Synology is known for making the best home NAS servers, but the Taiwanese brand is branching out its portfolio with the introduction of the BeeDrive and BeeStation. The BeeDrive was unveiled back in June 2023, and it is basically an external SSD that you connect to a Windows or macOS machine, and it then backs up data from that device as well as any phones.
The idea is that instead of buying a full-fledged NAS, you can use the BeeDrive to back up important data. While I wasn't initially convinced, I used the backup solution for over a month before writing the BeeDrive review, and in that time, I came to realize its utility. It does a terrific job backing up data, but the best part is that you don't need to do anything after setting it up — after it's configured, it continues to back up data automatically, and that's a huge differentiator over a standard SSD.
The only quibble I had with the BeeDrive was that it came with limited storage. The base version has 1TB of storage and retails for $119, and there's a 2TB model that costs $199. I wanted a 4TB model as that would be better-suited to my data needs, and Synology clearly paid attention, as there's now a 4TB version of the BeeDrive, available for $299.
I switched out the 1TB BeeDrive — which was already 70% full — and slotted in the 4TB model a few weeks ago, and it has been terrific. The launch of the 4TB BeeDrive is interesting because it goes up against the latest BeeStation, which is aimed at a similar audience but is an all-in-one solution that has Ethernet out and doesn't need to be plugged in to a Windows machine.
In my BeeStation review, I noted that it is the ideal choice if you want a centralized solution to back up your data, and it does a terrific job in that area. It comes with a 4TB mechanical hard drive, uses the same great utility as the BeeDrive — and the best Synology NAS servers — to back up photos and videos from your phones, and there's a native Windows client that lets you back up your computer.
The BeeStation hasn't launched globally just yet, but it will retail for $199 when it does, and sales are slated to commence starting March 6. It's more affordable than the BeeDrive while featuring an all-in-one design because it uses a hard drive; the BeeStation has an SSD inside.
The way I see it, both of these products are a great solution if you just need a hassle-free way to store your data. The BeeStation has an inherent advantage in that you don't need to plug it into another device for it to work, and you can even back up the data in your cloud storage — such as Google Drive and OneDrive — to the system with ease. It is being marketed as a private cloud solution, and it is a good choice if you don't want to invest in a full-fledged NAS.
That said, nothing beats the portability of the BeeDrive. It is the size of an SSD, and that makes it easy to take around anywhere. While it doesn't have as many features, the convenience and the fact that you get SSD storage make it a terrific choice in its own right, and now you get a 4TB version.
