Comparison

DS cam vs NowThen

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

NowThen

Features
Read full description

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

DS cam4 screens
NowThen4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
DS cam versus NowThen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS camNowThen
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (177 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews32.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings177 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013 — better
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB3 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSynology 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
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

NowThen

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

DS cam

No in-app purchases

None

NowThen

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DS cam free?
DS cam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NowThen free?
NowThen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do DS cam or NowThen have ads?
Neither DS cam nor NowThen shows ads.

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