# Filen vs Heave

The clearest difference is rating: Heave at 5.0 against Filen's 3.8. Heave also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs freemium) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). Filen's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (126 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Heave holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Filen has 126 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Filen ships an update fortnightly, Heave every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Filen | Heave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filen-cloud-storage/id1549224518/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heave-effort-tracker/id6770414164/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **126** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 47.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 103 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Filen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549224520) | [Felix Fan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896740898) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Heave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heave-effort-tracker/id6770414164)

This app connects users to a feed of individuals actively working on their goals. It emphasizes effort over appearance, rewarding progress with a unique system. Features include daily effort logging, timed sprints with consequences for missed deadlines, and social interaction to support friends.

**Highlights:** Daily effort logging with notes and photos, Timed sprints with automatic consequence posting, Social feed for friends' progress and support, Group goal circles that unlock upon completion, Focus sessions with Live Activities and widgets, Collectible badges for early adopters

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Filen free?

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

### Is Heave free?

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

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

Heave is rated higher. Filen averages 3.8 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Heave averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Filen or Heave have ads?

Heave shows ads; Filen does not.

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

Filen ships an update fortnightly, and Heave every 3 weeks. Most recently, Filen was updated on October 20, 2026 and Heave on October 24, 2026.

---

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