Microsoft DPM vs Synology DSM comparison

Microsoft and Synology are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. Microsoft is ranked #27 with an average rating of 8.3, while Synology is ranked #18 with an average rating of 9.0. Microsoft holds a 1.2% mindshare in BRS, compared to Synology’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 71% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Synology users who would recommend it.

Microsoft DPM

Read 19 Microsoft DPM reviews

3,105 Views
1,845 Comparison Views

71% willing to recommend

Synology DSM

Read 10 Synology DSM reviews

1,701 Views
1,425 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft DPM

Synology DSM

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

Microsoft DPM and Synology DSM compete in the data management solutions category. Synology DSM appears to hold the advantage due to its ease of use and flexible storage capabilities.

Features: Microsoft DPM integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products like Exchange and SharePoint, offers robust recovery solutions, and includes an SSO feature with Azure Active Directory integration. Synology DSM provides an intuitive interface, features like Active Backup for Business, and supports multiple storage configurations with versatile application uses.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft DPM could improve its flexibility and scalability, enhance its user interface for broader usability, and resolve issues related to certain updates. Synology DSM might work on refining its lower-end enterprise features, expand integration options with non-Synology software, and potentially enhance network security configurations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Synology DSM is praised for its straightforward setup and responsive customer support. Microsoft DPM requires more intricate setup processes and specialized knowledge, but benefits from extensive Microsoft support services.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft DPM involves higher initial costs due to licensing but can be cost-effective in Microsoft-centered environments. Synology DSM offers a more economical starting point with consistent ROI, appealing to budget-conscious users.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM

March 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft DPM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

27th

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Synology DSM

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

18th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of Microsoft DPM is 1.2%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Synology DSM is 1.8%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

RifkanHasan

Group Assistant, General Manager of IT at CIC

Backup and recovery that is stable but support is no longer in existence

The DPM is pretty good, but when it comes to external devices, you can't back up to the external device. It's a huge drawback because once everything goes down, it goes down fully. We can't take a snapshot and take it outside, which is a problem. Also, when it comes to recovery, the recovery process doesn't work properly. It doesn't recover. One of our drives failed and when we wanted to recover it from the other drive, it never worked. So, we couldn't recover the data. Recovery of data if the server goes down, is not very good. The DPM is good apart from the support services. We were told that the support was no longer in existence, which is why we are looking for another provider. In the next release, I would like to see backup to external devices, so it can always restore the backup and we can take it externally and store it somewhere that it is off-site and archived. Currently, it does not allow us to do that because it is required to be in one location.

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Michael Adejoh

Solutions Manager at Excel Connect Ventures

Reliable and cost-effective

One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication. Currently, it lacks the capability to automatically stop backups if it detects a virus or suspicious network activity, as some third-party solutions can. Having AI-driven analytics to identify anomalies and halt backups during potential attacks, along with notifications to administrators, would be valuable. Additionally, providing a dashboard for monitoring the backup environment's security would be a beneficial feature. These improvements would help address security concerns and make Synology more competitive in this aspect.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"This solution helps us to manage all of the operations across servers and different workstations."

"The most important feature is that it's easy to use."

"The most valuable feature is the total integration of the System Center solution."

"Its capability to give a BMR for all the workstations that I want to connect to."

"The user interface is very good. The reporting and monitoring features are also good."

"Microsoft DPM is scalable."

"It has an application backup, a file backup, a system backup and a hypervisor."

"It is almost perfect for Microsoft products. It is not a very powerful tool, but it is okay for small sites and small businesses with Microsoft products. It is easy to use for backup and restore. It is good for backing up Microsoft servers such as Exchange and SharePoint servers."

More Microsoft DPM pros

"Synology DSM is very easy to work and operate."

"It offers a variety of software options through its package center, allowing users to customize their NAS device to serve multiple purposes."

"The solution's most valuable feature stems from its ease of use, making it the tool's most interesting part."

"The most valuable aspect is its ability to handle multiple disks."

"The product performs well. It is easy to use and implement."

"The most valuable features are the basic storage, file management, Btrfs file system, and built-in backups that come with the solution."

"Because of its simplicity and the wide array of features it offers, I would recommend DSM for both tech-savvy individuals and those who prefer a straightforward file-serving solution."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it serves as a backup for our company's virtual machine."

More Synology DSM pros

Cons

"To evaluate the solution's abilities and its performance under demanding conditions, it is recommended to carry out a stress test."

"The data tagging feature needs improvement. The solution could be a bit more intuitive in certain aspects."

"Microsoft DPM could improve if it was available in a public or private cloud."

"The problem lies with the 2019 version, it's the file system they’re using."

"Compatibility and integration with other products needs improvement."

"The user interface can be improved quite a bit."

"Management reporting could be improved."

"Additional Hyper-V knowledge would be great."

More Microsoft DPM cons

"Even though Synology provides a backup solution, it does not recognize the VM movement across cluster hosts."

"One area where Synology DSM could improve is in enhancing its ability to detect and respond to security threats during backups and replication."

"The product's only shortcoming is pricing, as it is an expensive solution."

"The platform could be much more cost-effective and flexible for integrating third-party products."

"There's a surveillance application that allows you to connect IP cameras and stream footage to Synology and it is a great feature, but it's not always clear that adding more cameras may require purchasing additional licenses."

"The only bothersome aspect is that the device is aging."

"Synology DSM's user interface is not quite intuitive."

"Synology DSM is a good enough solution for small and medium companies, but I have not seen a big configuration of the solution for a big organization."

More Synology DSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft DPM can be considered as an expensive solution for smaller or medium enterprises, but we have been satisfied with the price structure as it is fixed and it offers a variety of useful features"

"I think Microsoft DPM pricing is reasonable. The additional costs are related to storage and technical support."

"Microsoft DPM is a free solution. However, we pay approximately $3,000 annually for support."

"The pricing varies widely, catering to a broad range of needs."

"The licensing part of the solution is free. The hardware is more expensive than the other solutions in the market, but it's okay in the long run."

"Synology DSM is a free tool."

"The price of the solution is very good."

"Synology DSM is a cheap solution."

"It is quite an affordable solution."

"The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

10%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft DPM?

This solution helps us to manage all of the operations across servers and different workstations.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft DPM?

Microsoft licensing is complex, especially for enterprise or data center solutions. However, it's not more complicated compared to other competitors and the market is well balanced.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft DPM?

I am not sure if I am competent enough to address areas for improvement in Microsoft DPM.

See all answers

What do you like most about Synology DSM?

The most valuable features of Synology DSM are its security and connectivity.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Synology DSM?

The solution’s pricing is neither cheap nor expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Synology DSM?

Users may lose their data if they don't configure the solution properly.

See all answers

Comparisons

Veeam Data Platform vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 51% of the time

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 10% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 7% of the time

Azure Backup vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 6% of the time

Dell Avamar vs Microsoft DPM

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft DPM Competitors

Veeam Data Platform vs Synology DSM

Compared 20% of the time

NetApp SnapCenter vs Synology DSM

Compared 8% of the time

UrBackup vs Synology DSM

Compared 7% of the time

ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage vs Synology DSM

Compared 6% of the time

More Synology DSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft DPM

March 2025

Download Microsoft DPM product report

Buyer's Guide

Synology DSM

March 2025

Download Synology DSM product report

Also Known As

DPM, Data Protection Manager, MS DPM

Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)

Overview

Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) is an enterprise backup system that can be used to back up data from a source location to a target secondary location. Microsoft DPM allows you to back up application data from Microsoft servers and workloads, and file data from servers and client computers. You can create full backups, incremental backups, differential backups, and bare-metal backups to completely restore a system. Microsoft DPM can store backup data to disks for short-term storage, to Azure Cloud for both for short-term and long-term storage off-premises, and to tapes for long-term storage, which can then be stored offsite. Backed up files are indexed, which allows you to easily search your recovered data.

Microsoft DPM contributes to your business continuity and disaster recovery strategy by facilitating the backup and recovery of enterprise data, ensuring resources are available and recoverable during planned and unplanned outages. When outages occur and source data is unavailable, you can use DPM to easily restore data to the original source or to an alternate location.

Key Features of Microsoft DPM:

Application-aware backup: Application-aware backup of Microsoft workloads, including SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange, and SharePoint.
File backup: Back up files and folders on computers running Windows Server and Windows operating systems.
System backup: Back up the entire system state or run complete backups of physical computers running Windows Server or Windows client operating systems.
Hyper-V backup: Back up Hyper-V virtual machines running either Windows or Linux. You can choose to back up an entire virtual machine or specific applications on the virtual machine.

Reviews from Real Users

Microsoft DPM stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust and flexible backup capabilities and its being easy to manage with one central dashboard.

William M., the head of ICT infrastructure & security at a tech services company, notes, "The automated procedure is quite good for us, as it is able to capture all of the information that we require. The compatibility is very good. We have an IBM AS/400 machine in our office that we're using, and we're able to back it up fine. This is the same for other systems, as well. I think that overall, it is really adaptable, compatible, and scalable."

Mohammed I., a managing director at Adalites, notes, "I would definitely recommend data protection DPM. It has an application backup, a file backup, a system backup and a hypervisor. It works flawlessly, never a problem."

Rodney C. a system analyst at a financial services firm, writes, "The most valuable feature is that DPM has an index so individual files can be searched. This is our primary tool for recovering deleted files or folders. Once we implement a System Center Operations Manager, all of our DPM servers can then be seen on one dashboard."

Microsoft

Synology DSM (DiskStation Manager) is a comprehensive software platform designed for Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices. It serves as the operating system for these devices, providing a wide range of features and functionalities.

The primary use case of Synology DSM is to centralize and manage data storage for organizations. It allows businesses to store, access, and share files securely across multiple devices and platforms. With its intuitive user interface, DSM simplifies the management of data, making it easy to create shared folders, set access permissions, and monitor storage usage.

One of the most valuable functionalities of Synology DSM is its robust data protection capabilities. It offers various RAID configurations, including SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), which ensures data redundancy and safeguards against drive failures. DSM also supports advanced backup and disaster recovery solutions, such as Snapshot Replication and Hyper Backup, enabling organizations to protect their critical data effectively.

Furthermore, Synology DSM provides a wide range of productivity and collaboration tools. It offers applications like Synology Drive, which allows seamless file synchronization across devices, and Synology Office, a web-based suite for document editing and collaboration. DSM also supports various third-party applications, including popular cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, enabling organizations to integrate their existing workflows seamlessly.

Synology

Sample Customers

Medical Park, Centropol Energy, a.s., NCFE, D & H Distributing, Metalor, Colosseum, a.s., Sanitas S.A., Icebreaker

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM

March 2025

Free Report: Microsoft DPM vs. Synology DSM

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