Synology DS223j
The cheapest Synology, and it shows: slow UI, poor multi-connection handling, and weak hardware under a good operating system. Buy the DS225+ or the Drivestor 4 Gen2 instead.
Consolidated from 3 independent outlets
Where the cited sources landed, as we read them
- 1 positive source
2 of 7 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick.
It is the cheapest door into Synology's ecosystem and gets cross-shopped on brand alone, but the hardware is the weakest here; the DS225+ or the Asustor Drivestor 4 Gen2 deliver far more for the money.
Flagged 23 September 2026
Pros & cons
- ✓ Runs Synology's well-regarded DSM software with a strong update cadence
- ✓ Rated 8 out of 10 by Vivid Repairs for software quality and security update cadence
- ✓ Breadth of DSM features
- ✓ Good enough for basic backup duty per community users
- ✓ Btrfs support now added over its predecessor
- ✗ Extremely slow UI reported by users
- ✗ Does not handle simultaneous connections well
- ✗ Limited to ext4
- ✗ Constant disk activity reported even when nothing is active
- ✗ Hardware is weak; the review score is credited almost entirely to software, not hardware
The sources behind this ranking
We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found. 1 outlet wouldn't let us check its link.
Evidence 1 article, 1 video review and 1 community source
2 stance not read sources
Frequently asked questions
It ranks #21 of 22 on our NAS devices tier list, in F tier. That placement draws on 3 independent outlets.
Extremely slow UI reported by users. Does not handle simultaneous connections well. Limited to ext4. Constant disk activity reported even when nothing is active. Hardware is weak; the review score is credited almost entirely to software, not hardware.
Ranked nearby in NAS Devices
S tier #1 Synology DiskStation DS225+
S tier #2 TerraMaster F4-424 Pro
A tier #3 Asustor Drivestor 4 Gen2 (AS1204T)
A tier #4 1 of 12 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. QNAP TS-233
D tier #16 4 of 12 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Synology BeeStation
D tier #17 5 of 9 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Synology DiskStation DS224+
D tier #18 1 of 3 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. UnifyDrive UT2
F tier #19 5 of 10 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. QNAP TS-464
F tier #20 2 of 5 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Synology DiskStation DS223
F tier #22 3 of 5 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick.