Side-by-side specifications of the Synology DS216PLAY and DS216se, from official datasheets. Differences are highlighted.
| DS216PLAY | DS216se | |
| CPU | dual-core | Marvell Armada 370 800MHz |
| Cores / threads | 2 | — |
| RAM (base) | null | 256MB DDR3 |
| RAM (max) | null | 256MB |
| Drive bays | 2 | 2 |
| Expandable to | 0 | 0 |
| M.2 slots | 0 | 0 |
| Network | 1 x 1GbE | 1x Gigabit RJ-45 |
| 10GbE | no | no |
| Max raw capacity | 16TB | 16TB |
| Hot-swap | yes | yes |
| Form factor | desktop | desktop |
| Released | 2016 | 2016 |
Pick the DS216play if you want much stronger performance: it has a faster Intel CPU and 1 GB RAM vs the DS216se’s slower Marvell CPU and 256 MB RAM. Both are 2-bay units with no expansion, and neither supports 10GbE or M.2. The DS216play is the better home/SMB choice unless you only need the absolute cheapest basic file share.