How much storage fits in the Synology DiskStation DS224+?
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated · Prices checked The Synology DiskStation DS224+ takes 2 drives, up to 48 TB raw, but usable is the number that matters: 2 × 8 TB in SHR gives 7.28 TiB for about CA$1,144 in drives, and it survives 1 drive failing. The gap from raw capacity is parity, and SHR lets you grow with mixed drive sizes.
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Want to know whether the DS224+ fits your actual storage plan? Open the NAS Builder with this model weighted.
Usable space in the DS224+, by drive size
All 2 bays filled with equal drives in SHR, the DS224+’s sensible default. Usable TiB is what the NAS reports; TB is the drive maker’s unit.
| Drive size | Raw | Usable (TB) | Usable (TiB) | Drive failures survived |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 4 TB | 8 TB | 4 TB | 3.64 TiB | 1 |
| 2 × 8 TB | 16 TB | 8 TB | 7.28 TiB | 1 |
| 2 × 12 TB | 24 TB | 12 TB | 10.91 TiB | 1 |
| 2 × 16 TB | 32 TB | 16 TB | 14.55 TiB | 1 |
| 2 × 20 TB | 40 TB | 20 TB | 18.19 TiB | 1 |
| 2 × 24 TB | 48 TB | 24 TB | 21.83 TiB | 1 |
How much space you actually need
Start from what you store today, not from the drive sizes. As rough guides: a 24-megapixel RAW photo is about 25 to 30 MB, a phone photo 3 to 5 MB, and an hour of 4K phone video around 20 GB; check a folder of your own files for real numbers. Add the growth you expect over the next three to five years, then keep about 20 percent free so the pool does not run full.
Then plan the backup copy. RAID keeps the DS224+ running through a drive failure; it does not protect against deletion, ransomware, theft or fire. Size a second copy (an external drive, a second NAS or a cloud plan) for the data you cannot replace, which is often far less than the array.
For your own mix of drive sizes and RAID types, use the DS224+ capacity calculator. For drives that fit and their current Amazon.ca prices, see the best drives for the DS224+.
A worked configuration for the DS224+
WD Red Pro or Seagate IronWolf Pro in every bay is the recommendation for the DS224+. At 2 × 8 TB in SHR, the DS224+ lands 7.28 TiB usable for about CA$1,144 in drives, gives up 8 TB to parity, and survives 1 drive failing. Step the same 2 bays of the DS224+ up to 16 TB drives and it holds roughly twice that, at the CA$/TB the live table above shows.
One rule holds on every NAS, the DS224+ included: use CMR drives, not SMR. SMR drives rewrite overlapping tracks and collapse during a RAID rebuild, dragging a repair from hours into days.
Drive policy: Synology's 2025 drive policy applies only to models launched from 2025, so the DS224+ takes third-party hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs as it always has. The DS224+’s full compatibility rules.
Keep calculating
To see how much capacity is left after parity, the DS224+ capacity calculator is preset to its 2 bays and RAID types. For the DS224+, the wider basics of choosing a drive are in the buying guides, and CMR versus SMR explains why SMR drives do not belong in a RAID array. Wondering what the DS224+ can actually do: Plex, Immich, Docker, VMs? See what the DS224+ can run.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum storage in the DS224+?
2 drives, up to 48 TB raw per the manufacturer. 2 × 24 TB: the largest drive on Synology's list for this model.
How much of the DS224+ is actually usable?
In the DS224+, 2 × 8 TB in SHR yields about 7.28 TiB: that is 8 TB in drive-maker terms, with 8 TB to parity. It shows less than the label because it counts in powers of two.
Can I fit larger drives in the DS224+ later?
Yes, and with SHR it is easy: swap the DS224+'s drives for larger ones one at a time, and the gain arrives once the second-largest drive is also larger.
Can I put third-party drives in the DS224+?
Yes. Synology's 2025 drive policy applies only to models launched from 2025, so the DS224+ takes third-party hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs as it always has.
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)