The only reason I still recommend Synology is DSM, but even that's falling behind

A long-time Synology advocate reflects on how the platform's once-compelling built-in app ecosystem has stagnated. Apps like Video Station have been deprecated, Note Station hasn't received meaningful updates in years, and Photo Station has been replaced by third-party alternatives like Immich. The author now runs most services in Docker containers, which undermines Synology's value proposition given its conservative hardware pricing. DSM remains stable and polished, but without a strong first-party app ecosystem, it's no longer a compelling enough reason to choose Synology over cheaper, more capable hardware alternatives.