You can keep a Synology NAS as your storage server while replacing selected apps with open-source services: Immich for photo libraries and phone backups, Jellyfin for media streaming, Nextcloud for web-based file work, and Syncthing for syncing folders across devices. They cover different jobs, not one-for-one replacements for every DSM app. The right choice depends on your NAS model, client devices, migration needs, and willingness to maintain containerized services.
Which Synology app job are you trying to replace?
“Synology apps alternatives” is a common way to describe the search, but choosing by app name can obscure the real question: what do you need to do? These projects address different tasks, and the available documentation does not establish that any is a complete drop-in replacement for Synology Drive or another DSM application.
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| Synology task | Open-source option | What it is suited to | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo library and phone photo backup | Immich | Self-hosted photo and video library with mobile backup apps. | The Synology deployment instructions are a community contribution, not official Immich support. Album and metadata migration is not established by the cited documentation. Immich Synology guide; Immich downloads. |
| Video library and streaming | Jellyfin | A self-hosted media server for organizing and streaming a video library. | The official Synology guide requires DSM 7.0 or newer and Container Manager. NAS capability, particularly for transcoding, depends on the specific model and setup. Jellyfin Synology guide. |
| Web-based file operations and sharing | Nextcloud | File management that includes versions, trash, and optional external storage. | The documentation describes these functions, but does not establish feature parity with Synology Drive. Nextcloud administration manual. |
| Folder synchronization between devices | Syncthing | Keeping selected folders synchronized across devices, with documented versioning options. | It is a focused synchronization tool; the cited documentation does not establish that it provides Nextcloud-style web sharing or all Synology Drive features. Syncthing documentation. |
Think of these as choices by task, not a single replacement suite. You might use one, several, or none, while continuing to use DSM for storage and NAS administration.
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For phone photos and a searchable library: Immich
Immich is a plausible choice if your priority is a self-hosted photo and video library with mobile backup. Its project provides a self-hosted installation path and mobile apps. The Synology-specific guide describes deploying it through Container Manager, but is explicitly community-contributed and not officially supported by Immich.
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- Your Personal Streaming Server - Build your own Netflix-style media library and stream 4K movies, shows and photos to any device without monthly fees
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Do not assume that installing Immich automatically imports every Photos album, edit, or metadata field. The cited materials establish an installation path, not a verified migration of an existing Synology Photos library. Keep the original files and a separate backup until you have checked the resulting library and confirmed that you can restore it.
For a video collection: Jellyfin
Jellyfin has an official Synology installation guide for DSM 7.0 or newer. It uses the jellyfin/jellyfin image and assumes Container Manager is installed from Package Center. That makes it a documented option for a container-based media server, not a guarantee that every Synology can stream every file smoothly.
Rank #2
- Supports drives on the model's official compatibility list
- Up to 522/565 MB/s sequential read/write throughput supports stable data transfers.
- Dual 2.5GbE ports provide fast network transfer speeds and increased redundancy.
- Leverage built-in file and photo management, data protection, virtualization, and surveillance solutions.
- Backed by Synology's 3-year limited hardware warranty.
The Jellyfin project warns in its Synology installation documentation: “Many pre-built NAS devices are underpowered. We generally do not recommend running Jellyfin on those devices.” Treat that warning seriously if you expect the NAS to transcode media. Whether a particular model can handle your files and playback devices depends on its hardware and configuration; the documentation does not provide a model-by-model performance benchmark.
For browser-based file work: Nextcloud
Nextcloud is worth considering when you want more than files sitting in shared folders: its administration documentation covers file operations, version history, trash, and optional external storage. Those capabilities may suit a web-centered file workflow, but they do not prove that Nextcloud matches every Synology Drive feature or behaves identically for your existing clients.
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- Secure private cloud - Enjoy 100% data ownership and multi-platform access from anywhere
- Easy sharing and syncing - Safely access and share files and media from anywhere, and keep clients, colleagues and collaborators on the same page
- Automated Backup Protection - Set-and-forget backups for Macs, PCs and mobile devices to multiple destinations including cloud and external drives
- Home Security System - Record and monitor your property 24/7 with support for multiple IP cameras and remote viewing
- 2-Year Warranty - Reliable hardware backed by Synology's expert customer support team and ongoing software updates
Before switching, list the features your household or team actually depends on—such as sharing links, version recovery, or access from a particular device—and confirm those workflows in the Nextcloud documentation and your chosen deployment. A broad platform can also bring more configuration and maintenance than a narrowly focused sync tool.
For keeping folders in sync: Syncthing
Syncthing is the more focused option when the main job is synchronizing chosen folders between devices. Its documentation covers devices, folders, synchronization, and versioning. That makes it a plausible alternative for folder sync, not evidence that it also supplies a browser-based file portal or every Drive feature.
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- One Place for All Your Data - Consolidate scattered files from multiple computers, phones and external drives into one accessible hub with 100% ownership
- Professional File Collaboration - Share projects with clients, sync documents across teams and maintain version control without Dropbox fees
- Automated Backup Protection - Set-and-forget backups for Macs, PCs and mobile devices to multiple destinations including cloud and external drives
- DIY Surveillance System - Transform IP cameras into a professional monitoring solution with motion alerts, recording schedules and remote viewing
- 2-Year Warranty - Reliable hardware backed by Synology's expert customer support team and ongoing software updates
Synchronization is not the same thing as backup: changes, deletions, or corrupted files can propagate between devices. If recovery matters, configure and verify versioning where appropriate and keep an independent copy outside the sync arrangement.
Check compatibility and administration before installing
Container Manager deployment is not the same as installing a supported one-click DSM package. Containerized services need deliberate setup and continuing administration. For Immich, the community Synology guide describes persistent postgres and library directories, compose and environment files, and creating a project in Container Manager. Jellyfin’s official guide likewise assumes Container Manager and a configured NAS.
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- Professional Video Editing Hub - Edit 4K and 8K footage directly over network with blistering 1,181 MB/s speeds; support multiple editors working simultaneously
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- Advanced Media Management - Stream content to clients organize thousands of assets with AI tagging and maintain project version control
- 3-Year Warranty & Enterprise Support - Dedicated technical account management is available for business-critical production environments
- DSM and package support: Confirm your DSM version, whether Container Manager is available for your NAS, and any project-specific requirements. Jellyfin’s documented Synology path requires DSM 7.0 or newer; do not assume that requirement applies to every other service.
- NAS hardware: Check your exact model against the workload. Media playback that requires transcoding can be more demanding than simply storing and serving files.
- Persistent storage: Understand which directories hold the database, library, configuration, and uploaded files. Data stored only in a replaceable container is at risk if the container is recreated or removed.
- Permissions and mounts: Ensure the service can read and write only the intended folders, and understand how NAS paths map into the container.
- Ongoing work: Plan for updates, configuration changes, storage capacity, and recovery. A container can simplify deployment without removing the need to administer the service.
Protect data before replacing or moving an app
Replacing a service and migrating to another Synology NAS are different operations. Synology’s migration guidance describes Migration Assistant as handling data, packages and their settings or data, and system configuration for supported devices, subject to DSM-version requirements. HDD migration or reinstallation can also lose or reset application state. Synology specifically identifies Download Station tasks and temporary storage among data that may be affected during reinstallation.
Before an app change, reinstall, or NAS move, check the current Synology compatibility and migration tables for your source and destination models and DSM versions. Do not treat a successful transfer of shared folders as proof that app databases, settings, queues, or metadata also moved.
- Inventory what matters: Identify original files, app databases, settings, albums, sharing arrangements, and any unfinished tasks you need to preserve.
- Make a separate copy: Back up important data somewhere independent of the service you are replacing. A sync relationship alone may reproduce deletions or corruption.
- Test the new service with a small, noncritical set: Confirm that the files appear as expected and that the clients and workflows you rely on work before changing the old setup.
- Verify restoration: A backup is useful only if you can retrieve the data. Test a restore before deleting the old app data or changing disks.
Keep a real backup plan, even if the NAS uses RAID
RAID can help keep a storage pool available after some drive failures, but it does not eliminate data-loss risk. Synology recommends a 3-2-1 backup strategy: three copies of data, on two storage media, with one copy offsite. An external hard drive can be one local backup destination, but a single external drive by itself does not complete that plan. See Synology’s data backup guidance.
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Apply that principle before and after a service switch: preserve source data separately, back up the new service’s persistent data and configuration, and retain an offsite copy for important files. Make sure the backup includes the service data you need to rebuild—not only the visible media or document folders.
A practical way to decide
- Choose Immich when the priority is self-hosted photo and video organization with mobile backup, and you are prepared to validate the import and maintain its persistent data.
- Choose Jellyfin when you want a media server and your DSM version and NAS hardware suit the workload, especially any transcoding you expect.
- Choose Nextcloud when web-based file operations, versions, trash, or external storage match your needs and you are comfortable administering a broader service.
- Choose Syncthing when the requirement is specifically synchronizing selected folders across devices, with a separate backup plan for recovery.
- Keep the Synology app if a feature you depend on is not documented for the alternative, the migration path is unclear, or the NAS is not a sensible host for the workload.
Make the choice by weighing the task, DSM and model compatibility, phone/desktop/browser clients, administration effort, migration of data and metadata, and an independent restore path. There is no universal ranking here: these are documented options for different jobs, not results from a head-to-head benchmark.
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