# File Explorer & Player vs HomeWatch

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HomeWatch at none against File Explorer & Player's 4. HomeWatch also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (6 vs 3). File Explorer & Player's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (124 vs 4). On price and rating there is nothing between them.

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

HomeWatch holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: File Explorer & Player has 124 ratings behind it against 4, 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 60% of HomeWatch'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, HomeWatch every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | File Explorer & Player | HomeWatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-explorer-and-player/id1113281296/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homewatch/id1622801480/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **124** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 60.0% 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 | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Remote Sunrise LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/619088610) | [Peter Vogels](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622801482) |

## 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


### HomeWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homewatch/id1622801480)

Monitor and control your HomeKit devices with a glanceable status display. This app offers customizable views for rooms, scenes, and individual devices across Apple platforms, including widgets and menu bar items.

**Highlights:** Glanceable room status with color-coded indicators, Control scenes and devices within rooms, View camera feeds, weather, and website content, Customizable home and lock-screen widgets, Menu bar items for Mac with real-time updates, Extensive interface customization options

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**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 HomeWatch free?

HomeWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, File Explorer & Player or HomeWatch?

HomeWatch is rated higher. File Explorer & Player averages 4.6 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while HomeWatch averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do File Explorer & Player or HomeWatch have ads?

File Explorer & Player shows ads; HomeWatch does not.

### Which is updated more often, File Explorer & Player or HomeWatch?

File Explorer & Player ships an update fortnightly, and HomeWatch every 2 months. Most recently, File Explorer & Player was updated on October 29, 2026 and HomeWatch on October 24, 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.*