Does Synology still block third-party drives?

The short answer: not for unlisted hard drives or 2.5-inch SATA SSDs any more on the affected models. The 2025 restriction was walked back in DSM 7.3.

The timeline

• Early 2025: new DiskStation Plus models required Synology-listed drives to create a storage pool, effectively blocking generic third-party drives on those units.
• October 2025 (DSM 7.3): Synology restored support for unlisted hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs on the 2025 DiskStation Plus (and desktop FS) models. They pool and rebuild normally again.
• Still restricted: M.2 NVMe on the affected 2025 models must be Synology-listed (unlisted NVMe shows as "Unverified"); and RackStation Plus / enterprise-series models still require listed HDDs for new pools: unlisted HDDs migrate only.

Everything else is open

Every Synology NAS outside that 2025 restricted line accepts third-party CMR drives without restriction. The compatibility list governs formal support and deep health/feature integration, not whether a drive works.

Practical takeaway

Before buying for a 2025 model, check that specific model's current status on Synology's compatibility documentation: policy in this area has shifted more than once. For HDD storage you can plan on using standard CMR NAS drives; keep NVMe on the listed-drive list if your model requires it. The table shows in-stock CMR drives.