Comparison

DS cloud vs Nextcloud

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

Head to head
About

DS cloud

Access and sync selected folders from your Synology NAS to your mobile device. Enjoy offline viewing of your files anywhere, with customizable sync settings for file size and type.

Highlights
  • Folder synchronization
  • Offline file viewing
  • Customizable sync settings
  • File size limits
  • File type filtering
Features
Read full description

*You must own a Synology NAS to run this app. To get the full features of DS cloud, the version of the Cloud Station running on your DiskStation should be 4.0 and above. Versions starting from 2.10.4 would only support iOS 8 and onward* DS cloud is the mobile counterpart of Cloud Station on iOS devices. You can select the folders on your DiskStation that you wish to sync to your mobile devices, and make them available for offline viewing anywhere you go. DS cloud also allows you to decide how you'd like to sync: you can set the maximum file size as well as the types of file you wish to sync for each folder. Find out more features about the app on our website: www.synology.com > Solutions > File Syncing https://www.synology.com/dsm/6.1/software_spec/mobile#DScloud

About

Nextcloud

Access, manage, and share your files and photos from your private cloud storage. Upload media to free up phone space, work on documents offline, and utilize AI assistance. Secure your data with password or FaceID protection and end-to-end encryption.

Highlights
  • Connect multiple cloud accounts
  • Access and share documents
  • Upload photos and videos
  • Offline file access
  • AI Assistant
  • End-to-end encryption
Features
Read full description

Regain control over your data. The Nextcloud app for iOS brings your photos and files with you wherever you go! - Connect one or multiple accounts to your private or business cloud. - Access, work on and share documents wherever you are. - Upload your photos and videos to your Nextcloud to save space on your phone. - Browse photos and videos stored on your private cloud. - Choose files to keep available even when you're offline. - Additional features: - Nextcloud AI Assistant - Drag and drop between multiple Nextcloud Files windows on your iPad - Protect your account with a password or FaceID - Support for End to end encryption. New to Nextcloud? Nextcloud is a collaboration platform designed for private clouds. Host it yourself or with a company you trust and you gain a complete digital workplace with online office document collaboration, video calls and chat, email, calendar and project management, a local AI assistant and much more. See https://nextcloud.com/hub to find out what Nextcloud can do for you! For discussions and reporting issues please go to https://help.nextcloud.com/c/clients/ios

Screenshots

DS cloud4 screens
Nextcloud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Nextcloud at 4.7 against DS cloud's 2.5. Nextcloud also leads on review sentiment (62% vs 23%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). DS cloud's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nextcloud holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nextcloud has 10K ratings behind it against 72, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of DS cloud's written reviews are positive against 62% of Nextcloud's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DS cloud ships an update every 2 months, Nextcloud weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DS cloud versus Nextcloud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS cloudNextcloud
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (72 ratings)4.7 (10K ratings) — better
Positive reviews23.4% of reviews61.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7210K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB319 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynology Inc.Nextcloud GmbH

Customer experience

DS cloud

All ratings72 ratings
Positive36.1%
Neutral8.3%
Negative55.6%
Written reviews342 reviews
Positive23.4%
Neutral13.2%
Negative63.5%

Nextcloud

All ratings10,378 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews930 reviews
Positive61.5%
Neutral11.1%
Negative27.4%

User reviews

DS cloud

From 72 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💾 Effective file synchronization between devices
  • 🔒 Private cloud storage without third-party servers
  • 📱 Works well with iPad and iPhone for document management
  • ⚡ Fast sync speeds on local networks
  • 🎯 Good integration with iWork applications

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes frequently on iOS 14+ versions
  • ❌ Not compatible with DSM 7.0
  • ⚠️ Version mismatch errors preventing login
  • 🚫 Hasn't been updated in 3+ years
  • 📉 Poor performance on newer iPhone models

Nextcloud

From 10K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and stable
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 👍 Great alternative to big cloud providers
  • 👍 Useful for home/business use
  • 👍 Integrates well with iOS

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 👎 Unreliable file syncing and uploads
  • 👎 Inconsistent performance and responsiveness
  • 👎 Limited functionality compared to web version

Bugs and requests

DS cloud

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes on launch with iOS 14.2+
  • Face ID causes app to crash immediately
  • Touch ID crashes app on iPhone X/XS
  • Version not up-to-date error despite fresh installation
  • PDF files crash app when opened (2+ pages)
Show 9 more
  • Subfolder synchronization not working
  • Files appear as 0 bytes and cannot be opened
  • Sync stops working after initial setup
  • Connection errors on local network
  • App freezes during file operations
  • Share button functionality broken
  • Unable to update credentials after password change
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
  • Annotation function crashes app

Requested features

16 requests
  • Update app for iOS 14+ compatibility
  • DSM 7.0 support
  • Background synchronization capability
  • On-demand file download (like Dropbox)
  • Face ID and Touch ID support
Show 11 more
  • PDF editing and annotation tools
  • Automatic photo backup from camera roll
  • Integration with iOS Files app
  • Split-screen support for iPad
  • Password protection for app access
  • Ability to change password without unlinking account
  • Create folders from within the app
  • Recursive subfolder synchronization
  • Search functionality across subfolders
  • Thumbnail view for images
  • Selective file synchronization

Nextcloud

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to open/edit text files
  • Issues with password-protected folders
  • Problems with HEIC file support
  • Inconsistent video playback
  • Crashes on launch after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved background photo/file sync
  • Better integration with iOS Files app
  • Support for more file types and document editing
  • Customizable sorting and organization options
  • Streamlined setup and configuration

In-app purchases

None

DS cloud

No in-app purchases

None

Nextcloud

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DS cloud free?
DS cloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nextcloud free?
Nextcloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DS cloud or Nextcloud?
Nextcloud is rated higher. DS cloud averages 2.5 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while Nextcloud averages 4.7 from 10K ratings.
Do DS cloud or Nextcloud have ads?
Neither DS cloud nor Nextcloud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DS cloud or Nextcloud?
DS cloud ships an update every 2 months, and Nextcloud weekly. Most recently, DS cloud was updated on September 16, 2026 and Nextcloud on September 28, 2026.

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