Do I need Synology-branded drives?

For the vast majority of Synology NAS units, you do not need Synology-branded drives. The question exists only because of a 2025 policy change that has since been largely reversed.

What happened in 2025

Synology's 2025 DiskStation Plus models initially restricted storage-pool creation to Synology-listed (largely Synology-branded) drives. That drew heavy criticism, and DSM 7.3 (October 2025) reversed it for unlisted hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs — third-party CMR NAS drives now install and pool normally on those models again. M.2 NVMe drives still require a Synology-listed model on the affected units (unlisted NVMe shows as "Unverified"). One carve-out to know: RackStation Plus and enterprise-series models still require listed HDDs for new storage pools — unlisted HDDs migrate only.

Older models

Any Synology NAS from before the 2025 line never had this restriction. You can use WD Red Plus, Seagate IronWolf, Toshiba N300 or enterprise CMR drives freely; the compatibility list is advisory (it governs which drives get full feature/health integration and formal support), not a hard lock.

What to actually buy

A CMR NAS-rated drive of the capacity you want. Synology-branded drives (HAT3300/HAT5300) are rebadged CMR drives at a premium; they buy you guaranteed compatibility and tight health integration, but a standard IronWolf or Red Plus is functionally equivalent and usually cheaper per terabyte. Confirm your specific model's current policy on Synology's site, then pick from the CMR table below.

Looking for a specific model?

See the per-model drive guides for the DS925+, DS1525+, DS1522+, DS923+, DS423+ and DS224+.