Synology partially lifts NAS storage usage restrictions, reinstating support for third-party HDDs and SSDs in 2025 models

Synology released version 7.3 of its NAS operating system, DiskStation Manager (DSM) , on October 8, 2025. This update improves storage efficiency, strengthens security, and adds AI-powered collaboration features. It also partially retracts the controversial compatibility policy for third-party storage and relaxes restrictions on the use of certain models.

Synology® Releases DiskStation Manager 7.3, Bringing Efficient Data Tiering, Enhanced Security, and AI-Powered Collaboration | Synology Inc.
https://www.synology.com/en-us/company/news/article/dsm73

Synology walks back drive restrictions on upcoming NAS models
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/synology-caves-walks-back-some-drive-restrictions-on-upcoming-nas-models/

In April 2025, Synology announced a policy to restrict the use of storage other than its own or Synology-certified storage in its 'Plus Series' NAS models released after 2025.

Synology NAS is trying to restrict the use of drives other than those certified by the company - GIGAZINE

However, Synology HDDs are relatively expensive compared to third-party drives, costing around ¥17,000 for 4TB storage and ¥28,000 for 6TB storage . Using cheaper third-party drives means you lose core features like storage pool support, health monitoring, data deduplication, and firmware updates, and a warning message appears in the DSM interface, sparking dissatisfaction and resentment from many users.

Synology releases 'NAS that limits storage from other companies', but the overwhelming majority of users online say 'switch from Synology to other companies' NAS' - GIGAZINE

With the release of DSM 7.3, Synology has relaxed restrictions on the use of third-party drives in some of its 2025 model NAS.

Specifically, the 2025 Plus, Value, and J series models will now support the installation and creation of storage pools with third-party HDDs and SSDs not verified by Synology. 3.5-inch HDDs and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs from brands such as Western Digital and Seagate will once again be compatible. However, creating storage pools or caches using M.2 SSDs will still require drives listed on the Hardware Compatibility List.

This relaxation of usage restrictions applies to 2025 models such as the DS725+ , DS225+ , DS425+ , DS925+ , DS1525+ , and DS1825+ , but business and enterprise models and previous generation products will continue to be subject to the previous HCL policy.

In response to questions from IT media outlet Ars Technica, Synology explained that its original goal was to improve system reliability by limiting its drives to verified configurations, but that 'we received feedback from the community that flexibility was equally important.' Furthermore, 'Based on user feedback and the time it takes to test third-party drives, we are opening up our drive policy to offer more options.'