# NAS Explorer vs Synology Drive

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: NAS Explorer at 8.0 against Synology Drive's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

NAS Explorer ships an update every 5 months, Synology Drive every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NAS Explorer | Synology Drive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synology-drive/id1267275421/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 78 MB | 279 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wooi Kiang Cheah](https://appshunter.io/developer/826354682) | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) |

## What reviewers say

### NAS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nas-explorer/id826354679)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Synology Drive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synology-drive/id1267275421)

Access and manage files stored on your Synology NAS from your mobile device. This app allows you to view various file types, including office documents, and offers convenient file management features like syncing, searching, and sharing on the go.

**Highlights:** Access Synology NAS files on the go, View documents, spreadsheets, and slides, Sync files, Search files, Share files, Move and label files

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Secure private cloud
- 👍 Convenient remote access
- 🚀 Excellent integration with iOS Files app
- 👍 Great for photographers and mobile workers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High battery drain
- 👎 Unreliable sync and offline access
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Lacking search and organization features

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in with 2FA
- Sync tasks get stuck or fail
- Folders not showing content
- Incompatibility with latest iOS versions
- Duplicated files and folders after sync

**Requested features**

- Add support for offline folder sync
- Improve integration with iOS Files app
- Implement document editing capabilities
- Add option to customize file/folder naming
- Enhance audio/video playback features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NAS Explorer free?

NAS Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Synology Drive free?

Synology Drive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do NAS Explorer or Synology Drive have ads?

Neither NAS Explorer nor Synology Drive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NAS Explorer or Synology Drive?

NAS Explorer ships an update every 5 months, and Synology Drive every 3 months. Most recently, NAS Explorer was updated on September 29, 2026 and Synology Drive on October 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*