Synology DS225+: Specs, Drive Compatibility and Total Build Cost
The DS225+ is Synology's entry 2-bay Plus-series DiskStation. Below is what Synology's own spec sheet states about it - including two things it genuinely lacks that its larger siblings have - what it costs filled with drives today, and its drive-compatibility position.
Hardware specifications, per Synology's own spec sheet
| Bays | 2 |
|---|---|
| Drive form factors | 2 x 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA SSD |
| M.2 slots | None - confirmed absent from Synology's own spec table for this model |
| Max single-drive capacity | no Synology source found |
| RAM | DDR4 non-ECC, 2GB on board (1 of 1 slot free for one add-in module) |
| Network | 1 x 1GbE RJ-45 + 1 x 2.5GbE RJ-45 (mixed speeds, not two of the same) |
| Expansion unit | Not supported - no expansion-unit row appears in Synology's own spec table for this model |
| PSU | 60W |
| Published acoustic figure | 19.6 dB(A), Synology's own stated test method (idle, fully populated, 1m) |
Source: Synology DS225+ Product Specification, read 2026-09-14 โ PDF.
The honest total: chassis + drives, three ways
$364.99 buys the empty chassis. At two bays the chassis and drive costs sit closer together than on any larger model in this line, which is why the three tiers below matter even at this size.
Best value fill - DS225+ + 2 drives
Usable capacity by RAID level: RAID 1 12TB ($77.76/usable TB) 3 items across 2 listings. In-stock listings only. Anything out of stock when this page loaded is named below rather than silently dropped.
| Item | Qty | Each | Line | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DriveWD Red Plus 12TB WD120EFGX (12TB) | x2 | $466.54 | $933.08 | Buy on Amazon |
| ChassisSynology DiskStation DS225+ 2-Bay | x1 | $364.99 | $364.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Basket total | $1298.07 | |||
These are our current tracked prices. Amazon sets the seller and the final price at checkout - verify before you buy. Opening any item starts an Amazon session, and anything you add there is part of the same order - you do not need to come back here between items.
Enterprise fill - DS225+ + 2 drives
Usable capacity by RAID level: RAID 1 22TB ($87.17/usable TB) 3 items across 2 listings. In-stock listings only. Anything out of stock when this page loaded is named below rather than silently dropped.
| Item | Qty | Each | Line | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DriveWD Red Pro 22TB NAS WD221KFGX (22TB) | x2 | $958.90 | $1917.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| ChassisSynology DiskStation DS225+ 2-Bay | x1 | $364.99 | $364.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Basket total | $2282.79 | |||
These are our current tracked prices. Amazon sets the seller and the final price at checkout - verify before you buy. Opening any item starts an Amazon session, and anything you add there is part of the same order - you do not need to come back here between items.
Refurbished fill - DS225+ + 2 drives
Usable capacity by RAID level: RAID 1 14TB ($49.86/usable TB) 3 items across 2 listings. In-stock listings only. Anything out of stock when this page loaded is named below rather than silently dropped.
| Item | Qty | Each | Line | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DriveToshiba MG07ACA14TE 14TB SATA Enterprise (14TB) | x2 | $349.00 | $698.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| ChassisSynology DiskStation DS225+ 2-Bay | x1 | $364.99 | $364.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Basket total | $1062.99 | |||
These are our current tracked prices. Amazon sets the seller and the final price at checkout - verify before you buy. Opening any item starts an Amazon session, and anything you add there is part of the same order - you do not need to come back here between items.
The smallest cheque that fills both bays, separately from the value tiers above: 2 x Seagate SkyHawk 6TB ST6000VX001 at $313.00 each = $626.00.
Drive compatibility, measured
The DS225+ is the machine that would have been the gate page if Synology had shipped a 2025 Value model. It did not: the DS225+ is a Plus, so the restriction that makes an unlisted drive unusable does not reach it. Two bays, 22 listed Synology drives, and a third-party drive that works.
109 fit-verified third-party SATA HDDs are in our catalogue right now for this bay class, none on Synology's own list. At two bays the total spend is smaller, so a per-terabyte brand premium is smaller in absolute dollars here than on any larger model in this line - worth weighing against the appeal of a single-vendor support relationship on a first NAS.
Measured: at 16TB on SATA, Synology's own drive runs $62.50/TB against $42.38/TB for the cheapest qualifying third-party drive - a +47.5% premium, matched interface to interface.
Full DS225+ compatible-drives page and Synology's drive policy, per series, dated.
What DSM 7.3 lets a drive that is not on Synology's list do in the DS225+
Synology launched the DS225+ on 2025-06-04, so its 2025 drive policy applies, and the DS225+ is in the DS Plus and desktop models of FS series table. For a drive that is not on Synology's compatibility list:
- HDD: New pool and migration
- 2.5" SATA SSD: New pool, cache and migration
- M.2 NVMe SSD: Migration only
So on the DS225+ a third-party hard drive can build a new storage pool; Storage Manager shows it as Unverified. A drive on Synology's incompatibility list is not supported for a new installation or storage pool, for cache, or for migration - on every series.
Source: Synology, DSM 7.3, last updated 27 May 2026. The full DS225+ drive-policy page has every cell, the incompatibility list and drives in stock that fit.
Expansion limits and the M.2 reality
There is no M.2-cache-versus-pool question to answer on the DS225+, because there is no M.2 slot to ask it about - Synology's own spec sheet carries no M.2 row for this model at all, confirmed by its absence rather than assumed from a smaller number on a sibling machine. The two bays are the whole storage system. Synology also documents no compatible expansion unit for this chassis, unlike the DS925+, DS1525+ and DS1825+ above it in the same generation - two bays is the ceiling, not a starting point.
That combination - two bays, no M.2, no expansion path - describes a specific appliance rather than a scaled-down version of the bigger models in this line. RAID 1 across both bays is the only redundant configuration two drives support at all, and with no way to add a third bay or an M.2 cache later, the buying decision at this size is really about the two drives going in on day one, not about a growth path the chassis does not offer.
What else it needs
Power protection: see UPS units for a NAS, priced live with output waveform stated on every row - even a two-bay mirror benefits from a clean shutdown during a power loss. The mixed 1GbE/2.5GbE ports mean the faster port is the one to plug in if your switch supports it; there is no 10GbE upgrade path documented for this model.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
How many drives does the DS225+ take?
2, 3.5-inch SATA HDD or 2.5-inch SATA SSD. Unlike its 4/5/8-bay Plus-series siblings, Synology's own spec sheet lists no M.2 slots on this model at all - there is no third slot to add cache or a separate SSD pool.
What's the maximum capacity of the DS225+?
Synology's own spec sheet publishes no maximum single-drive capacity for this model, and it documents no compatible expansion unit - unlike the larger models in this line, two bays is the ceiling for this chassis.
Can I use third-party drives in the DS225+?
Yes. Synology's own list for the DS225+ names 22 hard drives, all Synology's own HAT series - but the DS225+ is a Plus-tier machine, and an unlisted hard drive still creates a storage pool on it, labelled Unverified in DSM rather than refused.
What does a complete DS225+ build cost?
$364.99 for the chassis alone; $933.08 filled with 2 best-value drives, or as little as $626.00 for the smallest qualifying set - the cheapest full build in this Synology line by a wide margin.
Does the DS225+ have two of the same speed network port?
No - Synology's own spec sheet lists one 1GbE port and one 2.5GbE port, not two ports of the same speed. Synology's own text also notes the 1GbE port has a 1,500-byte MTU ceiling.
Why is the DS225+'s power supply so much smaller than the bigger models?
Synology documents a 60W supply for this model, against 250W on the 8-bay DS1825+ - two drives and no PCIe expansion draw far less than eight drives with card headroom, and the PSU is sized to match.
Sources checked: Synology DS225+ product page, Synology DS225+ Product Specification (PDF), Synology compatibility search.