Synology DiskStation DS419slim vs Synology DiskStation DS119j (2019)

While the Synology DiskStation DS419slim makes for a passable Home NAS for its asking price, the Synology DiskStation DS119j simply doesn't make the cut and should be avoided by the majority of people. In either case, we suggest that you look into some better alternatives that cost around $300 or $160.

However, if you'd nonetheless like to find out more about the Synology DiskStation DS419slim and the Synology DiskStation DS119j, you can continue reading for our summary of what we know about them:

Windows Central, a source known for its hands-on testing and objective methodology, had good things to say about the Synology DiskStation DS419slim. It performed great in its "Best Synology NAS in 2020" roundup and earned the "Best Compact" title.

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.

Out of the sources that tested and rated both of these Home NASs, PCmag preferred the Synology DiskStation DS419slim, whereas reviewers at Tech Advisor liked the Synology DiskStation DS119j better. Windows Central gave them identical review scores.

We also took a look at which sources liked these products best - the highest Synology DiskStation DS419slim rating came from Windows Central, whereas the Synology DiskStation DS119j most impressed reviewers at Windows Central; they earned scores of 8 and 8, respectively.

Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Home NASs on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Home NASs being 7.4 out of 10, whereas the Synology DiskStation DS419slim and Synology DiskStation DS119j managed averages of 7.8 and 7.7 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Synology DiskStation DS419slim vs. Synology DiskStation DS119j comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.