Both DS220+ and DS720+ are famous products of Synology. But most users only need one NAS device. This post provides information about DS220+ vs DS720+ to help you to make a decision. First of all, here is a brief overview of DS220+ and DS720+.
Related post:
- QNAP VS Synology: What Are the Differences & Which One Is Better
- Drobo vs Synology: What Are the Differences & Which One to Choose
Overview of DS220+ and DS720+
DS220+
DS220+ has more than enough bays for most homes, and you can upgrade the RAM from 2GB to 6GB DDR4. It runs a very good NAS OS (operating system) in the form of DiskStation Manager. It has two 1GB LAN ports that can be connected. With Plex, you can watch movies on your NAS in HD on your smartphone, tablet, PC, or smart TV.
DS720+
Synology DiskStation DS720+ has better specs. You can install up to 2 HDDs or SSDs and 2 M.2 SSDs in this device. The processor has 4 cores so it can handle multiple tasks simultaneously. If you want to download and stream multimedia quickly, Synology DS720+ has better performance.
The next part is about DS220+ vs DS720+ including similarities and differences.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Similarities
The following are the similarities between DS720+ and DS220+.
- Both DS720+ and DS220+ are housed in a plastic desktop compact chassis, reducing power consumption, noise, and heat generation.
- Both can live stream and transcode 1080p HD or 4K media.
- Both Synology DS720+ and DS220+ NAS support AI-powered photos.
- Both DS220+ NAS and DS720+ NAS support snapshots for more incremental and version-protected failure protection by allowing browsing and restoring of multi-version storage history.
- Both of them are fully compatible with Windows, Android, and Mac systems.
- Both of them run on their operating system and can be accessed remotely or locally.
- Both of them are DLNA certified so can be accessed, browsed, and played via popular DLNA devices such as Amazon Firestick, Alexa, Apple TV, etc.
- Both systems support the Synology Surveillance Station application, support a large number of cameras, and come with 2 camera licenses with your purchase.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Differences
Here, let’s see DS220+ vs DS720+ in 5 aspects – design, features & performances, hardware, connections, and backup & sharing.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Design
The first aspect of DS220+ vs DS720+ is design.
The front space of the DS220+ is dominated by two non-lockable 3.5″ drive bays that slide into the internal main SATA connection PCB. The front panel is removable, and it covers the bay. The brackets are hidden when the panels are in place.
There is an indicator light on the right. Along with the lights, you can find a USB 3.0 port and a power button. The DS220+ model has a ventilation fan at the rear, taking up most of the rear space. Below the fans, there are two 1GbE RJ-45 ports, a reset button, a power port, and the Kensington security slot.
The DS720+ has a similar arrangement of ports and bays. It’s almost the same size as the DS220+. It simulates two 3.5″ drive bays that lock into the tray. These trays also take up most of the space in the front of the device.
However, this model lacks a front panel. But the position of the indicator light, USB 3.0 interface, and power button are on the right side, the same as DS220+. In terms of ventilation, the DS720+ also seems to have more vents on the front and bottom.
While the two NAS devices have a similar design, the DS720+ has a more classic look and is more suitable for office or professional use.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Features and Performance
The second aspect of DS720+ vs DS220+ is features & performance.
Both devices have the same read speed of 225 Mbps. But write speeds varied, with the Synology 220+ at 192 Mbps and the DS720+ at 195 Mbps. So both devices have almost the same speed.
Synology DS220+ provides a Synology-optimized Btrfs file system. This file system provides better reliability and high performance. Additionally, it prevents data corruption and reduces overall maintenance.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Hardware
The third aspect of DS220+ vs DS720+ is hardware:
The DS220+ is equipped with a dual-core processor with a standard clock speed of 2GHz. The clock speed is 2.9GHz. Combined with 2GB of RAM, this NAS is great for multitasking. This also makes the DS220+ faster than other dual-core NAS systems. So, this model can upload your photos and stream movies at the same time. This model holds 2 hard drives.
Like the DS220+, the DS720+ has 2 hard drive slots. The big difference is that the 720 has a quad-core processor, which means this NAS can handle demanding tasks like streaming 4K video with ease. Also, the DS720+ has 2 M.2 slots, which is useful if you want to create a cache SSD. Cache SSD makes your NAS faster.
Thanks to the quad-core processor and Synology SSD Cache M.2 slot, DS720+ performs tasks 20 times faster than DS220+.
If you want to download and stream multimedia quickly, Synology DS720+ has better performance. Also, if you’re looking to expand your storage space or use it with multiple people, you should give this device more consideration.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Connection
The fourth aspect of DS220+ vs DS720+ is connection.
The DS220+ has all the basic connectors of a NAS. With 2 USB ports, you can easily connect external storage when needed. The NAS also has room for 2 Ethernet cables. This way you can create LACP link aggregation where the NAS combines the speed of 2 cables. As a result, you’ll have faster-wired internet, which is great when you want to stream content or download files.
The DS720+ also features dual Ethernet ports and 2 USB ports. The DS720+ has an eSATA port on the back which the DS220+ does not have. On this port, you can connect an additional internal hard drive or SSD via a SATA cable. This is especially useful if the 2 hard drives you installed to the NAS do not have enough space.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Backup and Sharing
The last aspect of DS220+ vs DS720+ is backup and sharing.
The DS220+ NAS appliance model has a variety of cloud and physical backup options. With DS220+ and DS720+ devices, you can back up your cloud data. Both DS220+ and DS720+ support Synology Hyper Backup and Synology Active Backup.
Synology Drive Client on both devices also backs up servers and desktops to protect any important files present on the computer. Also, for extra protection, Hyper Backup allows a variety of backup destinations, including cloud and on-premises.
In addition, data can be protected with RAID 1 disk mirroring. Disk mirroring protects data against sudden drive failures.
Synology DS220+ and DS720+ provide a built-in Synology Quick Connect feature that allows you to establish a connection with your NAS device. This connection allows you to share or access your data anytime, anywhere. Not only can you access it, but you can also share and manage your data between different operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The DS220+ and DS720+ have similar backup and sharing options. DS720+ is equipped with a quad-core processor to enhance overall performance. It will do a better job than the DS220+. It will run the system more smoothly and support demanding tasks better.
DS720+ features Synology Office, which provides public cloud access with data privacy and security via a private cloud. This package allows working with documents and spreadsheets in a protected environment.
DS220+ vs DS720+: Which One to Choose
Both NAS devices are very similar in many aspects. DS220+ is for the less demanding. But if you need an office NAS device with large storage capacity and better performance, then DS720+ is the best choice for you.
How to Connect DS220+ or DS720+
How to connect DS220+ or DS720+? Here are the steps:
- Install the hard drive securely in the drive carrier.
- Connect the AC adapter to the power port of the NAS.
- Use a LAN cable and connect the NAS to a router or hub.
- Power on the button. Your device will automatically connect to the NAS.
- The DSM installation page will appear, click set up to install now.
How to Back up Data to DS220+ or DS720+
Whether you choose DS720+ or DS220+, your purpose is to back up files to it. To back up files to your NAS, the professional backup software – MiniTool ShadoMaler is recommended. It allows you to back up files, folders, disks, partitions, and the operating system. It is compatible with all editions of Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7.
This backup software offers a Trial Edition that allows a 30-day free trial for all backup features. Now you can download and try MiniTool ShadowMaker to back up your PC.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Now, let’s see how to back up data to DS720+ or DS220+ with MiniTool ShadowMaker.
Step 1: Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker and click Keep Trial to continue.
Step 2: Go to the Backup page. Click the SOURCE module to choose the backup source. Choose Folders and Files and choose the files you want to back up and click OK.
Step 3: Click the DESTINATION module to continue. Just go to the Shared tab. Click the Add button. Type the IP address of the NAS device, user name, and password. Then, click OK.
Step 4: Click Back Up Now to start the process or click Back Up Later to delay the backup. And you can restart the delayed backup task in the Manage window.
Bottom Line
Now, do you have a better understanding of DS220+ vs DS720+? If you have different opinions on DS220+ vs DS720+, please don’t hesitate to share them with us.
If you have encountered any issues when using MiniTool ShadowMaker, you can leave a message in the following comment zone and we will reply as soon as possible. If you need any help when using MiniTool software, you may contact us via [email protected].
DS220+ vs DS720+ FAQ
The performance and multitasking capabilities of the NAS are better if you choose to expand it. For basic use, 4GB or 8GB should be enough. If you have a commercial Synology NAS, it’s recommended at least 16GB. This is very demanding on RAM if more people are opening and saving their work on the NAS at the same time.
The speed of uploading to and downloading from NAS are much faster than the cloud. To get more details, refer to this post - NAS vs Cloud – What’s the Difference and Which Is Better.
The noises may come from the fan or the device itself. You can do the following things:
- Try to clean up the dust inside the device and on the fan.
- Check if the fan screws are fastened.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Having been an editor at MiniTool since graduating college as an English major, Daisy specializes in writing about data backups, disk cloning, and file syncing as well as general computer knowledge and issues. In her free time, Daisy enjoys running and going with friends to the amusement park.