fractal filesystem vs Synology Drive
Synology Drive ties you to NAS hardware and DSM. ffs runs on generic PHP hosting with a portable fractal layout.
Pricing & value
ffs list prices on plans.php — often less per terabyte than closed SaaS, with a lifetime option competitors rarely offer.
fractal filesystem (ffs)
| Tier | Price | Storage | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0.00 | 100 MB billable | — |
| Plus | $10.00/mo | 2 TB billable | semantic archives, thumbnails, file edit |
| Plus Lifetime | $149.00 one-time | 2 TB billable | semantic archives, thumbnails, file edit |
| Team | $59.00/mo | 5 TB billable | semantic archives, thumbnails, file edit |
| Organization | $199.00/mo | 15 TB billable | semantic archives, thumbnails, file edit |
Synology Drive (typical list pricing)
| Scenario | Price | Storage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAS hardware (entry) | ~$300–500+ | 1–4 bay | One-time hardware; drives extra |
| Drive / packages | $0 | Your disks | Bundled with DSM; no per-GB cloud |
| Off-site backup / cloud | Varies | Varies | Often another subscription |
- ffs Plus $10/mo avoids upfront NAS capital — good for renters and bursty projects.
- Plus Lifetime $149 can be cheaper than a entry Synology + drives if you only need sync/archive.
- Team $59/mo (5 TB hosted) vs NAS + disks + power for a small remote team.
Competitor prices are indicative public list rates (USD) for comparison; your VPS, NAS, or enterprise quote may differ. See plans for current tiers and checkout.
| Feature | ffs | Synology Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | Free / $10/mo hosted | $300+ NAS + drives |
| 2 TB hosted | Plus $10/mo | Buy disks + NAS amortized |
| Hardware lock-in | No — generic PHP host | Synology NAS + DSM |
| Catalog portability | XML + JSON index | Vendor ecosystem |
| Public read-only web | Slurp | QuickConnect / shares |
| Open sync script | ffs_sync.py | Synology clients |