The greatest promoting level of Google Photos was limitless picture storage, however Google removed that choice final 12 months. With 15GB of free storage obtainable with a Google account, the search large is now nudging customers to pay for a Google One plan ought to they exceed the free storage quota. So when Google introduced the transfer to take away limitless storage in Google Photos, I began on the lookout for an alternate.
It did not take lengthy for me to determine that Synology Photos is a viable answer. I’ve been utilizing the DiskStation DS1019+ and DS1520+ to again up full-res photographs and movies from all of the telephones we now have in the home, so it was fairly easy to think about the model. There are a number of benefits to utilizing a NAS server for storing your media, key amongst them being knowledge safety. As the information by no means leaves your property, you may have full management over your photographs and movies, and I wrote a information breaking down why a NAS server is the ideal offline Google Photos alternative.
To its credit score, Synology did a wonderful job collating all of its disparate companies right into a unified entity for backing up photographs and movies, dubbing it Synology Photos. The transfer coincided with Google killing off limitless storage with Google Photos, and having used Synology Photos quickly after it launched, there was so much to love. Synology Photos is insanely quick at importing photographs, and as you are solely doing so inside your property community, it has a definite benefit over Google Photos on this regard — notably should you’re working with massive albums with lots of or hundreds of photographs.
Synology Photos will get so much proper, and it now works natively on the perfect sensible TV platforms.
Then there’s the truth that Synology Photos has higher picture administration, and also you get the flexibility to type photographs by location, digital camera, file title, and extra. This makes an enormous distinction for my specific use case as I have a tendency to look with file names when on the lookout for product photographs. As we’re on that topic, the price of storage provides up very quick should you want quite a lot of it on Google Photos. I’d have to get the 10TB tier if I needed to again up all of the photographs I shot during the last three years in native decision, and that comes out to $49 a month, or $600 a 12 months — that is the price of two 18TB Red Pro drives (opens in new tab), and I do know what I’m shopping for.
What makes Synology Photos somewhat extra attractive is that the most recent model has native shoppers for Android TV and Apple TV, making it about as easy as doable to browse your media library on the TV. The Synology Photos shopper for Android and iOS does a superb job transferring photographs to the NAS, and with the flexibility to simply view these photographs on the best smart TV platforms, Synology is proving that it’s invested in making its picture administration service among the finest round. This was a difficulty once I wrote concerning the service final 12 months, and I’m glad to see it change for the higher.
Don’t get me flawed; Google Photos nonetheless will get so much proper, and the benefit of use mixed with the enhancing options makes it a fantastic alternative for lots of customers. But should you’re like me and take quite a lot of photographs and movies, it makes higher sense to get an offline answer for storing your whole full-resolution media. If you are all for making the change, the DiskStation DS220+ remains to be my decide for the best home NAS, and is a superb place to begin. I additionally wrote a information detailing how to transfer your photos from Google Photos to Synology Photos, so check out that to know the way to transfer your knowledge.
Synology DiskStation DS220+
With two drive bays, sturdy {hardware} and twin Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, the DiskStation DS220+ is a superb alternative for first-time NAS patrons. Combine that with an intensive feature-set and also you get the best offline Google Photos different.