# Synology Drive vs PhotoNAS

The clearest difference is update cadence: PhotoNAS at every 3 weeks against Synology Drive's every 3 months. PhotoNAS also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 ships an update every 3 months, PhotoNAS every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Synology Drive | PhotoNAS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synology-drive/id1267275421/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 279 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Shenzhen Feitianxia Technology Co, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/536103551) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### PhotoNAS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photonas/id6483860754)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Synology Drive free?

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

### Is PhotoNAS free?

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

### Do Synology Drive or PhotoNAS have ads?

Neither Synology Drive nor PhotoNAS shows ads.

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

Synology Drive ships an update every 3 months, and PhotoNAS every 3 weeks. Most recently, Synology Drive was updated on November 1, 2026 and PhotoNAS on October 25, 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.*