Synology Surveillance Station
Not yet benchmarked
- Vendor
- Synology
- License
- Licences par appareil (2 gratuites) ; matériel Synology requis
- Platforms
- Synology NAS/NVR/DVA (DSM 7.4), client Windows/macOS, mobile DS cam
Polished, perpetually-licensed VMS that turns a Synology NAS into a capable NVR, with broad multi-brand camera support and (on DVA models) strong on-device AI. Not yet benchmarked on our test bench.
Strengths
- Recordings can be stored in an AES-256 encrypted DSM shared folder — genuine encryption at rest, confirmed by Synology.
- Broad camera support (20,000+ IP cameras from 200+ brands under DSM 7.4, plus generic ONVIF/RTSP); perpetual per-device licences, no subscription.
- Local-first: runs on the LAN without a Synology account (QuickConnect relay optional).
Limitations
- Vendor hardware lock-in — the software only runs on Synology NAS/NVR/DVA appliances.
- Per-camera paid licensing beyond the 2 free slots.
- Face recognition and the best deep video analytics are gated to the more expensive DVA appliances.
Criteria
| Open source (auditable code) | ✗ |
|---|---|
| Self-hosted (runs on your hardware) | ✓ |
| Works without a mandatory vendor account | ✓ |
| Works with any ONVIF/RTSP camera (no hardware lock-in) | ✓ |
| Built-in facial recognition | ✓ |
| Encrypts stored footage at rest | ✓ |
| Remote access without a vendor cloud | ✓ |
| Web + desktop + mobile apps | ✓ |
Sources
- https://www.synology.com/en-global/surveillance/feature/secure
- https://www.synology.com/en-global/vms/solution/surveillance_face_recognition
- https://www.synology.com/en-us/compatibility/camera
- https://www.synology.com/en-us/dsm/7.3/software_spec/surveillance_station
- https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/Device_License_Pack
This product has not yet been tested on our bench. The information above comes from dated documentary sources; no comparative verdict is published until a real test has taken place.