NovaNAS vs Synology Active Backup for SaaS

NovaNAS is a free, open-source NAS operating system managed through a desktop-like web interface. Its browser file manager supports browsing, uploading, downloading, and previewing files. Storage features include ZFS and EXT4, RAID management, and SMB/CIFS and NFS shared folders with access controls. A community app store offers one-click deployment of Docker applications such as Plex, Nextcloud, and Pi-hole. The project describes automated backups to external drives or cloud storage, and network backups between NovaNAS systems using API key authentication. Security and network tools include UFW firewall management, DynDNS, automatic Let's Encrypt certificates, and WebAuthn/FIDO2 passkey login. The interface monitors CPU, memory, disk, and network activity in real time. NovaNAS currently supports Debian 13 only, and its installer is intended for a fresh system, not an existing one. Minimum requirements are 2 GB RAM, a 1-core CPU, and a 20 GB system drive, plus data drives. Virtualization, historical monitoring, and scheduled tasks are listed as coming soon.

Synology Active Backup for SaaS backs up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace data to Synology NAS servers for recovery after data loss or service downtime. Microsoft 365 coverage includes OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Teams. Google Workspace coverage includes Drive, Gmail, Contacts, and Calendar, including shared drives, labels, and attachments. Microsoft 365 backups can run continuously, manually, or on a schedule; continuous intervals adjust from one to ten minutes based on detected API request rates. Both services support file versioning, and Google Workspace versions can be retained for a chosen period or kept in full. The Microsoft 365 Recovery Portal lets administrators and employees restore or export backed-up data, with self-service access dependent on configuration. The product is a free add-on for a compatible Synology NAS, with unlimited accounts subject to NAS storage capacity. Active Backup for Microsoft 365 requires DSM 6.1-15217 or later. Deduplication requires an x64 NAS using Btrfs, and neither service supports secondary backups. Google Workspace setup requires configuring the Drive SDK API and creating a service key.