Synology DiskStation DS925+

Pros

• +Synology DSM is the most mature backup platform here — Active Backup, Hyper Backup, Snapshot, and native Time Machine targets
• +Dual 2.5GbE ports with link aggregation for up to 5Gbps combined throughput
• +AMD Ryzen V1500B quad-core with two M.2 NVMe 2280 slots for cache or storage pools
• +Expandable to nine bays with an optional DX525 unit

Cons

• −No PCIe slot means no 10GbE upgrade path — a regression from the DS923+ it replaces
• −2025 Plus-series drive policy restricts full functionality; M.2 storage pools still require Synology's compatibility-list drives even after the DSM 7.3 walkback
• −Sold diskless, and third-party HDDs need DSM 7.3 or later to initialize cleanly