# Filebar vs HIKBOX

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Filebar at 67% against HIKBOX's 17%. Filebar also leads on ratings volume (348 vs 28) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). HIKBOX's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

HIKBOX holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Filebar has 348 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Filebar's written reviews are positive against 17% of HIKBOX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Filebar ships an update every 2 weeks, HIKBOX every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Filebar | HIKBOX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (348 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filebar-media-player/id1558391784/reviews) | **[4.5 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hikbox/id6445837521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **348** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **66.8% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 142 MB | 272 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **13** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [水峰 徐](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434954330) | [武汉海康存储技术有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1247717775) |

## 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


### HIKBOX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hikbox/id6445837521)

Securely back up and manage photos, videos, and other files from your smart storage device to your phone. Features auto-backup, intelligent picture recognition, and remote access from any device. Enjoy seamless file viewing, projection, and even video surveillance capabilities.

**Highlights:** Auto Backup and Classification, Deep Learning Picture Recognition, Remote Access Anytime, Anywhere, Offline File Caching, One-Touch Multimedia Projection, Video Surveillance and Recording, Baidu Netdisk Integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Filebar free?

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

### Is HIKBOX free?

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

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

HIKBOX is rated higher. Filebar averages 4.3 out of 5 from 348 ratings, while HIKBOX averages 4.5 from 28 ratings.

### Do Filebar or HIKBOX have ads?

Neither Filebar nor HIKBOX shows ads.

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

Filebar ships an update every 2 weeks, and HIKBOX every 6 weeks. Most recently, Filebar was updated on October 20, 2026 and HIKBOX on October 9, 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.*