# File Explorer & Player vs IoT Plug and Play

The clearest difference is review sentiment: File Explorer & Player at 78% against IoT Plug and Play's 43%. File Explorer & Player also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (122 vs 23). IoT Plug and Play's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. File Explorer & Player sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. IoT Plug and Play asks for nothing beyond the download.

IoT Plug and Play holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: File Explorer & Player has 122 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of File Explorer & Player's written reviews are positive against 43% of IoT Plug and Play's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

File Explorer & Player ships an update fortnightly, IoT Plug and Play every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | File Explorer & Player | IoT Plug and Play |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (122 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-explorer-and-player/id1113281296/reviews) | **[5.0 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iot-plug-and-play/id1563783687/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **122** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 85 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Remote Sunrise LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/619088610) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### File Explorer & Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-explorer-and-player/id1113281296)

Access and stream files from your Mac wirelessly on your iPhone or iPad. View photos, documents, and play videos directly from your computer. Transfer files and even use your iOS device as a portable drive.

**Highlights:** Stream video from Mac, View photos and documents, Transfer files to iOS, Use iOS as a drive, Wireless Mac access

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Pro Version - 1M | $1.99 | per month |
| Upgrade to Pro Version | $9.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $19.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to PRO | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- 🚀 Fast streaming of files
- 👍 Seamless connection across devices
- 👍 Works well on Apple devices (iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro)
- 💰 Inexpensive and good value

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Free version is limited/useless
- 🐛 Does not work for PC
- 🐛 No external access (from outside home network)
- 🐛 Paid version download issues reported
- 🐛 Lack of clear instructions for new features

**Reported bugs**

- Paid version download issues reported
- Free version does nothing
- Poor support response to feature inquiries

**Requested features**

- Add NAS support
- Enable external access (remote access from outside home network)
- Add Chinese language option
- Allow file renaming
- Improve PC compatibility


### IoT Plug and Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iot-plug-and-play/id1563783687)

Transform your phone into an Internet of Things (IoT) device. Connect to Azure IoT cloud to send device telemetry, receive commands, and manage device twins. Upload media directly to Azure storage.

**Highlights:** Connect to Azure IoT cloud, Send device telemetry (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer), Send and receive commands, Manage device twin updates, Upload media to Azure storage

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is File Explorer & Player free?

File Explorer & Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is IoT Plug and Play free?

IoT Plug and Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, File Explorer & Player or IoT Plug and Play?

IoT Plug and Play is rated higher. File Explorer & Player averages 4.6 out of 5 from 122 ratings, while IoT Plug and Play averages 5.0 from 23 ratings.

### Do File Explorer & Player or IoT Plug and Play have ads?

File Explorer & Player shows ads; IoT Plug and Play does not.

### Which is updated more often, File Explorer & Player or IoT Plug and Play?

File Explorer & Player ships an update fortnightly, and IoT Plug and Play every 2 months. Most recently, File Explorer & Player was updated on November 6, 2026 and IoT Plug and Play on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*