DS cam vs NowThen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Real-time camera monitoring
- Alert notifications
- PTZ, patrol, and lens control
- Advanced recording filters
- Essential management tasks
- Snapshot management
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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
NowThen
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NowThen is a simple and private photo comparison app built for capturing time changes. You can take a new photo of the current scene, select an old photo from your album, and compare them with a smooth slider. The app automatically reads and marks the shooting date, helping you record memories and see how things change over time. You can create, edit, and manage your comparison works easily with a clean interface. All data and photos are stored locally to protect your privacy. The app supports voice input for titles using speech recognition, and offers a coin system with daily free uses. You can purchase coin packages in the app to create more works when needed. Designed with a minimalist style, NowThen is easy to use for everyone. It supports iOS 13 and later, works on iPhone and iPad, and provides a stable and friendly experience.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: NowThen at 13 against DS cam's 15.0. On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | DS cam | NowThen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (177 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 32.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 177 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Synology Inc. | GRUAS E IZAJES DE LA COSTA S A S |
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
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- 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
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- 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
NowThen
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
DS cam
No in-app purchases
NowThen
No in-app purchases









