Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS214PLAY and DS214+, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS214PLAY | DS214+ | |
| CPU | Intel Atom Dual Core 1.6GHz | dual-core CPU |
| Cores / threads | 2 cores | 2 |
| RAM (base) | 1GB | 1 GB DDR3 |
| RAM (max) | 1GB | 1 GB |
| Drive bays | 2 | 2 |
| Expandable to | 0 | 0 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 1x Gigabit | 2x Gigabit |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 8TB | 12 TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | desktop | desktop |
| Released | 2013 | 2013 |
Choose the DS214+ if you want the better general-purpose box: it has the stronger CPU, a higher RAM ceiling, and is the safer pick for multitasking and heavier NAS workloads. Choose the DS214PLAY only if your priority is media playback/transcoding; neither model has 10GbE or M.2, and both are limited to 2 bays with no expansion.