# Synology Drive vs NorthScan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Synology Drive at none against NorthScan's 2. NorthScan's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NorthScan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Synology Drive asks for nothing beyond the download.

Synology Drive ships an update every 3 months, NorthScan every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Synology Drive | NorthScan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 279 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Muhammad Rashid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896772494) |

## 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


### NorthScan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northscan-document-scanner/id6786151930)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NorthScan Plus Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| NorthScan Plus Annual | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Synology Drive free?

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

### Is NorthScan free?

NorthScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Synology Drive or NorthScan have ads?

Neither Synology Drive nor NorthScan shows ads.

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

Synology Drive ships an update every 3 months, and NorthScan every 5 weeks. Most recently, Synology Drive was updated on October 26, 2026 and NorthScan on October 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.*