# Synology Drive review (2026): is it any good? > Private-cloud file sync and sharing that runs on a Synology NAS Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Synology Drive is file storage, sync and sharing software that runs on a Synology NAS rather than in a vendor's cloud. Desktop and mobile clients sync and back up files, share links carry permissions, and Synology Office supports co-editing. The software has no license fee, but you need a compatible Synology device. - **Category:** File Storage & Sync - **Made by:** Synology Inc. - **Website:** https://www.synology.com/en-global/dsm/feature/drive - **Runs on:** Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you don't own a Synology NAS, as there is no hosted option. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Synology Drive is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** No license fee; installed from the DSM Package Center on a Synology NAS. Storage and user limits depend on the NAS model. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Synology Drive | $0 | License-free software; storage comes from the Synology NAS you choose. | Read from https://www.synology.com/en-global/dsm/feature/drive on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Synology Drive before buying. ## Key features - **Sync on demand:** Files can stream to a device only when requested, or be pinned for a permanent local copy. On-demand sync needs Windows 10 1809 or later. - **Version history:** Previous file and folder versions are restored from the client, and the Intelliversioning algorithm keeps the most significant changes. - **Share links and requests:** Links carry role-based permissions, and request links let outside people upload files straight to your NAS. - **Backup and ShareSync:** Real-time or scheduled backup of chosen folders, and ShareSync keeps folders in step between Synology systems. - **Admin console and auditing:** A dashboard tracks clients and activity, and audit logs cover up to 40 action types. Watermarks and remote wipe are available. - **Co-editing in Synology Office:** Microsoft or OpenDocument files can be converted and edited together in Synology Office, with file locking against conflicts. ## Good for - People who already own a Synology NAS and want a private cloud on it - Offices replacing a Windows file server with sync and sharing - Teams that want data kept on hardware they control ## Worth knowing - It needs a Synology NAS; storage capacity and user counts follow the model you buy. - There is no hosted option on the page: Drive installs through the NAS Package Center. - Desktop clients cover Windows, macOS and Ubuntu; mobile covers iOS, iPadOS and Android. - Maximum users and concurrent users vary by NAS model. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Synology Drive is private-cloud file sync with no license fee, installed on a Synology NAS. It needs that hardware, storage and user limits follow the model you buy, and there is no hosted option. - **Value for money: C.** No license fee, but it runs only on a NAS you buy, which counts as self-hosting. - **Free plan and trial: C.** Free to install, but you need the NAS first, and storage and users depend on the model. - **Features: C.** Sync, sharing and team folders, but only on a Synology NAS, and user limits vary by model. - **Ease of use: D.** You set up a NAS and install the package yourself. No store rating on record. - **Platforms and integrations: A.** Web, Windows, Mac, Ubuntu, iPhone, iPad and Android clients, with 3 integrations. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Synology Drive's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among file storage and sync services - Synology Drive's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 34 of the 91 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 9. - It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 70 of 91) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0). - Synology Drive has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/file-storage ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Synology Drive is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. - You could not: Files kept in step across devices without losing one. - You could not: Storing and serving files for other people. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. - You could not: Several people working in it at the same moment. - You could not: What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: audit logs and roles and permissions. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Synology Office, Windows Active Directory, Hybrid Share **Tags:** File sync, File sharing, Real-time collaboration ## Alternatives - [Nextcloud](https://toolgpa.com/tools/nextcloud): Open source, self-hosted file sync and collaboration platform. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nextcloud-vs-synology-drive) - [ownCloud](https://toolgpa.com/tools/owncloud): Open-source file sync and share you can host yourself. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/owncloud-vs-synology-drive) - [Seafile](https://toolgpa.com/tools/seafile): Open-source file sync and share, self-hosted or in the cloud. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/seafile-vs-synology-drive) - [Syncthing](https://toolgpa.com/tools/syncthing): Free, open source file sync directly between your own devices. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/syncthing-vs-synology-drive) - [Resilio Sync](https://toolgpa.com/tools/resilio-sync): Device-to-device file sync with an enterprise edition. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/resilio-sync-vs-synology-drive) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://www.synology.com/en-global/dsm/feature/drive Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/synology-drive Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).