Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS214SE and DS215+, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS214SE | DS215+ | |
| CPU | — | dual-core 1.4GHz |
| Cores / threads | — | 2 |
| RAM (base) | — | 1GB |
| RAM (max) | — | 1GB |
| Drive bays | 2 | 2 |
| Expandable to | no | 0 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 1x Gigabit | 2x 1GbE RJ-45 |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 8TB | 16TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | desktop | desktop |
| Released | 2013 | 2015 |
Choose the DS215+ if you want the clearly stronger box: it has a much faster Intel CPU, 1 GB RAM vs the DS214SE’s lower-memory budget, and it’s the better fit for heavier SMB use and more apps/users. Both are 2-bay NAS units and neither has expansion to more bays, 10GbE, or M.2 support. The DS214SE is only the pick if you need the cheapest basic file backup/NAS and don’t care about performance.