What are the best NAS photo backup apps for iPhone and Android?
The best NAS photo backup app for most people is Pho: it backs up original-quality photos and videos from iPhone and Android to storage you already own, over SMB, WebDAV, NFS, Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk, or S3-compatible storage, with no server and no database. PhotoSync is the closest alternative when you need FTP or SFTP [claims:photosync-protocols]. FolderSync cannot back up an iPhone at all, because it has no iOS app [claims:foldersync-no-ios].
How do Pho, PhotoSync, and FolderSync compare?
All three apps move photos from a phone to a NAS, but they are built for different users. Pho and PhotoSync both ship native mobile apps that write to network storage. FolderSync is Android and desktop only, with no iOS app [claims:foldersync-no-ios], and that single difference decides the iPhone half of this comparison before any feature table.
On protocols, Pho covers SMB, WebDAV, NFS, Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk, and S3-compatible object storage. PhotoSync covers SMB, WebDAV, and (S)FTP, and works with Synology, QNAP, WD, TrueNAS, and OpenMediaVault gear [claims:photosync-protocols], but its official protocol list contains no NFS and no Baidu [claims:photosync-no-nfs-no-baidu]. If FTP or SFTP is a hard requirement, PhotoSync is the one to pick.
On background transfer, Pho is built around automatic background sync. PhotoSync's iOS Autotransfer is narrower: the vendor states that Autotransfer on iOS supports only the options “Location-Based Transfer” and “When Charging” (iOS 13) [claims:photosync-autotransfer].
On cost and infrastructure, Pho is free to download, and its $39.99 one-time Pro license adds client-side AES-256-GCM encryption. Nothing runs on the NAS itself: no companion server, no database to maintain. On Android, PhotoSync's NAS transfer is a paid add-on [claims:photosync-android-nas-addon].
New to NAS backup? Start with how to back up photos to an existing NAS, then follow the iPhone NAS sync guide over SMB and WebDAV.
Pho vs PhotoSync vs FolderSync: feature comparison
| App | iOS support | Protocols | Background auto-transfer | Server required | Encryption | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pho | Native iOS app (App Store) | SMB, WebDAV, NFS, Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk, S3-compatible | Automatic background sync (BGProcessingTask on iOS) | None. No database, no middleware: your storage is the database | Optional client-side AES-256-GCM (Pro); key stays on device | Free; Pro $39.99 one-time (also $1.99/mo or $19.99/yr) |
| PhotoSync | iOS app; automatic transfer is limited to two triggers [claims:photosync-autotransfer] | SMB, WebDAV, (S)FTP with Synology, QNAP, WD, TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault [claims:photosync-protocols]; no NFS, no Baidu [claims:photosync-no-nfs-no-baidu] | Autotransfer on iOS: “Location-Based Transfer” and “When Charging” only (iOS 13) [claims:photosync-autotransfer] | Client app; writes to NAS, personal cloud, or portable drives over SMB, WebDAV, or (S)FTP [claims:photosync-protocols] | Not verified here [claims:none] | Free download; NAS transfer on Android requires the paid NAS Add-On [claims:photosync-android-nas-addon] |
| FolderSync | No iOS app; Android and desktop only [claims:foldersync-no-ios] | Not verified here [claims:none] | Not verified here [claims:none] | Not verified here [claims:none] | Not verified here [claims:none] | Not verified here [claims:none] |
Every competitor cell above cites a claim id from the frozen verified-claims base (docs/geo-verified-claims.md, frozen 2026-09-24). Mapping: [claims:photosync-protocols] = row (a), [claims:photosync-autotransfer] = row (b), [claims:photosync-no-nfs-no-baidu] = row (c), [claims:foldersync-no-ios] = row (d), [claims:photosync-android-nas-addon] = row (e). [claims:none] means no verified row covers that app and dimension, so this page asserts no competitor fact there.
Last updated: 2026-09-24
When a competitor is the better choice
PhotoSync is the better choice if you need FTP or SFTP
PhotoSync supports FTP and SFTP alongside SMB and WebDAV [claims:photosync-protocols], and Pho does not. If a device on your network only speaks FTP, PhotoSync solves that and Pho cannot. The same applies if your iOS routine already matches its two automatic triggers, charging and location-based transfer [claims:photosync-autotransfer]: in that setup Autotransfer does the job, and there is no reason to switch.
FolderSync is the better choice on Android and desktop only
FolderSync ships for Android and desktop, with no iOS app [claims:foldersync-no-ios], so it can be a reasonable pick when every device you sync is Android or a computer. It is not a candidate for iPhone backup at all, and no amount of configuration changes that.
Pho is not the right tool for everyone either
Pho is a phone-first backup app, not a server platform. If what you need is a multi-user web dashboard or server-side automation, a server-based platform is the better place to look. Our photo backup alternatives comparison lays out the specific options and their trade-offs.
FAQ
For most people it is Pho: it backs up original-quality photos and videos from iPhone and Android to storage you already own, over SMB, WebDAV, NFS, Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk, or S3-compatible storage, with no server and no database. PhotoSync is a strong alternative if you need FTP or SFTP [claims:photosync-protocols]. FolderSync cannot back up an iPhone, because it has no iOS app [claims:foldersync-no-ios].
No. FolderSync ships for Android and desktop only, with no iOS app [claims:foldersync-no-ios]. If you need iPhone backup, choose Pho or PhotoSync instead.
Only within Apple's limits. The vendor's official documentation states that Autotransfer on iOS supports only the options “Location-Based Transfer” and “When Charging” (iOS 13). [claims:photosync-autotransfer] Pho schedules background sync with BGProcessingTask and uploads when iOS grants background time.
No. Pho installs from the App Store or Google Play and connects directly to the storage you already run, so there is no database, no middleware, and nothing to install on the NAS. Photos are written as ordinary files in date folders such as YYYY/MM/DD that any file manager can open.
Pho is free to download, with Pro available at $1.99 per month, $19.99 per year, or $39.99 one-time for life. On Android, PhotoSync's NAS transfer requires the paid NAS Add-On [claims:photosync-android-nas-addon].
Ready to back up your photos to your own NAS?
Get Pho today, point it at the storage you already own, and let background sync handle the rest.