Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS216J and DS216PLAY, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS216J | DS216PLAY | |
| CPU | Marvell Armada 385 dual-core | dual-core |
| Cores / threads | 2 | 2 |
| RAM (base) | 512MB DDR3 | null |
| RAM (max) | 512MB | null |
| Drive bays | 2 | 2 |
| Expandable to | no | 0 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 1x 1GbE RJ-45 | 1 x 1GbE |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 16TB | 16TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | desktop | desktop |
| Released | 2015 | 2016 |
Choose the DS216play if you want the faster Intel Celeron N3060 and better media handling; choose the DS216j only if you’re trying to save money and only need basic NAS tasks. Both are 2-bay systems with no expansion, no 10GbE, and no M.2; the key hardware difference is that the DS216play has more capable CPU and typically a higher RAM ceiling than the DS216j.