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Synology Photos vs iCloud Photos: catalog facts
Synology Photos	iCloud Photos
Free Included at no extra cost with a Synology NAS.	Freemium Uses the storage in the user's iCloud plan.
Android, iOS, Web, Self-hosted, Browser extension	macOS, iOS, Web
Photos stay on hardware you own Automatic phone backup through mobile apps	Syncs automatically across Apple devices Web access for viewing and sharing
Requires a Synology NAS Closed source	Tied to an Apple account Closed source cloud service
Downloadable app, Self-hosted, Browser extension	Web application, Hosted service
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.