Why I Stopped Using Google Drive and What I Use Instead

Description and use

The author stopped using Google Drive after a price hike and switched to a self‑hosted Synology DS223 NAS with WebDAV, saving $274.5 over 5 years and $874.5 over 10 years, gaining privacy and lower long‑term costs.

Problem

The price increase of Google Drive’s 2TB plan made long‑term storage expensive.

Outcome

After 5 years the self‑hosted solution saves $274.5 compared to Google Drive; after 10 years $874.5. The author gains privacy, cost savings, vendor independence, and faster local access.

Workflow

• Purchase Synology DS223 and 2×4TB drives
• Install Synology DSM and Synology Drive
• Install ScsDriver on Windows and macOS
• Configure ScsDriver with Synology WebDAV endpoint
• Mount the NAS as a local drive on both machines

Evidence

I bought a Synology DS223 (2-bay NAS, $300 with 2x4TB drives). Installed Synology DSM, which has built-in cloud software (Synology Drive) that supports WebDAV.

Source

Year 1: $300 hardware + $15 domain + $5.5 ScsDriver = $320.5

Source

After 5 years, I save $274.5. After 10 years, $874.5.

Source