Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS116 and DS118, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS116 | DS118 | |
| CPU | Marvell ARMADA 385 88F6820 1.8GHz | Realtek RTD1296, 1.4 GHz |
| Cores / threads | 2 cores / 2 threads | 4 cores / 4 threads |
| RAM (base) | 1GB DDR3 | 1 GB DDR4 non-ECC |
| RAM (max) | 1GB | — |
| Drive bays | 1 | 1 |
| Expandable to | 0 | 0 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 1 x Gigabit RJ-45 | 1 x 1GbE RJ-45 |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 8TB | 10 TB |
| Hot-swap | no | no |
| Form factor | Desktop | Desktop |
| Released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Power consumption | — | 9.4 W / 4.22 W |
| DSM at launch | — | — |
Choose the DS118 if you want the better box: it has a newer/faster ARM CPU and higher RAM ceiling than the DS116, so it’s the safer pick for general use. Both are single-bay units with no expansion, no 10GbE, and no M.2, so the real difference is performance and memory headroom rather than upgradeability.