# DS router vs DSLoad Station

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DS router at none against DSLoad Station's 9. DS router also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). DSLoad Station's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (60% vs 41%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DSLoad Station sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. DS router asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for DS router against 4.5 for DSLoad Station. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 568 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of DS router's written reviews are positive against 60% of DSLoad Station's.

DS router ships an update every 3 months, DSLoad Station every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS router | DSLoad Station |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-router/id963699443/reviews)** | [4.5 (568 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dsload-station/id1510628586/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 568 |
| Positive reviews | 41.2% of reviews | **59.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 109 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Thomas Le gravier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1510628585) |

## What reviewers say

### DS router

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-router/id963699443)

Manage your Synology Router network remotely with ease. Monitor traffic, set up guest networks, and implement parental controls to protect your children's online activities. Requires a Synology Router and SRM 1.3.

**Highlights:** Remote router management, Network status monitoring, Guest network creation, Real-time traffic supervision, Device prioritization, Parental controls and security

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### DSLoad Station

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dsload-station/id1510628586)

Manage your Synology Download Station securely and privately from your mobile device. Control downloads, browse files, monitor your NAS, and automate tasks with an intuitive interface and seamless iOS integration.

**Highlights:** Secure and private connection, Full download task control, Add tasks via URLs, files, or browser, Real-time background notifications, Built-in file browser, RSS feed manager, Manage multiple NAS servers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Full access - Yearly | $3.49 | per year |
| Full access - Yearly | $4.49 | per year |
| Full access - Yearly | $5.99 | per year |
| Full access - Yearly | $6.99 | per year |
| Full access - Yearly | $7.99 | per year |
| Full access - Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Full access - Lifetime | $17.99 | one-time |
| Full access - Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app and great support
- 🚀 Reliable and stable
- 👍 Excellent layout, features, and functionality
- 👍 Convenient to use
- 👍 Responsive developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional login issues and authentication problems
- 🐛 Search not working at times
- 🔒 Concerns about security and data privacy
- 💰 Paid app when previous app was free
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes on iPad
- Unreliable connection to NAS
- Inconsistent performance and functionality

**Requested features**

- Custom user-agent for specific sources
- Ability to save default download folder
- Integration with browser to push downloads directly
- Support for more advanced download management features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS router free?

DS router is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DSLoad Station free?

DSLoad Station is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, DS router or DSLoad Station?

DS router is rated higher. DS router averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while DSLoad Station averages 4.5 from 568 ratings.

### Do DS router or DSLoad Station have ads?

Neither DS router nor DSLoad Station shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS router or DSLoad Station?

DS router ships an update every 3 months, and DSLoad Station every 2 weeks. Most recently, DS router was updated on October 20, 2026 and DSLoad Station on October 21, 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.*