Synology comes to its senses, removes all HDD limitations from 2025 DiskStation models

I tested the DiskStation DS925+ when it debuted earlier this year, and while I liked the changes to the hardware, Synology's HDD limitation — where it disallowed any WD and Seagate drives from being used in the NAS — ultimately made it a non-starter. The move meant that you couldn't use the best NAS HDDs with the DS925+, and this ultimately hurt the brand, allowing rivals like UGREEN to make considerable inroads.

Thankfully, Synology is making amends now; the brand is rolling out the DiskStation Manager 7.3 update, which removes the HDD limitation. This makes it possible to use WD Red, Seagate IronWolf, and any other NAS HDD with 2025 DiskStation models. The move also means that Synology's latest models are no longer hobbled, and I'm eager to get my hands on the new launches to see how they hold up against their predecessors. The caveat is that the M.2 drive limitation is still in effect, so you can only slot in Synology's SSDs to create storage pools.

The 2025 portfolio includes the 2-bay DiskStation DS225+ and DS725+, the 4-bay DiskStation DS425+ and DS925+, and the enthusiast models: DiskStation DS1525+ and DiskStation DS1825+. I tested the DS925+ and have the DS225+ and DS425+ on hand to test at the moment, and will share my opinion on these NAS models shortly.

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To be clear, this limitation only affected the 2025 DiskStation models; earlier NAS servers didn't have this particular limitation. When I asked the brand about what HDD models it tested with its 2025 portfolio, I was told that DSM 7.3 removes any restrictions in this area, so any HDD will work with the latest NAS models. The best part is that this will extend to value-focused and J series models launching down the line:

"Synology is collaborating with drive manufacturers to expand the range of certified storage media, delivering more reliable options. In the meantime, 2025 model-year DiskStation Plus, Value, and J Series running DSM 7.3 will support installation and storage pool creation with third-party drives¹. Together with the existing support for third-party drive migration, DSM will provide users with greater flexibility in managing their storage deployments."

In addition to lifting the HDD limitations, DSM 7.3 comes with new features in Synology Drive, email moderation in MailPlus, and security updates. To its credit, Synology clearly listened to user feedback by walked back its earlier policy, and the ability to use WD and Seagate drives on its latest NAS models puts the 2025 DiskStation models back into contention.