# Nextcloud vs Synology Drive

The clearest difference is update cadence: Nextcloud at weekly against Synology Drive's every 3 months. Nextcloud also leads on review sentiment (62% vs 33%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, 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.

Nextcloud holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10K and 4.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Nextcloud's written reviews are positive against 33% of Synology Drive's.

Nextcloud ships an update weekly, Synology Drive every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nextcloud | Synology Drive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextcloud/id1125420102/reviews)** | [4.5 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synology-drive/id1267275421/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 4.2K |
| Positive reviews | **61.5% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 319 MB | 279 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nextcloud GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296825573) | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) |

## What reviewers say

### Nextcloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextcloud/id1125420102)

Access, manage, and share your files and photos from your private cloud storage. Upload media to free up phone space, work on documents offline, and utilize AI assistance. Secure your data with password or FaceID protection and end-to-end encryption.

**Highlights:** Connect multiple cloud accounts, Access and share documents, Upload photos and videos, Offline file access, AI Assistant, End-to-end encryption

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and stable
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Great alternative to big cloud providers
- 👍 Useful for home/business use
- 👍 Integrates well with iOS

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Unreliable file syncing and uploads
- 👎 Inconsistent performance and responsiveness
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to web version

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to open/edit text files
- Issues with password-protected folders
- Problems with HEIC file support
- Inconsistent video playback
- Crashes on launch after updates

**Requested features**

- Improved background photo/file sync
- Better integration with iOS Files app
- Support for more file types and document editing
- Customizable sorting and organization options
- Streamlined setup and configuration


### 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 Nextcloud free?

Nextcloud 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, Nextcloud or Synology Drive?

Nextcloud is rated higher. Nextcloud averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Synology Drive averages 4.5 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Nextcloud or Synology Drive have ads?

Neither Nextcloud nor Synology Drive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nextcloud or Synology Drive?

Nextcloud ships an update weekly, and Synology Drive every 3 months. Most recently, Nextcloud was updated on September 24, 2026 and Synology Drive on September 25, 2026.

---

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