Too much to consider - Synology or QNAP?

[Enquiries]

Synology or QNAP??? I mainly want to share photos with family and friends, but being very restrictive/selective of the content/folder that can be accessed. AI is important. Additional needs include video creation, editing, and storage, file access, security, and the “future proof” hardware options. Synology’s hyper-raid system is appealing, but QNAP’s control and photo AI is also appealing. Suggestions? Thoughts?

[ed]

Both Synology and QNAP offer similar features and capabilities, so choosing between them can be a matter of personal preference and specific requirements. However, based on the requirements you have mentioned, here are some thoughts that might help you make a decision:

Photo sharing: Both Synology and QNAP offer photo sharing apps that allow you to share photos with family and friends, but Synology's Photo Station is generally considered to be more user-friendly and feature-rich than QNAP's Photo Station. Synology's Moments app also includes AI features that can help you categorize and search for photos based on facial recognition, geolocation, and more.

Selective access control: Both Synology and QNAP allow you to control access to specific folders and files, so you can restrict access to certain content if you want. Synology's DSM operating system has a reputation for being very user-friendly and easy to configure, so it may be easier to set up selective access control on a Synology NAS than on a QNAP NAS.

AI capabilities: Both Synology and QNAP offer various AI features, such as facial recognition, object detection (only Qnap does object recognition), and more. However, Synology's DSM operating system has a more extensive selection of AI-powered apps than QNAP's QTS operating system, and Synology's AI-powered apps are generally considered to be more user-friendly and reliable.

Video creation and editing: Both Synology and QNAP allow you to store and stream video files, but if you plan to do video creation and editing on your NAS, you may want to consider a more powerful model with a faster CPU and more RAM. Both Synology and QNAP offer models with higher-end hardware options, so you should be able to find a model that meets your needs.

Future-proof hardware: Both Synology and QNAP offer a range of hardware options that are designed to be future-proof, with support for faster network protocols, larger hard drives, and more. However, Synology's Hyper-RAID system is unique to Synology NAS devices, and it may be worth considering if you plan to use large hard drives or a RAID configuration.

Overall, both Synology and QNAP are solid choices for a home NAS, and the choice between them will depend on your specific needs and preferences. It may be helpful to compare the specific models and features that each brand offers to see which one fits your requirements best.