase from NetApp. In terms of pricing, zero is my favorite number."
"The licensing is well-designed because it's already included in some packages with NetApp storage. Therefore, for most customers, it's okay as the SnapCenter license is already included in some NetApp bundles."
"The product is inexpensive."
"It's free. The license is included with other NetApp products."
"Pricing is very good because if you already have NepApp controllers, then it's included."
"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."
"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."
"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."
"It is quite an affordable solution."
"The price of the solution is very good."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetApp SnapCenter?
The product team handles the commercial aspects of pricing.
What needs improvement with NetApp SnapCenter?
We have not started much with the automation capability in NetApp SnapCenter. Regarding the integration aspect, I am not certain about its complexity, as this was built by the OEM NetApp team.
What is your primary use case for NetApp SnapCenter?
The major use case for NetApp SnapCenter is that our customer previously used Commvault. For huge VMs with sizes of five TB or 10 TB, taking the file level backup in Commvault took a long time, oft...
Ask a question
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Also Known As

SnapCenter
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

All for One Steeb AG, Accenture
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about NetApp SnapCenter vs. Synology DSM and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.