# File Explorer & Player vs Remote Helper

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Remote Helper at none against File Explorer & Player's 4. Remote Helper also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

File Explorer & Player ships an update fortnightly, Remote Helper every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | File Explorer & Player | Remote Helper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-explorer-and-player/id1113281296/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **124** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 85 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Remote Sunrise LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/619088610) | [Fraser Mackenzie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492337443) |

## 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


### Remote Helper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-helper/id6793513318)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 Remote Helper free?

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

### Do File Explorer & Player or Remote Helper have ads?

File Explorer & Player shows ads; Remote Helper does not.

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

File Explorer & Player ships an update fortnightly, and Remote Helper every 2 days. Most recently, File Explorer & Player was updated on November 2, 2026 and Remote Helper on October 31, 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.*