Fabric vs Synology in 2026

Last updated September 2026

Synology makes the NAS that most people think of when they hear "network attached storage." A box in a closet, running DSM, serving files over the local network. It works. It has worked for years. For individuals and small teams who want to own their storage hardware and keep everything on-premise, a Synology NAS is the straightforward choice. Fabric is a different kind of thing entirely: a personal cloud and context layer that stores files with zero disk space on your devices, searches inside them by meaning, and connects them to a workspace of notes, canvas, tasks, and publishing. One lives in your office. The other lives everywhere.

Comparison table

Storage and access

A Synology NAS stores files on physical drives in your building. Over the local network, access is fast. A well-configured Synology on a gigabit or 2.5GbE connection serves files at speeds that no cloud service can match within the same room. For workflows that depend on sequential reads of very large files from a local machine, this is a genuine advantage.

The problem starts when you leave the building. QuickConnect routes traffic through Synology's relay servers, which is convenient but slow for large files. A proper VPN gives better performance but requires configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting when it breaks. Every person who needs remote access needs VPN credentials, software, and the patience to reconnect when the tunnel drops. For a team that is partly or fully remote, the NAS becomes a fast local drive that is slow or unreachable from everywhere else.

Fabric's cloud drive streams files using zero disk space from any device. There is no VPN. There is no "are you on the network?" question. A file opens the same way from the office, from home, from a phone on the train. The trade-off is that access speed depends on your internet connection rather than your local network, and for very large sequential reads (editing 4K video timelines, for example), local drives are still faster.

Search

This is where the comparison shifts from trade-offs to a gap.

A Synology NAS searches by file name and basic metadata. Synology Photos does local face and scene recognition for images, which is useful for personal photo libraries. But there is no search inside documents. No search inside video or audio. No search by meaning. If you have thousands of files on a Synology and need to find the PDF that discusses a specific contract clause, or the video where someone mentioned a particular topic, you open files one by one until you find it.

Fabric's AI search goes inside every file in your library. Search by meaning across documents, images, video, and audio. Describe what you are looking for ("the proposal that quoted the manufacturing timeline") and Fabric finds the page, the slide, or the timestamp. Visual search finds images by similarity. Colour search matches palettes. Automatic transcription makes every video and audio file searchable by what was said and when.

A Synology NAS stores files and serves them when you ask for them by name. Fabric stores files and understands what is inside them.

Hardware and maintenance

A Synology DS925+ costs roughly $640 before drives. Add four 4TB drives at $100 to $150 each and the hardware investment reaches $1,000 to $1,200 for about 12TB of usable storage (in SHR with one-drive redundancy). That covers the hardware. It does not cover the ongoing work.

Drives fail. RAID arrays rebuild. Firmware updates occasionally break things. A UPS protects against power loss. The NAS needs a physical location with adequate ventilation, a reliable internet connection for remote access, and someone who knows how to configure and maintain it. For a technical person who enjoys this, it is manageable. For a team that wants to focus on their work rather than their infrastructure, it is a tax on time.

Fabric has no hardware. No drives to replace. No firmware to update. No RAID to rebuild. No UPS to test. Storage scales instantly. The cloud infrastructure is maintained by someone else. The cost is $8/mo per user billed yearly, predictable and recurring, with a free tier that includes limited storage and AI.

The total cost comparison depends on the timeframe. A Synology NAS is cheaper upfront for a single user with modest storage needs and a long time horizon (the hardware pays for itself after a couple of years compared to a cloud subscription). For teams, the per-user cloud model is often cheaper when you factor in the time spent on maintenance, VPN management, and hardware replacement cycles.

Workspace and collaboration

A Synology NAS with DSM offers Synology Office (basic word processing and spreadsheets), Synology Drive (file sync), and some note-taking capability. These are functional but limited compared to dedicated tools. Collaboration means sharing files through Synology Drive, with basic editing in the browser.

Fabric is a workspace. Notes and documents with real-time collaborative editing. A spatial canvas for visual planning and moodboarding. Annotations on any file type. Tasks and reminders connected to files. Publishing with analytics for sharing work with clients or stakeholders. And 30+ app connections including Google Drive, Slack, Figma, and Notion that bring your other tools into the same searchable space.

Backup and data safety

A Synology NAS is a single point of failure unless you configure offsite backup. Synology's own C2 Storage (starting at $59.99/year for 1TB) backs up the NAS to Synology's cloud. Alternatively, Backblaze B2, an external drive, or a second NAS provides redundancy. But you have to set this up, maintain it, and verify it works. A fire, a theft, or a multi-drive failure without a working backup means permanent data loss.

Fabric stores data in cloud infrastructure with built-in redundancy across data centres. AES-256 encryption at rest, SSL in transit, CASA Tier 2 certification. Backup is not something you configure. It is part of the service.

How to choose

If you want to own your hardware, keep your files physically in your building, and are comfortable maintaining the infrastructure, a Synology NAS gives you local-speed access and full control. It is the right choice for people who value physical custody of their data and have the technical confidence to manage it.

If you want your files accessible from anywhere, searchable by meaning, connected to a workspace that includes notes, collaboration, and publishing, and maintained by someone else, Fabric is the option that treats storage as the beginning of the problem rather than the end. For a deeper look at this trade-off, see NAS vs cloud for creative teams.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Synology NAS cheaper than cloud storage?

Over a long enough period, yes, for a single user with modest storage needs. A DS224+ with two 4TB drives costs roughly $500 to $700 and provides about 4TB of redundant storage. That is cheaper than paying for cloud storage over three to five years. For teams, add the time cost of maintenance, VPN management, drive replacement, and hardware upgrades, and the comparison shifts. Fabric starts at $8/mo billed yearly.

Can I use Fabric as a backup for my Synology NAS?

Fabric's desktop folder sync can sync local folders to the cloud, which could include folders served by a NAS mounted on your computer. This provides cloud access and AI search for your NAS files without replacing the NAS itself. For dedicated NAS backup, Synology's C2 Storage or Backblaze B2 are purpose-built options.

Does Synology have AI features?

Synology Photos includes local face and scene recognition for photo libraries. Synology's AI Console provides some productivity features through DSM. These are useful but limited to image recognition and basic automation. There is no semantic search across documents, no search inside video or audio content, no visual similarity search, and no search by meaning. Fabric's AI covers all file types.

Can I access Synology NAS files from my phone?

Yes. Synology offers DS File, Synology Drive, and Synology Photos apps for iOS and Android. Access requires QuickConnect (slower, routed through relay servers) or a VPN connection. Fabric's mobile apps connect directly to the cloud with no VPN or relay required.

What happens if my Synology NAS fails?

If a single drive fails in a RAID or SHR configuration, data survives and the array rebuilds when you replace the drive. If multiple drives fail simultaneously, or the NAS unit itself fails, data recovery depends on your backup strategy. Without a working offsite backup, the data may be permanently lost. Cloud services like Fabric maintain redundant copies across data centres, so a single hardware failure does not risk data loss.

Is Synology good for teams?

Synology works for small teams in the same building. Synology Drive provides file sync and sharing, and permissions control who accesses what. For remote or hybrid teams, the VPN requirement and slower remote access become friction points. Fabric is built for teams that work from multiple locations, with shared drives, real-time co-editing, and access from any device without infrastructure.

Can I move from Synology to Fabric gradually?

Yes. Many people start by syncing their NAS files to Fabric using desktop folder sync, which gives them cloud access and AI search alongside the NAS. Over time, as the cloud library becomes the primary access point, the NAS shifts from primary storage to backup. The migration does not need to be all-or-nothing.

Does Fabric offer the same data privacy as a local NAS?

A NAS gives you physical custody of your data. No third party has access. Fabric uses AES-256 encryption at rest and SSL in transit with CASA Tier 2 certification. Your data is encrypted and access-controlled, but it is stored on cloud infrastructure rather than hardware you own. For people who require physical custody, a NAS provides that. For people who prioritise accessibility and search over physical control, Fabric provides the security guarantees that matter in practice.

What about Synology C2 cloud storage?

Synology's C2 Storage is a cloud backup and sync service designed to work with Synology NAS devices. It extends the NAS to the cloud rather than replacing it. Pricing starts at $59.99/year for 1TB. C2 does not include AI search, workspace features, or the content understanding that Fabric provides. It is a cloud extension of the NAS, not an alternative to it.

Is Fabric free?

Fabric does have a free tier with limited storage and AI. Paid plans start at $8/mo billed yearly.

See also

• NAS vs cloud for creative teams

• Best NAS alternative for creative teams

• Your laptop is full again

• Your personal cloud

• Fabric vs Dropbox

• Fabric vs Google Drive

• Fabric vs LucidLink

• Best Google Drive alternative for large files

• Best Google Drive alternative for teams

• Why you still carry an external hard drive

• Your files are on five devices