4 reasons why Synology dropping 3rd party drive support is a bad idea

Synology has long been one of the most trusted names in network-attached storage solutions. Whether you’re a power user, a small business, or someone who just wants a rock-solid backup solution, Synology’s combination of reliable hardware and polished software has made it a go-to brand. But recently, the company announced a controversial change that’s raised more eyebrows than praises for its upcoming hardware. Starting with its 2025 Plus Series NAS models, Synology will only offer full support for drives that are either Synology-branded or explicitly certified by the company. While this might sound like a simple quality control move, it comes with a slew of consequences, and most of them aren’t good for users.