# Filebar vs VMSHELL

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VMSHELL at none against Filebar's 1. VMSHELL also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Filebar's advantage is ratings volume (348 vs 3) and iOS requirement (15 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Filebar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. VMSHELL asks for nothing beyond the download.

VMSHELL holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Filebar has 348 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 67% positive.

Filebar ships an update every 2 weeks, VMSHELL every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Filebar | VMSHELL |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (348 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filebar-media-player/id1558391784/reviews) | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vmshell/id1615424623/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **348** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **66.8% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 142 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [水峰 徐](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434954330) | [VMSHELL INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1615424625) |

## What reviewers say

### Filebar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filebar-media-player/id1558391784)

A versatile multimedia player that handles video and music playback from local files, cloud services, and media servers. It also includes robust file management capabilities for both local and remote storage.

**Highlights:** Plays numerous video formats (MP4, MKV, AVI, etc.), Supports local and cloud music playback (MP3, FLAC), Manages cloud services (SMB, WebDAV, FTP, SFTP), Browse and play from media servers (Plex, Emby), Comprehensive file management (move, copy, delete), Batch renaming for files and folders

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Filebar Pro Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy and convenient to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Secure file management
- 💡 Excellent media playback capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔥 Overheating issues on certain devices
- 🕰️ Slow loading times for large media libraries
- 🚫 Lack of support for certain cloud storage services

**Reported bugs**

- Playback issues with 4K and high-bitrate videos
- Inconsistent behavior when connecting to SMB/FTP servers
- Subtitle display problems, especially for Chinese characters
- Inability to resume playback from the last position

**Requested features**

- Add support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
- Implement a more intuitive and customizable user interface
- Introduce a background download/upload feature
- Add a built-in subtitle search and download functionality
- Implement a cross-device playback sync feature


### VMSHELL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vmshell/id1615424623)

Manage your global cloud infrastructure and digital assets with this comprehensive platform. It offers international network building, virtual banking services, and a free Linux SSH tool. The app provides real-time server monitoring, SSH/SFTP access, and deep integration with its cloud platform.

**Highlights:** Real-time resource monitoring, Multi-node centralized management, Built-in SSH/SFTP support, Docker container management, Cloud platform integration, Virtual banking services, Free Linux SSH tool

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Filebar free?

Filebar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is VMSHELL free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Filebar or VMSHELL?

VMSHELL is rated higher. Filebar averages 4.3 out of 5 from 348 ratings, while VMSHELL averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Filebar or VMSHELL have ads?

Neither Filebar nor VMSHELL shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Filebar or VMSHELL?

Filebar ships an update every 2 weeks, and VMSHELL every 4 days. Most recently, Filebar was updated on October 20, 2026 and VMSHELL on October 21, 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.*