# EteSync vs Filen

The clearest difference is rating: Filen at 3.8 against EteSync's 3.0. Filen also leads on review sentiment (48% vs 20%) and ratings volume (123 vs 20). EteSync's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Filen holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Filen has 123 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of EteSync's written reviews are positive against 48% of Filen's.

EteSync ships an update every 3 weeks, Filen fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | EteSync | Filen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etesync/id1489574285/reviews) | **[3.8 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filen-cloud-storage/id1549224518/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **123** |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | **47.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 45 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [EteSync Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1489574284) | [Filen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549224520) |

## What reviewers say

### EteSync

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etesync/id1489574285)

Securely sync your contacts, calendars, and tasks across devices. This app provides a privacy-respecting synchronization solution with a full history of your data, allowing for restoration and access to past versions.

**Highlights:** Secure data synchronization, Contacts, calendars, and tasks sync, Privacy-respecting, Open-source client and server, Full data history and restore, Easy to use setup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Filen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filen-cloud-storage/id1549224518)

Securely store photos, videos, and documents with military-grade encryption. Access files on any device, share them easily, and enjoy features like offline access and encrypted notes. Offers a free tier with 10 GB storage.

**Highlights:** 10 GB free storage, Unlimited pro storage, Secure client-side encryption, Offline file access, Cross-device file access, Encrypted notes and chats, Automatic camera upload

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 End-to-end encryption and privacy-focused design
- 💰 Affordable pricing with generous storage tiers
- 🌍 Open-source and transparent service
- 🚀 Fast upload/download speeds
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during uploads
- 📸 Photo/video upload failures and inconsistencies
- 🔄 Auto-upload feature unreliable and incomplete
- ⚠️ Data loss issues in Notes feature
- 🔐 Thumbnail cache exposed in Files app (security concern)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when uploading photos/videos
- Music pauses when app is minimized
- Photo upload stuck at specific file counts (e.g., 42 photos)
- Notes lose data during sync
- Note type conversion deletes text content

**Requested features**

- Video streaming/playback within app
- Read-only file mode option
- Back-sync feature (delete from phone, delete from cloud)
- Multi-select file upload capability
- iPad split-screen view support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EteSync free?

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

### Is Filen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, EteSync or Filen?

Filen is rated higher. EteSync averages 3.0 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Filen averages 3.8 from 123 ratings.

### Do EteSync or Filen have ads?

Neither EteSync nor Filen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, EteSync or Filen?

EteSync ships an update every 3 weeks, and Filen fortnightly. Most recently, EteSync was updated on October 12, 2026 and Filen on October 12, 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.*