Synology’s BeeStation is still the easiest Google Photos replacement
HTG Wrapped 2025: 24 days of technology
24 days of our favorite hardware, gadgets and technologies
Cloud storage services like Google Photos and Dropbox force you to pay too much for storage. And can you really trust these companies to respect your privacy? For those who want to escape cloud storage, Synology’s BeeStation is the simplest and most user-friendly solution.
The BeeStation is a network attached storage (NAS) device, actually a 4TB hard drive that connects to your Internet router. You can upload files, photos and videos to the BeeStation from your smartphone, PC or tablet, whether you are inside or outside your home. Of course, you can also retrieve these files at any time, or share them with others via private links.
Most importantly, the BeeStation comes with a set of extremely user-friendly companion apps. There is BeeFiles, which is similar to Dropbox or Google Drive, and BeePhotos, which is formatted similarly to Apple Photos and Google Photos. BeeFiles even offers advanced features like AI search: you can search for photos based on where they were taken, who is in the photo or what is this in the photo (like a cat or a raccoon for example). File and photo backups can be done automatically through these apps, and you can even sync specific files or folders between your BeeStation and your PC.
Of course, the BeeStation is just one of many NAS devices available today. And any NAS device you buy (or build) can replace Google Photos or Dropbox. But Synology BeeStation is specially designed to be easy to use. The setup process takes a few minutes and requires no expertise, and since BeeStation is laser-focused on file and photo storage (as opposed to the complicated “homelab” stuff), it’s pretty hard to screw it up.
Synology BeeStation review: say goodbye to Dropbox and Google Photos
A super simple NAS device that mimics your cloud storage subscriptions.
But there are some caveats here. The BeeStation is technically less capable than a do-it-yourself NAS device, as it cannot install or run additional applications. And since it only contains a single hard drive, there’s no built-in data redundancy. If the internal drive fails, you lose your data. Fortunately, you can perform automatic backups to an external drive via USB. There’s also an option to perform routine backups to cloud storage providers like Dropbox, but then you miss out on the cost savings and privacy benefits that BeeStation offers. So I suggest using an external drive if this is important to you.
The Synology BeeStation costs $220, which is about $100 more than you’d pay for a standalone 4TB hard drive. I’d say the software and ease of setup are worth the extra $100, but if you don’t agree, you could always try using your desktop as a NAS. There’s also an upgraded 8TB model, the BeeStation Plus, which sells for $410 and offers Plex functionality in addition to basic file and photo storage features.
7/10
- Brand
-
Synology
- Processor
-
Realtek RTD1619B
- Memory
-
1 GB DDR4
- Drive bays
-
1 4 TB hard drive
Store, access and share files on the web, or from your desktop or mobile devices with BeeStation.
Share storage with family and friends so everyone has their own personalized storage space. Back up files from Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and external drives to a central location.
Finally, a high-performance gaming keyboard that doesn’t look like a toy
Attractive design turned me into a Hall Effect fan.
