Is Amazon or eBay a better place to buy Synology DS918+?

Amazon Prime makes shopping a breeze

When you want to purchase the DS918+ from Synology brand new, Amazon really is the best place to look first. The retailer offers some killer deals and promotions across thousands of products and NAS is such a category. The DS918+ isn't an affordable NAS, but going with Prime and snapping a one-day delivery slot on it gets you online quicker.

Many items on Amazon can be shipped internationally from the main U.S. store, or within territories such as Europe. Shipping costs (and estimated delivery times) may go up a little, but it's usually a pretty good way to get hold of items that may not be stocked where you are.

In order to take full advantage of Amazon Prime, one-day delivery, and other handy benefits of membership, you'll need to set up a subscription. It's also possible to enable a 30-day free trial to see if it's worth the price.

eBay is your go-to for classified listings

eBay has been around for decades and remains to this day one of the best platforms to purchase and sell products from and to other people. While there are brand new listings on the website, it's better used for hunting down used deals on products owners no longer need or want. The DS918+ is such a product, but not right now since it's still too new.

It's easy to find a NAS on eBay for less than what you'd fork out at a retailer, but what you will be missing out on is the support channels from a company, not to mention it's likely going to be a used device. The DS918+ would include wear and tear on the installed RAM and other components. It's also recommended to never use hard drives bought with a used unit.

The issue with eBay, and the DS918+ specifically, is the NAS has not been out long enough for the used market to populate, making it difficult to locate a used listing. It's better to go with Amazon than new listings on eBay most of the time, but it's still a good idea to cross-check pricing to make sure you're getting the best deal.