DS finder vs Plex Dash
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DS finder
Easily set up and manage your Synology NAS directly from your phone. Receive important NAS notifications and access the Synology app ecosystem. Simplifies NAS management and setup, eliminating the need for complex computer-based configurations.
- NAS setup and management
- NAS-related notifications
- Access Synology apps
- Simplified mobile interface
- DSM installation support
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*You must own a Synology NAS to run this app, and be running the latest DSM 6.0 or above version to get the complete set of features.* DS finder allows you to set up and manage your Synology NAS, sends you NAS-related notifications, and opens your door to the world of Synology apps. And yes, all these features can be accessed directly from your phone, so wave goodbye to complicated setup and management with DS finder! ．DS finder only supports installing DSM on most models (rack mount models, desktop models of FS and XS series, and EDS14 excluded).
Plex Dash
Monitor your Plex Media Server in real-time. Track streams, DVR recordings, and server resources with detailed graphs. Manage media artwork and refresh libraries directly from your device.
- Real-time playback status
- DVR recording monitoring
- Bandwidth and resource graphs
- Top media and user history
- Artwork management
- Library refresh
- Server log inspection
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** You'll need a Plex Media Server and an active Plex Pass to use this app ** ** From the same people who brought you the Plex app ** ** PS - If you’re new to Plex, download the Plex app first ** Pop quiz, hotshot: how many streams is your Plex Media Server dishing out RIGHT NOW? What’s your most-watched movie in the past month? Is that CPU you picked up from a sketchy eBay vendor up to the task? More importantly, are you sure that’s the best poster for Speed (1994)? Plex Dash is a tool created by obsessive Plex Media Server admins for obsessive Plex Media Server admins. Get real-time status of playbacks, DVR recordings, Sync conversions, and more. Monitor bandwidth and server resources with sexy graphs. Dig deeper and learn about top items or individual user history. Fix up artwork. Refresh libraries. Inspect nerdy media details. If it all goes south, check out the raw server logs. MASTER YOUR MEDIAVERSE Who’s streaming what right now? Plex Dash answers in spades. Gorgeous Now Playing tiles keep you apprised of all the latest shenanigans, across all of your servers. Put that giant iPad to great use by duct-taping it to the wall (landscape, duh); lean back, pet your hairless cat, and keep an eye on your empire. DIVE UNDER THE HOOD Server up to something? DVR recording? Media Optimizer doing its… optimizing? You get a chonky lightning bolt to make sure this doesn’t go unnoticed. ONE-HANDED CURATION Browse and change artwork from the palm of your hand while checking out at your local co-op. It’s like that other swipey app, but with less risk of disease.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Plex Dash at 81% against DS finder's 30%. Plex Dash also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). DS finder's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). 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.
Plex Dash holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plex Dash has 2.2K ratings behind it against 122, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of DS finder's written reviews are positive against 81% of Plex Dash's.
DS finder ships an update every 4 months, Plex Dash monthly. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.
| Parameter | DS finder | Plex Dash |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (122 ratings) | 4.6 (2.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.1% of reviews | 81.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 122 | 2.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Synology Inc. | Plex Inc. |
Customer experience
DS finder
Plex Dash
User reviews
DS finder
From 122 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✅ Quick access to basic NAS status and monitoring
- 🔍 Easy device discovery on local network
- 📊 Useful storage usage visualization with pie charts
- ⚡ Fast connection when properly configured
- 🎯 Simple and straightforward interface for basic tasks
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connection failures and timeouts
- ❌ Two-factor authentication (2FA) not supported
- 🌐 DDNS and Quick Connect unreliable
- 📵 Wake-on-LAN (WOL) broken or non-functional
- 🔐 Password and login issues persist across updates
Plex Dash
From 2.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Useful for monitoring server status
- 🚀 Convenient mobile access to server information
- 💡 Ability to change artwork remotely
- 🔒 Works seamlessly with Plex account
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to web interface
- 🔍 Clunky navigation and user interface
- 🔍 Lacking advanced server management features
- 🔍 Slow to update or refresh server information
Bugs and requests
DS finder
Reported bugs
20 issues- Server unreachable error with DDNS connections
- 400 Bad Request HTTP/HTTPS port mismatch
- App fails to detect devices on network
- 2FA causes cryptic login errors
- Wake-on-LAN crashes the app
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- App crashes on iPhone launch
- Desktop mode zoom gets stuck after text field input
- Desktop mode windows cannot be resized or moved
- Package Center window scaling issues
- Notifications crash the app when accessed
- Face ID authentication causes connection failures after 24-48 hours
- Invalid password errors despite correct credentials
- Push notifications not received
- App forgets configured devices after updates
- DSM Mobile displays 'connection is not private' error
- Quick Connect verification requests fail or hang indefinitely
- Setup wizard incompatible with Safari browser
- Setup windows don't scale properly
- Password manager integration issues during registration
- Slow login with no error indication
Requested features
17 requests- Dark mode support
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) support
- Landscape mode for iPad
- Siri Shortcuts integration
- Wake-on-LAN over internet
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- CPU and RAM usage monitoring
- Network activity and connected users display
- System logs viewing capability
- Remote package installation and management
- Ability to mount encrypted shared folders
- Mobile-friendly views for File Station, Video Station, Audio Station, Package Center
- Improved notification management and clearing
- VPN toggle functionality
- Ability to add multiple devices with same IP on different ports
- Better zoom and pan controls in desktop mode
- IPv6 support with port specification
- Landscape mode support on iPhone
Plex Dash
Reported bugs
3 issues- Difficulty connecting to server or finding servers
- Crashes when viewing server graphs
- Inaccurate or incomplete playback history
Requested features
6 requests- Add ability to manage users and permissions
- Integrate more server administration functions
- Improve library browsing and media details
- Provide more detailed playback statistics
- Add support for GPU monitoring
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Allow remote server control and updates
In-app purchases
DS finder
No in-app purchases
Plex Dash
No in-app purchases
