Rent or buy a Synology?
Both have pros and cons. Here is the full breakdown — including the cases where buying your own is the better choice.
| Feature | Rent a Synology from xaweho | Buy a Synology for home |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | €0 · no upfront payment | €350–1,900 + drives at €280–700 each |
| Monthly cost | €49–219/month depending on model | power (~€5–20/month) + internet |
| Internet connection | 1 GBit symmetric in the data center | limited by your home upload (typically 50 MBit) |
| Power outage protection | UPS + generator in the data center | Without a UPS: risk of data loss |
| Hardware failure | We swap it immediately | You wait for warranty service / buy new |
| DSM updates | We handle that | You handle that |
| Off-site backup | Optional backup mirror in a second data center | Manual, often never set up |
| External access | Static IP, everything directly reachable | DynDNS, port forwarding, sometimes CGNAT trouble |
| You own the hardware | — no, rented | ✓ yes, it’s yours |
| Minimum term | 12 months, monthly after that | none — it’s yours |
| Adding drives | You book them, we plug them in | You buy and plug them in yourself |
A clear recommendation.
Buy a Synology for home if you mainly use it on your own network and don't need external access or UPS protection. Geocaching backups, family photos, your movie collection — everything that stays local is cheaper at home.
Rent a Synology from us if you regularly access it from outside, if power outages at your place are not exactly rare, or if you want backups across locations.
Bring your own Synology to us if you already own one and just want the data-center benefits — power, connectivity, backup generator — without paying rent for hardware.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper in the long run?
Pure hardware math: buying for home is cheaper once you keep the box for 24+ months. But: at home you also pay for power, have no UPS, no backup generator, none of the data-center comfort. Put all costs into the comparison and "buying is much cheaper" rarely survives.
What about bring-your-own?
A third option: you buy your own Synology and we host it in our racks. From €15/month for a BYO slot. You own the hardware and still get the data-center benefits.
When am I better off buying?
If the Synology sits at home as a photo backup for the family, everyone is on the same Wi-Fi, and you need neither external access nor a UPS. Then a NAS of your own in the living room is the simplest solution.
When does renting pay off most?
If you also access the NAS on the go, if power outages at your place are not exactly rare, or if you want backups across locations. Plus: no hardware investment.