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The Synology DS725+ is an odd placement. It is a great device for most, don’t get me wrong, but with a seemingly downgraded Network port, the same CPU as a past model, no PCIe expansion port to upgrade to a 10GbE network port, and still an expandable storage option, it makes this a hard device to suggest, even while it’s a great device on it’s own.

As a device, not looking at models from the same company or family, this would probably score a bit higher. But knowing that other models exist at a similar price point from the same reputable company with better features, this score gets knocked a bit.

But with that said, the last thing I will say, with other products in mind, is that the DS723+ may be the better option for you if you need the 10GbE option or want it in the future; however, not everyone will want or ever really need that kind of speed. So, it depends on what you are going to use this NAS for.

Synology DS725+: Price and availability

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The Synology DS725+ without drives sells for $499, giving you an empty case ready for whatever drives you want. You can choose to add just one drive, or fill both bays, and you can also fill the M. 2 NVMe slots. If you want more storage, you can grab an expansion DX525 unit and add 5 more bays, bringing the total to 7.

It's widely available right now direct from Synology and online retailers like Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Synology used to require Synology-branded drives for compatibility, but they have recently opened this up to allow for non-Synology drives, just noting that not all will function the same.

For example, I have 2 Synology M.2 drives in my NVMe slots for caching, and for my main drives, I have 2x 8TB Seagate IronWolf NAS Internal Hard Drives, giving me a total of 16TB of storage, plus the 800GB of caching. This option was cheaper than the Synology-branded drives, and so far, I have had no issues.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Synology DS725+: Unboxing and First Impressions

Synology is one of those companies that has simple packaging, and at this point in my life and professional career, I appreciate that. No need for flashy packaging, just let me get to the product and let the product speak for itself. There are some nice foam inserts to help ensure the enclosure doesn’t get damaged, along with the power brick and cable, some RJ-45 LAN cables, drive bay screws, a key, and the guide.

This enclosure is super minimal, and with the NVMe slots under the device, the overall footprint is pretty small. I was able to add this to a small rack pretty easily, even though this is a desktop model, not a rack-based model. For this current setup, a rack system works well, but for the future, I want the flexibility of putting this on a desktop, making this formfactor perfect for me.

I was able to get things set up pretty quickly, not having to follow any instructions other than confirming the best way to connect to the NAS for the first time. Setup all occurs over at find.synology.com, which I've also used for my other Synology drives, and I was good to go.

For this setup, I have the Synology DS725+ 2.5GbE network port plugged into a Zyxel network switch that also has two media computers connected, and that switch is connected to my LAN. I also have a redundant network line for any potential failover running from the 1GbE port directly into the building.

Once I got that squared away and installed all four drives, I plugged in power and booted it up, then visited find.synology.com to install DSM and set the parameters I wanted. The setup was pretty straightforward, and there were no spots where I felt confused or unsure about what to choose. It probably took about 15-20 minutes from unboxing to using and syncing files.

Synology DS725+: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The physical design of the Synology DS725+ is pretty simple, and I like that. It’s not trying to be flashy. I do wish Synology would adopt more ports on the front for file transfer, as other companies like UGREEN do, but it’s not the end of the world by any means.

For this kind of storage, I understand why they don’t make it the primary focus, as the user base would probably be those who are not in the media space or have other ways of ingesting footage. Though I was able to easily ingest SD cards via an adapter, which was a fun surprise.

This is the kind of NAS you can, of course, tuck away if desired or keep on your desk, and you won’t feel bad about it at all, as it looks clean and sleek with its matte dark grey/black colorway and minimal lighting and badging.

Speaking of the looks, the build quality is great on this; there are no loose pieces or elements that feel cheaply designed. Everything feels quality without feeling so nice that I shouldn’t use it. Sadly, again, there is no expandable PCIe Gen 3 port, but there is an expandable USB-C port on the back for an expansion bay if desired down the road.

One thing that was updated since I received this unit and started testing is that Synology now allows all drive types again. While I do understand the backlash Synology was getting for this move, I see it as a lot like Apple's walled garden.

Yes, there may be part of it that is for trying to make users spend more on their products, but Apple is very particular about what can and will go into their devices, so they can have more control of the outcomes, producing a reliable experience which they could not ensure with products they do not design.

I think Synology was trying to ensure the best performance by only allowing its drives that meet its standards and performance expectations, not just any drive. However, now you can add just about any drive. Synology just notes that it may affect your performance, so make sure you do some research before choosing a non-Synology drive.

Synology DS725+: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I’ve had this drive up and running in my team’s media area for several weeks now. Its primary use is as a media server, hosting RAW video and photo files, communicating with a DaVinci Project Server, and working as a sync between Macs and Google Shared Drives, as well as other media folders scattered about. We rely on the cloud sync functionality to keep everything in check, uploading and downloading as needed.

Synology’s DSM 7 software is so easy to use that I can connect to it and work from my iPhone, my iPad, my Mac, or just interact with the file server through Finder. It is incredibly easy to set up and work on.

Right now, I have one volume containing all 16TB of my storage drives, and then both of my NVMe drives are set to cache that volume, making for one big drive that can work as fast as I need it to. I may add another set of drives through the expansion bay in the future and set up another volume, or I may split this volume over time depending on usage, but what’s great is that Synology makes that super easy.

If media storage is not what you need this for, this is even better as a file server, acting as your source of truth, a RAID server that can backup your critical files, or even work as a hybrid with a cloud service, backing up your cloud files, your computer files in the field, or perhaps taking what you store on a more expensive, but sometimes more convenient cloud service, pulling it down to your cold storage Synology backup, and freeing up your more convenient cloud service storage. Either way, this system is fantastic for all types of storage management.

Synology DS725+: Final verdictCollin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

I’ve only touched on the DS725+'s capabilities, which speaks to just how capable it is. However, circling back, its product placement is a bit odd. So, if you are looking for a great NAS for your business professional use, then you should probably check out the DS725+ as well as some of the other DS systems that Synology offers, but if you find a great deal, and you are ok with a 2.5GbE max port, then you should absolutely consider grabbing the DS725+ for your business or use case.

As most things do, this purchase comes down to the right deal and the right use, but at the end of the day, Synology is still highly respected in this space, and for good reason. They make great gear, even if some of it is oddly positioned against its brothers and sisters.

For more storage solutions, we've tested and reviewed the best NAS devices you can get.

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Based in Arizona (USA), StableHost was established in 2009 by a rather small but passionate team that has since grown to some 15 people today. Privately-owned and with more than a decade of experience, StableHost has specialized in providing powerful, reliable and secure web hosting solutions in all shapes and sizes. They can help you create a personal blog or start a small business all the while supporting much larger enterprise-level businesses. StableHost’s products run from domain registration and basic shared hosting to dedicated servers, VPS and reseller hosting. At the moment, they have multiple data centers in the US, Europe and Asia.

Back in 2018, they became a part of Miss Group, one of the fastest growing hosting companies on the market and a driving force behind many providers and hosting-related brands, such as Miss Hosting, 4 UK Host, Professional Hosting and Funio, among others.

• Want to try StableHost? Check out the website here

StableHost’s main website design is quite simple (but not simplistic), user-friendly and predominantly colored green, which makes it easy on the eyes. Apart from English language, users are able to select German, Spanish, Swedish and Vietnamese, and as far as we could see the translation is done fully and in a professional way. The only thing that does not meet this criteria is customer feedback at the bottom of the page, but to be fair, pointing out this as a flaw is basically nit-picking.

The official blog stylistically resembles the rest of StableHost’s website and it seems that its only use over the past few years amounted to advertising the company’s products and offering occasional holiday discounts beyond a few updates about the company itself. It appears the blog has been gathering dust since April 2018, so we hoped to find better results in other aspects of their website.

StableHost has affordable plans and the company also frequently offers discounts (Image credit: Future)Plans and pricing

All of the available hosting options are reasonably priced, meaning they are affordable enough without the need to compromise on quality. This is particularly true for the shared hosting Starter plan, which offers 50% off the price during the first year of use. This plan starts at $6 (regular price is $11.99) and gets you unlimited disk space and bandwidth, plus a website builder.

If this doesn’t suit your needs, there are more ambitious plans and other hosting options. Reseller hosting starts at $10.99 per month and includes 20GB of disk space and the ability to host up to 10 clients. VPS pricing starts at $11.49 and is recommended as a step up from shared hosting.

StableHost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is longer than we usually see. However, this goes for no more than 7 days for a dedicated VPS. 

You can pay for StableHost’s products with credit cards or PayPal.

Ease of use

Creating a new account and purchasing a plan with StableHost consists of four rather straightforward stages. The first thing to do after choosing a plan is to create a new domain (some names are free for the first year) or transfer an old one. If you want, you can add AlphaSSL for a few extra bucks. The second thing you might notice is that there are more than a few data centers to choose from: Chicago and Phoenix (USA), Frankfurt (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Valencia (Spain) and two servers in Singapore (Singapore).

ID Protection is listed as an additional free-of-charge service, which you’ll enjoy, they promise, for a lifetime. Additionally, SSH (Secure Shell) access can be yours for additional $2.50 (for life). It should be pointed out that it will come pre-selected, so if you don’t want it, make sure you deselect it before proceeding.

After this, you can select a payment method and continue with providing StableHost with the expected personal information (name, e-mail address, phone number and so forth). The only thing that sticks out is a possibility to choose a preferred currency: USD (US Dollar), EUR (Euro) or KR (Swedish Crown), which is a nice touch.

After making a payment, you’ll enter the fourth (and last) stage of the process, after which your newly-created website should appear (at least in 10 to 20 minutes).

You can manage your website with cPanel and install popular one-click apps using Softaculous (Image credit: cPanel)

All of StableHost’s plans go with the popular Linux-based cPanel, so you’ll be able to manage all aspects of your website at ease, even if you don't have much prior experience with this control panel. Softaculous comes pre-integrated, so many useful applications such as WordPress, PrestaShop and Joomla are just mouse-click away. And if you prefer, you can use a user-friendly Site.Pro website builder with a drag-and-drop interface that will provide you with tons of themes and templates and an ability to change and customize the design as much as you please.

We used GTmetrix to test the uptime and performance of our StableHost site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

Speed test provided by GTmetrix and performed on StableHost’s main website presented us with pretty average results. The time it took to completely load the page was 6.7 seconds, which actually looks a bit better when compared to the average result of 8.1. What's more, it required 75 requests, which surpasses the average of 87. However, the conclusive performance score was C (74%), which is exactly the average result.

Considering that StableHost promises 99.9% uptime, we had no choice but to put it to the test. After monitoring StableHost’s main website for more than a month, all with the help of UptimeRobot, we got a stable result. Not a second of downtime was recorded and although there were a few major oscillations in response time, this is unlikely to escalate into a problem.

StableHost's knowledgebase provides simple and to the point solutions to common web hosting problems (Image credit: StableHost)Support

As far as we can tell, StableHost’s knowledgebase has a decent amount of articles on various topics from technical support to politics. Since technical support is mostly related to the topics of our interest, we inspected further and found an additional division into subcategories covering a broad range of essential topics and potential issues. Most of these articles go directly to the point and offer step-by-step solutions. Some of them offer links to video tutorials as well.

Speaking of these, we should mention that there should be a self-help option on StableHost’s website titled “Video Tutorials”. However, choosing that option will get you nowhere since the link appears to be dead.

When customer service is concerned, StableHost offers all of the expected contact channels: e-mail, ticket, live chat and telephone. The e-mail based support is available around-the-clock for all the users, while the 24/7/365 telephone is reserved for those with high-end plans.

After reading a couple of customer reviews and then trying our own luck with the live chat support, we’ve got an insight into the disreputable reputation it has gained in the recent years. The agent we’ve got in touch was kind in every way, but we didn’t get a straight answer to our question. Instead, we were presented with a link to their article, which we could probably find ourselves. When all is said and done, the live chat support isn’t bad in itself, but it didn’t help us save time.

The competition

StableHost is a smaller company than Hostgator, and yet it manages to offer a whole range of hosting choices, customizations and features. Both present a great value for money, offer good performance and a decent (although far from perfect) customer service and feature a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. However, if you are trying to save a buck, Hostgator might be a better option.

Krystal Hosting is a fellow independent host, yet from the UK. Much like StableHost, they offer a free website builder with all of their plans and Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate, but they go a step further with the refund policy. While StableHost’s money-back guarantee is valid for 45 days, Krystal Hosting allows its customers to change their minds for up to 60 days after the purchase.

Bluehost is the master of ease of use and is a difficult web host to compete with. In all fairness, StableHost does give beginners everything they need for a good start. Still, what Bluehost adds to the mix is its enhanced cPanel with an extremely newbie-friendly interface and this should make a buyer’s choice a bit easier.

Just like StableHost, HostRocket is a US-based host offering a variety of hosting-related services, good performance and industry standard cPanel with access to many popular apps. Despite this, its above-average prices and ridiculously expensive “additional” setup fees might take you by surprise, and not in a pleasant way.

Final verdict

StableHost is more than a capable web hosting provider in its own right but it’s hardly a match for bigger hosting companies like Bluehost, Hostgator or Hostinger, which can offer similar plans at more attractive prices. However, if you want to support an independent, honest and quite likeable host with a decent variety of products, enough data centers to choose from and guaranteed stability, give StableHost a chance.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

HostNoc is headquartered in Ontario, Canada, but has offices in the US, the UK and the UAE as well. It has been serving individual customers and businesses of various sizes all over the world. Being founded in 2016, HostNoc is a rather young company, and yet it managed to become one of the more popular web hosting options out there. Next to basic shared hosting, they offer cloud hosting, VPS and dedicated servers, all packed with numerous features and first-rate cyber security.

HostNoc’s main website features a nice-looking intuitive interface and feels user-friendly at first, but fails to provide more relevant information about the host itself. In addition, information on locations of HostNoc’s data centers are not available at the moment. There are a decent number of languages to choose from, but the translation is only partial, so the users who are not familiar with the basics of English language at least may feel slightly deceived.

• Want to try HostNoc? Check out the website here

On the other hand, HostNoc has an official blog and a pretty good one to boot. You’ll be able to search the blog using the search box, or browse articles sorted by date of publication or by topics. In addition, the archive is also available, in which all the articles are classified by the month of their publication. The oldest one dates back to August of 2018, so we can safely conclude that’s the time the blog was created. These articles appear to be informative enough and the blog seems to be updated on a weekly or biweekly basis at the very least.

When it comes to social networks, HostNoc is present on Facebook and Twitter and both accounts appear to be active.

HostNoc routinely offers steep discounts on its hosting plans (Image credit: Future)Plans and pricing

HostNoc’s pricing system appears to be pleasingly transparent. Users are able to choose between a few pre-made plans (their number depending on a hosting type) or create a custom plan, whichever suits their needs. With shared hosting plans, as an example, the price will vary depending on whether you choose Windows or Linux as an operating system. The Windows Essential shared hosting plan packs more extra features, so it will cost you a bit more.

It is important to note that HostNoc frequently offers hosting at discount prices that go up to 50% of the original price. Even though there is no free trial, the money-back guarantee is valid for 30 days after the purchase, so you’ll have enough time to make a final decision.

As for paying methods, HostNoc accepts credit cards and PayPal.

Yes

No

Shared hosting

Green hosting

Cloud hosting

Colocation hosting

Linux hosting

Free hosting

VPS hosting

Bare metal hosting

Managed WordPress Hosting

Video hosting

WordPress hosting

Email hosting

Dedicated hosting

Website builder

Windows hosting

E-commerce hosting

Small business hosting

Reseller hosting

Managed hosting

Ease of use

The plan you choose will appear in the View Cart section, where you’ll be able to go through all the specifications and details before proceeding to checkout. Before that, if you want a new domain name, you can check its availability and add it to the cart as well. It’s necessary to note that the price for a new domain, although reasonable, will be calculated for the whole year.

Before finalizing the purchase you’ll be required to add your personal information (albeit pretty regular ones), generate a password and select a paying method. In addition, you may leave any further notes related to your purchase and choose if you want to join HostNoc’s mailing list.

If you want to use cPanel to manage your site, you'll have to choose from one of HostNoc's shared Linux hosting plans (Image credit: cPanel)

The shared hosting plan will provide its users with a standardized control panel: Plesk for the Windows users and cPanel for Linux. If you have any prior experience with either of these, you’ll have no trouble finding your way around. Even with unmanaged plans, the script installation is automated, and by using Softaculous, you’ll be able to install software like WordPress, Joomla, Magento, Drupal and Prestashop, among others, with a single click.

Websites you need to host are run on SSD storage which is supposed to offer top-notch performance. Failures and breaches involving data stored on disks should be prevented by the provided RAID configuration. To offer additional safety, the provider will give you around-the-clock infrastructure for monitoring paired with security mechanisms that feature antivirus protection and a shield against DDoS attacks.

We used GTmetrix to measure the performance and uptime of our HostNoc site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

As reported by the speed test run through GTmetrix, HostNoc should offer a reasonably good service, at least judging by their main website. It took 10.2 seconds to fully load the page which doesn’t look too good in comparison to an average of 8.1, but it’s nothing too extreme. Additionally, the loading of the site required mere 39 requests which looks outstanding compared to an average of 89. In conclusion, GTmetrix rated the speed of HostNoc’s official website with an A (93%) which is an excellent result, especially when compared to the average grade, which is C (77%).

As expected, HostNoc offers an uptime guarantee of 99.9%. During our uptime test of their main website which ran for two weeks, we did not manage to record any downtime at all. However, there were a few oscillations in response time, but nothing worth worrying about.

HostNoc has an extensive knowledgebase but you will need to be a registered user to access it (Image credit: HostNoc)Support

If you get stuck somewhere along the way, you can always consult HostNoc’s first-class and well-documented knowledgebase which will provide you with thorough step-by-step guides and solutions for issues you may encounter, pictures included. From there, you are able to search the knowledgebase with the help of the search box, by one of the categories, or by selecting one of the most popular articles (if the issue you have is a common one).

However, to enter HostNoc’s knowledgebase you need to be a registered user, which may be a reasonable decision on their part, but doesn't seem to be a necessary one.

As an alternative, you are able to contact HostNoc’s customer support via telephone, live chat, ticket, e-mail or online contact form. The support is available round-the-clock and is responsive once you are registered on the website.

At the moment, HostNoc doesn’t appear to have a support forum.

The competition

When comparing the two, the first difference you’ll notice is that Tsohost is a UK-based provider while HostNoc’s main office is in Canada. Both offer a whole variety of options and customizations at budget-friendly prices, with plans often offered at a significant discount. However, Tsohost throws a free domain name in the bundle, while HostNoc doesn't.

When it comes to being beginner-friendly, both HostNoc and Hostgator both pass the test without any doubt. They offer good value for a quite affordable price and have enough hosting options for most customers. At the same time, each Hostgator’s plan includes a free website builder which might be decisive for some users.

Similar to HostNoc, Certa Hosting provides relatively cheap hosting options with a wide range of features and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Another similarity they share, and not a good one, is not providing any information regarding the location of their data centers.

Bluehost is another big competitor to HostNoc, offering everything HostNoc does and even more at pretty much the same prices. In addition, Bluehost offers a free SSL certificate with all of its plans to ensure the safety of visitors to your site, which is a good thing to have.

Final verdict

HostNoc claims their goal is to lower the burden on their customers while providing them with maximum service at a budget-friendly cost. Based on what we saw, we can conclude with certainty that they are well on their way to achieving that. Although they offer a good value for money (particularly for small to medium-sized businesses), some aspects of their offer as well as their main website could be improved. If you are not sure if HostNoc is the right choice for you, you can’t go wrong with Hostgator or Bluehost as more than suitable alternatives.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

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