# Synology Drive vs Dropbox - NAS File Sync Comparison

Synology Drive vs Dropbox compared for Australian users. Covers file sync, versioning, sharing, mobile apps, LAN speed, data sovereignty, and total cost of ownership. NAS one-time investment vs Dropbox's recurring subscription fees.

> Source: https://needtoknowit.com.au/blog/synology-drive-vs-dropbox-nas-file-sync-comparison/
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**Our Pick: Synology DS225+**
Synology Drive vs Dropbox compared for Australian users.
- CPU: Intel Celeron J4125 (quad-core 2.0GHz, burst 2.7GHz)
- RAM: 2GB DDR4 (expandable to 6GB)
- Drive Bays: 2x 3.5"/2.5" SATA, 1x 2.5GbE + 1x 1GbE
Market price: about $599 across 12 Australian retailers
[Check Price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FC2888KF?tag=ntkit-22)

**Synology Drive running on a local NAS delivers faster file sync, unlimited storage with no monthly fees, and complete data sovereignty, while Dropbox Plus charges Australian users $184.67 a year (billed yearly) for convenience that comes at the cost of ongoing subscription fees and third-party data hosting.** Dropbox is polished, widely understood, and works out of the box. But for Australian households and small businesses with growing file libraries, the maths increasingly favours a NAS. With Synology Drive Server installed, and the separate licence-free Synology Office package for real-time document collaboration, the NAS provides selective sync, versioning, mobile apps, and Windows, macOS and Ubuntu clients. All running on hardware you own, on your local network, with no recurring Synology Drive licence fee, although electricity, backup, maintenance and drive-replacement costs remain. This guide compares the two platforms feature by feature, breaks down the real costs in Australian dollars, and helps you decide which setup fits your workflow.

For a broader overview of this topic, see [our complete Synology ecosystem guide](/blog/synology-nas-australia/).

> **Note:** **In short:** Dropbox is the better choice if you need zero-setup cloud sync with strong third-party app integrations and don’t mind paying a subscription for every user indefinitely. Synology Drive on a NAS is the better choice if you want unlimited local storage, gigabit LAN sync speeds, full data ownership, and no recurring Synology Drive licence fee after the initial hardware purchase, but ongoing electricity, backup, maintenance and replacement costs. Payback varies by current hardware, drive and cloud-plan prices. In our single-user example Dropbox Plus stays cheaper over five years. For a three-person team, the NAS hardware costs about the same as Dropbox Standard over five years and less than Dropbox Advanced, before electricity.

## Why This Comparison Matters in 2026

The free plan now offers just 2GB. Barely enough for a handful of project folders. Meanwhile, Synology has invested heavily in Synology Drive, turning it from a basic file station replacement into a genuine Dropbox competitor with desktop sync clients, a web portal, mobile apps, on-demand file streaming, and team collaboration features. The gap between cloud file sync and local NAS file sync has never been smaller. If you already own or are considering [a Synology NAS for your Australian home or office](/blog/synology-nas-australia/), Synology Drive comes free with DSM. No per-user Synology Drive licence fee; capacity and supported workload depend on the installed drives, RAID configuration, volume limits and model-specific user and hosted-file guidance. The question is whether Dropbox’s polish and ecosystem are worth the ongoing cost, or whether Synology Drive on a NAS delivers enough to replace it entirely.

## Feature-by-Feature Comparison

### Synology Drive vs Dropbox. Feature Comparison

| Feature | Synology Drive (on NAS) | Dropbox (Cloud) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Storage Included | Unlimited (limited by installed drives) | 2GB free, then paid plans |
| Monthly Cost (AU) | No recurring Synology Drive licence fee after hardware purchase | Dropbox Plus 2TB $18.69 billed monthly; Dropbox Standard $27.50 per user and Dropbox Advanced $43.45 per user, billed monthly |
| Desktop Sync Client | Yes. Windows, macOS, Linux (Ubuntu) | Yes. Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Selective Sync | Yes. Choose folders to sync locally | Yes. Smart Sync streams files on demand |
| On-Demand File Streaming | Yes. On-demand sync in Drive Client | Yes. Smart Sync (online-only files) |
| File Versioning | Up to 32 historical versions, with configurable retention and rotation policies | 30 days (Plus) / 180 days (Standard) / 1 year (Advanced) |
| Maximum File Size | No limit (constrained by available storage) | Maximum file size: 2TB. Browser uploads above 375GB may be unreliable, so Dropbox recommends its desktop app or API for very large files. |
| LAN Transfer Speed | Up to 1Gbps+ on local network (115MB/s real-world) | Limited by the user’s internet upload speed, which varies by retail plan and NBN access technology |
| Mobile App | Synology Drive app (iOS + Android) | Dropbox app (iOS + Android) |
| Link Sharing | Yes. Password-protected, expiry dates | Shared links are available on Dropbox Plus, but password protection, custom expiry dates and viewer history require a plan with the relevant advanced sharing controls. |
| Team Folders / Shared Drives | Yes. Team folders with granular permissions | Yes. Team space, team folders, shared folders and team management |
| Third-Party Integrations | Limited. Native Synology Office and Synology Chat integration, plus an API for custom third-party integrations; fewer ready-made SaaS connectors than Dropbox. | Extensive. Slack, Zoom, Trello, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace |
| Data Location | Your NAS, your premises, Australia | Dropbox storage servers are located in the US and, for eligible users, Australia, the EU, Japan and the UK. Eligible annual team accounts with at least ten licences may request regional migration, subject to Dropbox’s review. |
| Offline Access | Full access on local network without internet | Requires internet (cached files available offline) |
| Setup Required | 30-60 minutes hardware + DSM + Drive Server install | Zero. Sign up and install client |
| Admin Control | Full. User accounts, quotas, audit logs, access controls | Admin console on Business plans only |

## Synology Drive Server and Client. What You Get

Synology Drive is a free package available in DSM’s Package Center. It consists of two components: **Synology Drive Server**, which runs on the NAS and manages files, versioning, sharing, and user permissions; and **Synology Drive Client**, the desktop application that syncs files between your computer and the NAS. There is also a mobile app for iOS and Android, and a web portal accessible from any browser.

The desktop client works much like Dropbox’s sync client. You designate folders on your computer to sync with the NAS, and changes propagate automatically. The on-demand sync feature lets you see all your NAS files in Finder or Explorer without downloading them. Files are fetched only when you open them, saving local disk space on laptops with smaller SSDs. This is functionally equivalent to Dropbox’s Smart Sync.

File versioning is configurable: Synology Drive supports up to 32 historical versions with configurable retention and rotation policies. For comparison, Dropbox Plus lets you restore deleted files for 30 days, Standard for 180 days and Advanced for 1 year. On a NAS with ample storage, keeping 32 versions indefinitely is a meaningful advantage for anyone working on documents, designs, or code that evolves over time.

Team folders allow multiple NAS users to share a common workspace with granular read/write permissions. Synology Office, bundled free with DSM, adds collaborative document editing, spreadsheets, and slides directly within the Drive web portal. It is not as polished as Google Docs or Microsoft 365, but for internal document collaboration it is serviceable and keeps everything on your own hardware. If you need a full [step-by-step setup walkthrough](/blog/synology-nas-setup-guide-australia/), setup time varies with drive installation, DSM updates, storage-pool creation and network configuration.

## Dropbox Plans and AU Pricing

Dropbox’s current main plans are Plus, Standard and Advanced. Professional can now be purchased on dropbox.com only in Brazil and Japan, although mobile app-store availability may differ. Check the current price at Dropbox’s Australian checkout before you compare costs.

- **Dropbox Free:** 2GB, 1 user, 30-day versioning
- **Dropbox Plus:** $18.69/month billed monthly or $184.67/year billed yearly, 2TB, 1 user, 30-day versioning
- **Dropbox Professional:** 3TB, 1 user and 180-day versioning; no longer sold on dropbox.com in Australia, although mobile app-store availability may differ.
- **Dropbox Standard:** $27.50 per user per month billed monthly or $277.20 per user per year billed yearly; for 1 person or more, starts at 3TB for the team, with admin controls and 180 days to restore deleted files.
- **Dropbox Advanced:** $43.45 per user per month billed monthly or $435.60 per user per year billed yearly; for 3 people or more, starts at 15TB for the team, with 1 year to restore deleted files.

Those subscription fees recur every year. A single Dropbox Plus user billed yearly pays $184.67 per year. Use our [Cloud vs NAS Cost Calculator](/tools/cloud-vs-nas-calculator/) to multiply the current subscription price by the comparison period. The DS225+ has a market price of about $599, and each HAT3300-4T drive has a market price of about $399. For one person, Dropbox Plus is the cheaper option over five years before electricity. A team of three on Dropbox Standard or Advanced pays the per-user price three times over, every year. The DS425+ has a market price of about $899, and each HAT3320-8T drive has a market price of about $814. Synology Drive has no per-user licence fee.

## Sync Speed. LAN vs Cloud

This is where the NAS advantage is most dramatic and least discussed. Synology Drive can use the local network rather than the internet uplink, but actual sync throughput varies with file sizes, drives, client hardware, protocol overhead and configuration. Wi-Fi 6 transfer speeds vary materially with signal conditions, network configuration, client hardware, interference, and file workload. Either way, syncing a 10GB folder of project files takes seconds to a few minutes.

Dropbox, by contrast, is limited by your internet upload speed. Dropbox upload speed depends on the retail plan and access technology; current NBN upload tiers vary, and a 100/20 service cannot exceed 20Mbps at the wholesale layer. That same 10GB folder takes 25-35 minutes to sync to Dropbox. On NBN 50 plans, upload is even slower. For users working with large files, including video editors, photographers, CAD users, or anyone managing project archives, the difference between local NAS sync and cloud sync is the difference between waiting seconds and waiting the better part of an hour. Even Dropbox’s LAN Sync feature (which detects other Dropbox clients on the same network) only helps with syncing between computers, not with the initial upload to Dropbox’s servers.

> **Tip:** **NBN reality check:** Most Australian NBN plans have asymmetric speeds. Upload speed depends on the specific NBN retail product and access technology. A 100/20 service has a maximum 20Mbps upload, while separate 100/40 services and newer accelerated FTTP/HFC tiers have different limits. Dropbox changes must traverse the WAN uplink, although block-level sync can reduce the amount transferred; local NAS sync instead uses the LAN.

## Remote Access. Synology Drive Away from Home

Dropbox works identically whether you are at home, in a café, or overseas. Synology Drive requires slightly more setup for [remote access](/blog/nas-remote-access-vpn-australia/). There are three main approaches:

**QuickConnect** is the easiest option. It is Synology’s relay service that routes your connection through Synology’s servers when a direct connection is not possible. It works behind most routers and even behind CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT), which affects some Australian NBN connections, particularly those on fixed wireless or certain RSPs. QuickConnect is free, requires no port forwarding, and works with the Synology Drive desktop and mobile apps. The trade-off is speed: because traffic is relayed, transfer rates are slower than a direct connection, typically limited by your home upload speed.

**DDNS with port forwarding** gives you a direct connection to your NAS, which is faster but requires a public IP address (CGNAT blocks this) and opening ports on your router. This is a viable approach for users with a standard NBN connection and basic networking knowledge.

**VPN (Tailscale, WireGuard, or Synology VPN Server)** is the most secure option. It creates an encrypted tunnel to your home network, letting you access the NAS as if you were on your local LAN. Tailscale in particular works behind CGNAT and requires almost no configuration. For anyone serious about remote NAS access, a VPN is the recommended approach.

None of these options match Dropbox’s effortless anywhere-access. But for users who primarily work from home or the office and only occasionally need remote access, the setup investment is minimal and the ongoing cost savings are substantial.

## Sharing and Collaboration

Dropbox has a clear edge in external sharing and third-party collaboration. Sending a Dropbox link to a client or colleague is universally understood. Dropbox integrates natively with Slack, Zoom, Trello, Microsoft 365, and dozens of other productivity tools. Dropbox Paper and the new Dropbox Dash further extend its collaboration features. For teams that rely on a broad SaaS ecosystem, Dropbox slots in seamlessly.

Synology Drive’s sharing is functional but more limited. You can generate password-protected share links with expiry dates, which is sufficient for sending files to external parties. Team folders with per-user permissions handle internal collaboration well. Synology Office provides basic real-time document editing. But there are no native integrations with Slack, Zoom, or other third-party tools. If your workflow depends on tight integration between your file sync platform and your broader software stack, Dropbox is genuinely better suited.

For internal teams that primarily share files amongst themselves and occasionally send links externally, Synology Drive covers the requirements. For teams that live in a SaaS-heavy workflow with frequent external collaboration, Dropbox’s integration ecosystem is a meaningful advantage that is difficult to replicate with a NAS.

## Data Sovereignty and Privacy

This is increasingly a deciding factor for Australian businesses and privacy-conscious individuals. When you store files on Dropbox, your data resides on servers primarily located in the United States and is subject to US jurisdiction, including potential access under US law enforcement requests. Dropbox’s privacy policy permits them to access file metadata, and while file contents are encrypted at rest, Dropbox manages the keys for its standard encryption. Business Plus, Advanced and Enterprise teams can additionally use end-to-end encrypted team folders that Dropbox cannot decrypt, although those folders have feature limitations.

With Synology Drive on a NAS, your files never leave your premises unless you explicitly configure remote access. The data sits on drives you own, in a device you control, on your local network. On-premises storage avoids placing the file contents with a cloud-storage provider, but DSM is governed by Synology’s EULA, and optional services such as QuickConnect, DDNS and certificate issuance involve Synology or third parties; jurisdictional exposure depends on the configuration and legal context. Keeping data on premises changes the compliance risk profile but does not itself satisfy or necessarily simplify the APPs. Organisations must still implement reasonable technical and organisational security measures and assess all applicable privacy, health, financial, retention and breach-notification requirements.

This matters beyond compliance. If Dropbox changes its terms, raises prices, suffers a breach, or discontinues a feature, you are at the mercy of their decisions. With a NAS, your files are standard files on a standard file system. There is no vendor lock-in, no proprietary format, and no dependency on a third party’s continued existence. The files may remain recoverable from intact drives, but recovery depends on RAID integrity, filesystem and hardware compatibility, DSM support and possession of any encryption keys.

## Total Cost of Ownership. NAS vs Dropbox Over Five Years

The balance may shift toward a NAS over time because cloud subscriptions recur, but NAS ownership also includes electricity, backup, maintenance and replacement costs, so each scenario must be calculated separately. Here is a realistic five-year breakdown for two common scenarios.

### Scenario 1: Single User / Home Office

*[Synology DiskStation DS225+ on Amazon AU](https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FC2888KF?tag=ntkit-22)*

- **Dropbox Plus, billed yearly (5 years):** $184.67 per year, billed yearly
- **Synology DS225+:** about $599 one-time
- **2× Synology HAT3300-4T (4TB each):** about $399 each
- **NAS electricity:** Not included in these totals: it depends on your drives, workload and electricity tariff
- **NAS hardware total (5 years):** Not totalled here (see the Cloud vs NAS Cost Calculator)
- **Dropbox Total (5 years):** Not totalled here (see the Cloud vs NAS Cost Calculator)
- **What the figures show:** Dropbox Plus is cheaper over five years for one person. The NAS provides 8TB raw and approximately 4TB nominal usable in RAID 1, versus 2TB, with no per-user Synology Drive licence fee. Synology rates the DS225+ for up to 10 Drive users and the DS425+ for up to 20 under its tested workload; both support up to 512 local DSM accounts.

For a single user with modest storage needs, Dropbox Plus is cheaper over five years. The NAS provides about twice the nominal usable capacity: 8TB raw and approximately 4TB in RAID 1, versus 2TB on Dropbox Plus, supports multiple users without per-user Synology Drive licensing, subject to model limits and tested-workload guidance, keeps all data local, and continues working beyond year five with no ongoing fees. A second household member does not automatically make the NAS cheaper: Dropbox Family supports up to six members sharing 2TB, and current plan, add-on and NAS costs must be compared for the required capacity.

**Still deciding?: Synology DS225+**
Our top pick: Synology DS225+.
[Check price](https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FC2888KF?tag=ntkit-22)

### Scenario 2: Small Team (3 Users)

*[Synology DiskStation DS425+ on Amazon AU](https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FB2XPTKC?tag=ntkit-22)*

- **Dropbox Standard, 3 users, billed yearly (5 years):** Dropbox Standard is $277.20 per user per year billed yearly: multiply it by 3 users and 5 years
- **Synology DS425+:** about $899 one-time
- **4× Synology Plus 8TB (HAT3320-8T):** about $814 each
- **NAS electricity:** Not included in these totals: it depends on your drives, workload and electricity tariff
- **NAS hardware total (5 years):** Not totalled here (see the Cloud vs NAS Cost Calculator)
- **Dropbox Total (5 years):** Three users × five years at the current Dropbox Standard or Advanced per-user price
- **What the figures show:** Before electricity, the NAS hardware costs about the same as three Dropbox Standard licences over five years and less than three Dropbox Advanced licences. Four 8TB drives in RAID 5 provide 24TB nominal capacity (about 21.8TiB before filesystem overhead), against 3TB at the start of Standard and 15TB at the start of Advanced.

For small teams, the answer depends on which Dropbox plan you would otherwise buy. The [NAS vs cloud storage calculation](/blog/nas-vs-cloud-storage-australia/) can favour local hardware for some multi-user teams, but it depends on the applicable Dropbox plan, required capacity, NAS hardware, electricity, backup and replacement costs. The NAS serves all three users from a single device with no per-user fees and provides 24TB nominal capacity, about 21.8TiB before filesystem overhead, in RAID 5. Against three Dropbox Standard licences, which start at 3TB for the team, the NAS hardware costs about the same over five years but holds far more. Against three Dropbox Advanced licences, which start at 15TB, the NAS is the cheaper option over five years. Electricity and any drive replacement sit on the NAS side, so add them for your own setup before you decide.

## Pros and Cons. Synology Drive

**Pros**
- No recurring Synology Drive licence fee, but electricity, backup, maintenance and replacement costs continue
- Unlimited storage limited only by installed drives
- Gigabit LAN sync speeds (100-115MB/s) dwarf cloud upload speeds
- Complete data sovereignty. Files never leave your premises
- No per-user licensing. Add users at no extra cost
- Configurable versioning up to 32 versions with no time-based expiry
- No file size limits
- Full admin control: user accounts, quotas, audit logs
- Works offline on your local network if internet drops

**Cons**
- Requires NAS hardware purchase and 30-60 minute setup
- Remote access needs configuration (QuickConnect, DDNS, or VPN)
- CGNAT on some Australian NBN connections complicates remote access
- No native integrations with Slack, Zoom, Microsoft 365, or other SaaS tools
- Synology Office is basic compared to Google Docs or Microsoft 365
- Hardware failure risk. If the NAS dies without backup, data is at risk
- You are responsible for maintenance, updates, and drive replacements

## Pros and Cons. Dropbox

**Pros**
- Zero setup. Sign up, install client, start syncing
- Works identically from anywhere with an internet connection
- Excellent third-party integrations (Slack, Zoom, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)
- Smart Sync streams files on demand without downloading them
- Universally understood. Dropbox links are standard in business communication
- Dropbox manages infrastructure, backups, and redundancy
- Business plans include admin console, audit logs, and compliance features
- Strong mobile app with offline file access

**Cons**
- Recurring subscription that never stops, charged per user on team plans
- Storage capped by plan: 2TB on Plus, and Standard starts at 3TB for the team
- Data stored on US-based servers, subject to US jurisdiction
- Dropbox holds encryption keys. They can access your files if compelled
- Upload speed limited by NBN (5-6MB/s on NBN 100 vs 115MB/s on LAN)
- 2TB maximum file size; browser uploads above 375GB may be unreliable, so Dropbox recommends the desktop app or API for very large files
- Price increases are unilateral. Dropbox sets the terms
- 30 days to restore deleted files on Plus (180 days on Standard, 1 year on Advanced)

## Who Synology Drive Suits Best

Synology Drive on a NAS suits users who work primarily from a single location (home office, small office) and want fast, reliable file sync without ongoing costs. It is particularly strong for:

**Home offices and freelancers** who generate large files. Photographers, videographers, designers, and developers. The LAN speed advantage alone justifies the NAS for anyone regularly syncing gigabytes of working files. The DS225+ has a market price of about $599 and handles this effortlessly.

**Small businesses (2-10 people)** who primarily collaborate internally. Team folders with permissions, shared drives, and Synology Office cover the core collaboration needs without per-user subscription fees. The DS425+ has a market price of about $899. The DS925+ has a market price of about $1,099. Both provide the storage and performance for a growing team.

**Privacy-conscious users and businesses** handling sensitive data. Medical practices, legal firms, accountants, and anyone subject to Australian Privacy Principles benefits from keeping data on-premises rather than on US-hosted cloud servers.

**Households** that want a central file repository for the family. Multiple family members can sync documents, photos, and media through Synology Drive without each needing a separate Dropbox subscription.

## Who Dropbox Suits Best

Dropbox suits users who prioritise effortless access from anywhere and rely heavily on third-party SaaS integrations. It is the stronger choice for:

**Distributed teams and remote workers** who need identical access from multiple locations, cities, or countries. If your team is not co-located and every member needs seamless cloud access without VPN configuration, Dropbox delivers this out of the box.

**SaaS-heavy workflows** that depend on integrations with Slack, Zoom, Trello, Asana, Microsoft 365, or Google Workspace. Synology Drive cannot replicate this integration depth. If your productivity stack revolves around these tools, Dropbox’s native connectors save time daily.

**Users who want zero maintenance.** Dropbox handles all infrastructure, redundancy, and updates. There are no drives to replace, no firmware to update, and no hardware to manage. For people who do not want to think about storage infrastructure at all, this convenience has real value.

**Frequent travellers** who need reliable file access from hotel Wi-Fi, airport lounges, and mobile connections. While Synology Drive’s QuickConnect works remotely, it cannot match the consistency of a purpose-built cloud platform with global CDN infrastructure.

## Can You Use Both Together?

Yes, and many users do. A practical hybrid approach uses Dropbox for external sharing and collaboration with clients and contractors, while Synology Drive handles internal file sync and long-term storage. Synology’s **Cloud Sync** package (separate from Synology Drive) can connect your NAS to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and other cloud services, automatically syncing designated folders between the NAS and the cloud. Cloud Sync can maintain a local or cloud-side copy, but an ordinary two-way sync is not an independent backup because edits and deletions may propagate. For backup use, configure an appropriate one-way task, prevent destination deletions, and use independent versioning or retention.

This hybrid approach lets you keep a small Dropbox plan for external-facing collaboration while using Synology Drive for everything internal. You get the best of both platforms without paying for a large Dropbox storage tier.

## Buying a NAS in Australia. What to Know

If the NAS route makes sense for your situation, here are the key considerations for Australian buyers. Both BlueChip and MMT distribute Synology in Australia.

For file sync workloads, the DS225+ has a market price of about $599 and is the sweet spot for home offices and single users. The **DS425+** has a market price of about $899 and suits small teams needing more storage capacity and RAID 5 redundancy. Both models support Synology Drive Server with full functionality. The real difference between retailers is what happens when something goes wrong. Buy from a specialist like Scorptec or PLE where you can get genuine pre-sales guidance.

> **Warning:** **Australian Consumer Law note:** ACL protections apply when purchasing from Australian retailers. Your first step for a faulty product is usually the retailer that sold it. The ACCC explains your rights under the Australian Consumer Law at [accc.gov.au](https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/buying-products-and-services/warranties). A separate Synology express-warranty claim may also be available under its warranty terms. Synology offers Australia-based after-sales and on-site replacement services through Computergate for eligible products and service plans; model and geographic coverage is limited. Warranty-processing time varies with the retailer, fault assessment, replacement stock, remedy and service plan. Always have a backup strategy: a NAS alone is not a backup. Consider offsite backup, cloud sync, or a secondary NAS for critical data.

## Frequently Asked Questions

Synology Drive's remote sync depends on your NBN connection. Our [NBN Remote Access Reality Checker](/tools/nbn-remote-access-checker/) checks whether your ISP and plan support direct access or whether you'll need a relay.

Related reading: our [NAS buyer's guide](/blog/best-nas-australia/).

Use our free [Cloud vs NAS Cost Calculator](/tools/cloud-vs-nas-calculator/) to compare cloud storage against owning a NAS.

Use our free [NAS Sizing Wizard](/tools/nas-sizing-wizard/) to work out how many bays and what size drives you need.

See also: [our complete Synology NAS Australia guide](/brand-guides/synology/).

See also: [our complete Synology ecosystem guide](/blog/synology-ecosystem-australia/).

**Q: Can Synology Drive fully replace Dropbox?**

For internal file sync, versioning, selective sync, and mobile access, Synology Drive covers all the core features. Where it falls short is third-party integrations (Slack, Zoom, Microsoft 365) and effortless remote access from anywhere. If your workflow depends heavily on SaaS integrations or you need seamless access from multiple cities without VPN setup, Dropbox is still the more practical option. For home offices and small teams working primarily from one location, Synology Drive is a complete Dropbox replacement.

**Q: Does Synology Drive work over the internet when away from home?**

Yes. QuickConnect provides remote access without port forwarding and works behind most routers, including those with CGNAT. Alternatively, you can configure DDNS with port forwarding (requires a public IP) or use a VPN like Tailscale or WireGuard for a secure, direct connection. Remote sync speeds are limited by your home NBN upload speed. Remote sync speed depends on the specific retail plan, NBN access technology, provider, client connection and whether QuickConnect uses a direct or relayed path. In practice that is comparable to Dropbox’s speeds in the same scenario. For more detail, see our [NAS remote access guide](/blog/nas-remote-access-vpn-australia/).

**Q: How much does a Synology NAS cost in Australia for file sync?**

A capable file sync setup starts with the Synology DS225+ at about $599. Add two Synology Plus 4TB (HAT3300-4T) drives at about $399 each for a RAID 1 mirror with 4TB usable storage. Add the current DS225+ and HAT3300-4T prices, then include electricity, backup, maintenance and replacement costs with our [Cloud vs NAS Cost Calculator](/tools/cloud-vs-nas-calculator/). For a small team, the DS425+ at about $899 with four Synology Plus 8TB (HAT3320-8T) drives at about $814 each provides 24TB usable in RAID 5. These are one-time costs with no ongoing subscription fees.

**Q: Is Synology Drive as fast as Dropbox for syncing files?**

On your local network, Synology Drive is dramatically faster. Gigabit Ethernet delivers 100-115MB/s, while Dropbox is limited by the applicable internet upload speed, which varies by retail plan and NBN access technology. That means a 1GB file syncs to a local NAS in about 9 seconds but takes nearly 3 minutes to upload to Dropbox. Over the internet (remote access), both are limited by your home upload speed, making them roughly equivalent for remote use.

**Q: What happens to my files if the Synology NAS fails?**

If the NAS hardware fails, your files are still on the hard drives (assuming RAID is intact). A compatible replacement Synology NAS may be able to migrate the existing drives, but recovery depends on model and drive compatibility, RAID integrity, DSM support and possession of any encryption keys. However, if multiple drives fail simultaneously or the NAS and drives are damaged (fire, theft, power surge), data could be lost. This is why a NAS should never be your only copy. Use Synology’s Hyper Backup to maintain an offsite backup to a USB drive, a second NAS, or even a small cloud backup for critical files. Australian Consumer Law covers the hardware replacement but not your data.

**Q: Can I use Synology Drive and Dropbox at the same time?**

Yes. Synology’s Cloud Sync package can connect your NAS to Dropbox, automatically syncing designated folders between the two. This lets you maintain a local NAS copy of your Dropbox files (or sync specific NAS folders to Dropbox for external sharing). Many users keep a basic Dropbox plan for external collaboration while using Synology Drive for day-to-day internal sync, getting the best of both platforms without paying for a large Dropbox storage tier.

**Q: Does Synology Drive support selective sync like Dropbox Smart Sync?**

Yes. Synology Drive Client supports on-demand sync, which shows all your NAS files in Finder (macOS) or Explorer (Windows) without downloading them. Files are fetched only when you open them, saving local storage on laptops with smaller SSDs. This is functionally equivalent to Dropbox’s Smart Sync feature. You can also configure traditional selective sync to choose which folders sync locally and which stay on the NAS only.

Considering a NAS for file sync? Read our full guide to choosing the right Synology NAS for your needs and budget in Australia.

**[Best Synology NAS Australia →](https://needtoknowit.com.au/blog/synology-nas-australia/)**