# Dropbox vs Starchive

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Starchive at none against Dropbox's 11. Starchive also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (14 vs 17.0). Dropbox's advantage is ratings volume (907K vs 167) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dropbox sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Starchive asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dropbox holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dropbox has 907K ratings behind it against 167, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Dropbox's written reviews are positive against 59% of Starchive's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dropbox ships an update every 2 weeks, Starchive monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dropbox | Starchive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (907K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dropbox-cloud-storage-backup/id327630330/reviews)** | [4.5 (167 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starchive/id1480291489/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **907K** | 167 |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | **59.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 229 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dropbox, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327630333) | [Digital Relab LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143270787) |

## What reviewers say

### Dropbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dropbox-cloud-storage-backup/id327630330)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Productivity, #26 Top Free · Productivity, #39 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Securely store, sync, and share your files and photos across all your devices. Easily upload, access, and send documents, videos, and more from anywhere, even offline. Offers robust backup and recovery features for peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Automatic photo and video upload, Offline file access, Large file sharing via links, Document scanning to PDF, Version history and file recovery, Cross-device synchronization

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dropbox Simple - Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Dropbox Plus - Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Dropbox Plus - Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Dropbox Plus - Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Dropbox Professional - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Dropbox Professional - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Dropbox Family - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Dropbox Plus - Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| Dropbox Plus - Annual | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Reliable cloud storage
- 🔒 Secure file sharing
- 📁 Convenient file management
- 💻 Cross-device accessibility
- 📸 Automatic photo backups

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app updates
- 🔍 Confusing file navigation
- ⚠️ Unreliable upload/sync
- 💰 Expensive paid plans
- 🔋 High battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on login screen
- Duplicate file uploads
- Incorrect file timestamps
- Incompatibility with iOS updates
- Disappearing recent files

**Requested features**

- Select all option for uploads
- Background upload support
- Integrated media player
- Increased free storage
- Flexible paid plan options


### Starchive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starchive/id1480291489)

This cloud-based digital asset management solution helps businesses and creators preserve, organize, and access their files. It offers instant organization with auto-tags, curated collections, and secure cloud storage.

**Highlights:** Cloud digital asset management, Auto-tagging for organization, Curated collections, Easy file sharing, Fast browser uploads, Secure cloud storage

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dropbox free?

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

### Is Starchive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dropbox or Starchive?

Dropbox is rated higher. Dropbox averages 4.8 out of 5 from 907K ratings, while Starchive averages 4.5 from 167 ratings.

### Do Dropbox or Starchive have ads?

Neither Dropbox nor Starchive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dropbox or Starchive?

Dropbox ships an update every 2 weeks, and Starchive monthly. Most recently, Dropbox was updated on September 28, 2026 and Starchive on September 25, 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.*