Comparison

DS cam vs SoftWakeOn

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DS cam

Monitor and receive alerts from your Synology surveillance cameras. Control PTZ, patrols, and lens functions in real-time. Easily filter recordings and manage essential tasks like disabling cameras or deleting snapshots.

Highlights
  • Real-time camera monitoring
  • Alert notifications
  • PTZ, patrol, and lens control
  • Advanced recording filters
  • Essential management tasks
  • Snapshot management
Features
Read full description

You must own a Synology NAS or NVR to run this app, and be running the latest Surveillance Station to get the complete set of features. DS cam makes it possible to monitor and receive alert notifications from all your surveillance cameras set up on a Synology DiskStation. Smart features such as PTZ, patrols or lens control allow for perfect control of your cameras in real-time, while advanced filters make it easy to pinpoint any specific event from large lists of recordings. You can even perform all essential management tasks, from disabling a camera to unlocking and deleting a snapshot. Find all detailed features about the app on our website: www.synology.com > Solutions > Surveillance > Surveillance Mobile > Specifications https://www.synology.com/dsm/7.2/software_spec/surveillance_station

About

SoftWakeOn

Features
Read full description

SoftWakeOn turns on your computers, servers and NAS from your iPhone or iPad using Wake-on-LAN. One tap and the machine boots, whether you are in the office or away. ONE-TAP WAKE Every computer has its own card with a power button. Tap it and SoftWakeOn sends the magic packet along every possible path: your network's real broadcast address, 255.255.255.255 and the computer's IP, on ports 7 and 9 and with several repetitions, so it gets there the first time. KNOWS WHEN IT IS ON SoftWakeOn checks the status of each computer on your network and, after sending the packet, waits for it to boot and lets you know as soon as it responds. OVER THE INTERNET TOO Enter your public IP or DDNS name and the port forwarded on your router, and wake your office or home computers from anywhere. IPv4, IPv6 and SecureOn passwords are supported. SIRI AND SHORTCUTS Use the "Turn on computer" action in the Shortcuts app to build automations — for example, turn on your office PC when you arrive at work. BUILT FOR EVERYDAY USE • Clear list of computers with custom icons and colors • Search by name, IP or MAC • Automatic MAC address formatting • Clear warnings when Wi-Fi or local network permission is missing • Export and import your list to move it to another device • Built-in guide to set up the BIOS, Windows, Mac and router • Works on iPhone and iPad PRIVACY No accounts, no ads, no data collection. Your computers are stored only on your device. REQUIREMENTS The computer you want to turn on must have Wake-on-LAN enabled in its BIOS/UEFI and network adapter, and is usually connected by cable. The built-in guide walks you through it step by step. Developed by H-Soft, S.L. (Huelva, Spain), makers of business software since 1986.

Screenshots

DS cam4 screens
SoftWakeOn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DS cam at Free against SoftWakeOn's $0.99. DS cam also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

DS cam is free to download; SoftWakeOn costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DS cam ships an update every 4 months, SoftWakeOn every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
DS cam versus SoftWakeOn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS camSoftWakeOn
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.0 (178 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews32.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings178 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynology Inc.H-Soft, S.L.

Bugs and requests

DS cam

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Regular app crashing
  • Cannot scroll back in timeline without issues
  • Event viewer rarely works
  • Keeps buffering
  • Crashes constantly
Show 11 more
  • Battery drain
  • Push notifications not reliable
  • Cannot click on push notifications
  • Cannot download h265 videos
  • Notifications missing thumbnails
  • Slow login process
  • Loses remembered connections
  • Slow to connect
  • Notifications stopped working
  • Crashes iPhone 14 Pro
  • Incompatible with older Surveillance Station versions

Requested features

11 requests
  • Selective motion notifications
  • Custom notification sounds
  • Ability to categorize alerts
  • Live scrubbing on timeline
  • Bookmarks and advanced filtering
Show 6 more
  • Ability to download h265 videos
  • Faster login process
  • Ability to retain remembered connections
  • Apple TV app
  • Dark mode for all screens
  • Ability to quickly switch between cameras

SoftWakeOn

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

DS cam

No in-app purchases

None

SoftWakeOn

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DS cam free?
DS cam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SoftWakeOn free?
SoftWakeOn costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do DS cam or SoftWakeOn have ads?
Neither DS cam nor SoftWakeOn shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DS cam or SoftWakeOn?
DS cam ships an update every 4 months, and SoftWakeOn every 7 months. Most recently, DS cam was updated on November 13, 2026 and SoftWakeOn on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons