Synology DiskStation DS218j (2017) vs Synology DiskStation DS119j (2019)

The Synology DiskStation DS218j is a reasonably good Home NAS for people with about $160 to spend.

The Synology DiskStation DS119j, by contrast, is quite unremarkable and doesn't manage to stand out in any way when compared to other products at that price point.

In either case, we suggest that you first check out a few other options at the $160 budget - it's likely that you'll find some better alternatives.

However, if you nonetheless want to learn more about the Synology DiskStation DS218j and Synology DiskStation DS119j, here's a summary of what we know:

The Synology DiskStation DS218j was loved by reviewers at PCmag, a highly trusted source that performs reliable in-depth testing. It did great in its "The Best NAS (Network Attached Storage) Devices for 2020" roundup where it was named its "Best for Basic home use", which, in itself, makes it a product worth considering.

As for the Synology DiskStation DS119j, it wasn't able to earn a top spot in any roundups from trusted sources that conduct their own hands-on testing. Nevertheless, it managed to impress reviewers at Windows Central, Tech Advisor, and PCmag enough to make it onto their respective shortlists.

We also performed a thorough Synology DiskStation DS218j vs. Synology DiskStation DS119j review score analysis - it turns out that all of the sources that have tested both Home NASs, including Tech Advisor and PCmag, preferred the Synology DiskStation DS218j over the Synology DiskStation DS119j.

Out of all the sources that reviewed them, the Synology DiskStation DS218j turned out to be most loved by Tech Advisor, which gave it a score of 9, whereas the Synology DiskStation DS119j got its highest, 8, rating from reviewers at Windows Central.

Finally, we also compared their review scores to the rest of their competition - the Synology DiskStation DS218j earned an average review score of 8.5 out of 10 points and the Synology DiskStation DS119j received an average of 7.7, compared to the 7.4 average of Home NASs in general.