Sure, there are several advanced things the NAS can do, from running a mail server to offering a full surveillance suite. This also means you will spend a substantial amount on buying the hardware upfront instead of renting some storage space with Google One for a small fee.Įven if you get a basic Synology DiskStation DS220+ and pair it with two NAS-specific hard drives, you're looking at an initial investment going upwards of $500. Think of it as the various apps and services Apple bundles without additional charges when buying an iPhone. But to access it, you need a Synology NAS. The Synology Photos app is free to use without any monthly subscription tied to it. And when you're using the app, you'll feel right at home coming from Google Photos with features like automatic face tagging and sharing options. Synology Photos is designed to make it easy to move your entire Google Photos library.