# Google Cloud vs Synology Drive

The clearest difference is rating: Synology Drive at 4.5 against Google Cloud's 3.4. Synology Drive also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 100). Google Cloud's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Synology Drive holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Synology Drive has 4.2K ratings behind it against 100, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Google Cloud's written reviews are positive against 33% of Synology Drive's.

Google Cloud ships an update weekly, Synology Drive every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Google Cloud | Synology Drive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (100 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-cloud/id1005120814/reviews) | **[4.5 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synology-drive/id1267275421/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 100 | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 29.4% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 118 MB | 279 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) |

## What reviewers say

### Google Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-cloud/id1005120814)

Manage your Google Cloud services on your iPhone or iPad. Monitor billing, status, and critical issues. Create custom dashboards, access Cloud Shell, and SSH into VMs for direct control.

**Highlights:** Cloud service management, Billing and status monitoring, Customizable dashboards, Compute Engine/App Engine monitoring, SSH access to VMs, Cloud Shell access, Incident and error response

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick access to cloud resources on mobile
- 👍 Good UI/UX design with Material Design
- 🔐 Useful SSH functionality for VM management
- 📊 Helpful for quick monitoring and status checks
- ⚡ Cloud Shell access for command-line operations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Cloud Shell frequently disconnects
- ❌ Missing critical features (Cloud Run, Cloud Tasks, Cloud Build)
- 🔒 Persistent permission errors and access issues
- 💸 Confusing billing display and hidden charges
- 📉 Limited dashboard and monitoring capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Cloud Shell stuck on 'preparing to connect' screen
- Cloud Shell disconnects when switching apps
- SSH authentication failures
- App crashes when viewing error console details
- Logs page continuously refreshing

**Requested features**

- Cloud Run service support
- Cloud Tasks management
- Cloud Build integration
- Custom dashboard access from mobile
- Dark mode for iPad


### Synology Drive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synology-drive/id1267275421)

Access and manage files stored on your Synology NAS from your mobile device. This app allows you to view various file types, including office documents, and offers convenient file management features like syncing, searching, and sharing on the go.

**Highlights:** Access Synology NAS files on the go, View documents, spreadsheets, and slides, Sync files, Search files, Share files, Move and label files

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Secure private cloud
- 👍 Convenient remote access
- 🚀 Excellent integration with iOS Files app
- 👍 Great for photographers and mobile workers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High battery drain
- 👎 Unreliable sync and offline access
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Lacking search and organization features

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in with 2FA
- Sync tasks get stuck or fail
- Folders not showing content
- Incompatibility with latest iOS versions
- Duplicated files and folders after sync

**Requested features**

- Add support for offline folder sync
- Improve integration with iOS Files app
- Implement document editing capabilities
- Add option to customize file/folder naming
- Enhance audio/video playback features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google Cloud free?

Google Cloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Synology Drive free?

Synology Drive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Google Cloud or Synology Drive?

Synology Drive is rated higher. Google Cloud averages 3.4 out of 5 from 100 ratings, while Synology Drive averages 4.5 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Google Cloud or Synology Drive have ads?

Neither Google Cloud nor Synology Drive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Google Cloud or Synology Drive?

Google Cloud ships an update weekly, and Synology Drive every 3 months. Most recently, Google Cloud was updated on September 17, 2026 and Synology Drive on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*