Can a Presto License Speed Up Synology Drive ShareSync?
Considering a Presto license for ShareSync? See which jobs use Presto, what changes when you switch workflows, and what to check before buying.
A Presto File Server license does not turn an existing Synology Drive ShareSync task into a Presto transfer. To use Presto’s transfer system, you need a job created through Presto Client, Presto Automator or Site Express. Buying the license while continuing the same ShareSync job leaves that distinction unchanged.
This matters when two offices already synchronize a project folder and the remote copy takes too long. There are two decisions to make: diagnose the existing Drive task, or adopt a separate transfer workflow. A license purchase should follow that choice.
Start by identifying the job that moves the file
A public Synology user question describes this exact uncertainty: would a Presto license improve Drive ShareSync between distant NAS devices, or require a different method? The useful distinction is the application carrying the file, rather than the NAS model or the name of the shared folder.
Open the task on the NAS and record its application, source, destination and direction. Similar names hide different workflows:
| Existing task or application | What it does | What a Presto license changes |
|---|---|---|
| Synology Drive ShareSync | Synchronizes NAS folders through Synology Drive Server | It does not convert this task to Presto |
| DSM Shared Folder Sync | Runs a one-way shared-folder synchronization workflow using the rsync service | It remains a separate DSM service |
| Presto Client or Presto Automator | Transfers files between a computer and Presto File Server | The server’s Presto license applies to this workflow |
| Presto Site Express | Runs one-way distribution or collection tasks between Presto servers | Each participating NAS requires an activated license |
Synology documents ShareSync as part of Drive Server, Shared Folder Sync as its own one-way solution, and Presto’s client/server and Site Express setup. Treating them as separate jobs follows those documented architectures; Presto is not a system-wide switch for every NAS file service.
What the license actually buys
The Presto license page ties licensing to bandwidth in the Presto package. Its stated maximum is one-way bandwidth. This is a licensed ceiling, not evidence that the existing ShareSync task will use a different transport or that the network can deliver that rate.
For NAS-to-NAS work, Synology requires Presto File Server and activated licenses on the participating servers. Site Express then has its own one-way distribution or collection task, selected paths, schedule, filters and conflict policy. A desktop workflow instead uses Presto Client or Automator against Presto File Server.
Before purchasing, confirm that the intended NAS models, DSM releases and package/client versions are supported. Check the current license conditions directly rather than assuming that a license for one server covers every receiving NAS. There is no need to buy first merely to discover which application your current task uses.
Decide whether you need Drive synchronization or a transfer job
Keep the current Drive workflow in view if users depend on Team Folders and Drive’s file-management behavior. If files are arriving slowly, use the ShareSync speed diagnostic to distinguish the WAN path, storage activity and file-processing work. If selected files never arrive, follow the missing-file investigation instead. More licensed bandwidth cannot make an excluded file eligible for a Drive task.
Presto is worth evaluating when the requirement can be expressed as a transfer: send a defined saved package to another site, distribute files to branch servers, or collect output from several servers. Synology’s technical specifications describe Site Express distribution/collection, transfer policies and scheduled automation. Those capabilities can be useful on their own terms.
Write the desired outcome before replacing the workflow. A branch that only receives saved exports can evaluate a one-way Site Express distribution task. If both offices edit a shared Team Folder and expect changes to return, that one-way task does not meet the whole requirement: the reverse path and conflict handling still need a design. A successful ordinary file copy does not, by itself, establish that Drive version history, application collaboration state or the intended permission behavior moved with it.
Verify that a Presto evaluation is actually using Presto
If you decide to evaluate Presto, use a separate destination folder and a saved, representative file set. Preserve the production task and its recovery copy. Avoid letting two independent jobs write to the same working folder while you are still deciding which one owns it.
In Presto, check the transfer or Site Express activity for the intended file and destination. Seeing that the Presto package is installed, or that its license is active, does not establish that a ShareSync transfer is passing through it. Synology’s Presto help documents separate transfer and Site Express logs for this purpose.
Keep the evaluation question narrow: did the expected files reach the expected location, which job moved them, and does that job support the next change you need? A one-time export and a recurring editable folder can produce the same visible files on the first day while requiring different operating rules later.
If the goal is to place the first dataset before returning to ShareSync, stop at the ShareSync seeding guide. A Presto copy should not be treated as a documented import of ShareSync’s database or synchronization history. Initial population and ongoing Drive synchronization need a deliberate handoff.
When a broader alternative is relevant
If the requirement changes to ordinary file transfer or folder synchronization across supported NAS and desktop endpoints, WarpDirect and WarpSync are additional workflows to evaluate. They do not install an accelerator inside ShareSync or repair its Drive catalog. Keep Synology’s native workflow when its application behavior is the requirement; the Presto comparison covers broader deployment choices.
The first useful action is to open the current task and name the application moving the file. If it is Drive ShareSync, troubleshoot that job or explicitly design its replacement before buying a Presto license.
Frequently asked questions
Does installing Presto File Server accelerate an existing Drive ShareSync task?
Installing and licensing Presto does not convert an existing Drive ShareSync task into a Presto transfer. Use Presto Client, Automator or Site Express to create work in the Presto transfer system.
Do both NAS devices need a Presto license for Site Express?
Synology requires an activated Presto license on every NAS participating in Site Express. Confirm model, package and DSM compatibility, as well as current license terms, before planning the deployment.
Can I use a Presto copy as the first copy for ShareSync?
A transferred folder is not automatically a supported import of ShareSync state or Drive version history. Keep the initial-copy decision separate and use the ShareSync seeding guide before connecting an existing folder tree.