Comparison

Dropbox vs S3 Client

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dropbox

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
Read full description

Dropbox lets you upload, save, and transfer photos and files to the cloud. Backup and sync your pictures, videos, documents, and other files to cloud storage and access them from any device, anywhere. With advanced sharing features, it’s easy to share and send photos or files to family, friends, and co-workers. Features: • Automatically upload videos and photos from your camera roll to cloud photo storage - all in the background - for easy video sharing and photo sharing. • Access any file in your account - even offline - and preview over 175 different file types with no special software required. • Easily send large files by copying and pasting a link you can give to anyone, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account. • Scan documents, receipts, IDs, photos, and more using your mobile device and transform them into high-quality PDFs, so you can view and send anywhere. • Sync folders on your PC or Mac to Dropbox with computer backup, and recover older versions or restore deleted files with version history and file recovery. Sign up now for your free Dropbox Plus trial. You’ll get 2 TB (2,000 GB) of storage space - that’s enough room to save files from all your linked devices. And with Dropbox Rewind, you can roll back any file, folder, or your entire account, up to 30 days. Before starting a trial or completing payment, you’ll see the plan price. This amount will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase and on renewal and will vary by plan and country. Dropbox subscriptions renew monthly or yearly, depending on your plan. Your account will be charged for renewal 24 hours before the end of your current billing period. To avoid auto-renewal, turn it off within at least 24 hours before your subscription renews. You can turn off auto-renewal anytime from your Apple ID account settings. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Dropbox is a secure cloud solutions leader trusted by Fortune 500 companies for their most sensitive data. Over 14 million paid users choose Dropbox because they know they can count on a company that’s also dedicated to their security and privacy—no matter what they do or where they are. Let Dropbox be your all-in-one file storage, file organizer, file transfer, and file sharing solution for all your devices. We’d love to hear from you! Join the Dropbox community: https://www.dropboxforum.com Terms of Service: https://www.dropbox.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.dropbox.com/privacy

About

S3 Client

Access and manage your S3-compatible cloud storage directly from your device's file system. Files are downloaded on demand and synchronized automatically, with support for various S3 services and encryption methods.

Highlights
  • Direct S3 storage access
  • On-demand file downloading
  • Automatic synchronization
  • Support for multiple S3 services
  • System share sheet uploads
  • Pre-signed sharing link generation
  • Shortcuts automation support
Features
Read full description

Access your S3 storage directly from the Files app, Finder, and other applications on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Developed by the creator of Working Copy, this application provides seamless integration with S3-compatible storage services. Once configured, S3 buckets appear alongside other cloud storage providers, with files available on demand. Files are downloaded as needed and automatically synchronized back to S3 when modified. The app supports a wide range of S3-compatible services, including AWS S3, BackBlaze B2, CloudFlare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces, MinIO, and others. Files and directories can be uploaded through the system share sheet on iOS and the Services menu on macOS. The app remembers preferred upload destinations for different file types, streamlining file management. Pre-signed sharing links can be generated directly from Finder and the Files app, allowing temporary access to files for up to seven days. Support for server-side encryption with customer-provided keys (SSE-C) and client-side AES-GCM encryption compatible with the Amazon S3 Encryption Client. Comprehensive support for Shortcuts automation enables operations such as listing, downloading, uploading, and moving files. The app is free to use with a single server. A Pro Unlock is required for multiple servers, available as a one-time purchase or a monthly subscription, with access shared across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A one-week free trial allows users to evaluate Pro features before purchase.

Screenshots

Dropbox4 screens
S3 Client4 screens

Verdict

The call

Dropbox and S3 Client both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of S3 Client's written reviews are positive against 48% of Dropbox's. Dropbox's advantage is ratings volume (900K vs 54) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dropbox sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and S3 Client sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dropbox against 4.8 for S3 Client. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dropbox has 900K ratings behind it against 54, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Dropbox's written reviews are positive against 79% of S3 Client's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dropbox ships an update every 2 weeks, S3 Client every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Dropbox versus S3 Client: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDropboxS3 Client
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (900K ratings)4.8 (54 ratings)
Positive reviews47.6% of reviews79.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings900K — better54
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#5 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size228 MB63 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDropbox, Inc.Anders Borum ApS

Customer experience

Dropbox

All ratings900,290 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews2,055 reviews
Positive47.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative46.1%

S3 Client

All ratings54 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive79.1%
Neutral10.5%
Negative10.5%

User reviews

Dropbox

From 900K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

S3 Client

From 54 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive UI/UX
  • 🔄 Universal setup across devices
  • 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
  • 💡 Excellent integration with Files app
  • 🛠️ Handles edge cases and retries well

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Not intuitive for some
  • 💰 Limited free features
  • 🐛 Clunky to use
  • 🐛 App constantly pauses
  • 🐛 No obvious way to unpause

Bugs and requests

Dropbox

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

S3 Client

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Files renamed randomly
  • High CPU usage
  • Stopped working in iOS 26
  • Can't set permissions
  • Fails to load S3 buckets properly
Show 12 more
  • Duplicating root folders
  • Folders missing
  • Failing to upload
  • No image/video thumbnails
  • EXIF option unreliable
  • No SSE-C encryption/decryption support
  • Does not support IAM policy roles
  • Short-lived keys needed
  • App locks up Files app
  • Requires reboot
  • Issues with S3 Minio
  • Update issues with older macOS

Requested features

14 requests
  • Support for WebDAV servers
  • Support for Google OAuth for GCS
  • Synchronous feature to backup photos automatically
  • Configurable AWS endpoint for non-.com endpoints
  • Allow import/export of configuration
Show 9 more
  • Show number of files in a directory
  • Option to clear app cache
  • Support for SSE-C encryption/decryption
  • Support for IAM policy roles
  • Support for S3 buckets with short-lived keys
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Duplicate Settings option for iOS
  • Support for public dataset anonymous configuration

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Dropbox

Subscriptions9
  • Dropbox Simple - Monthly1 Month trial$6.991 Month
  • Dropbox Plus - Monthly$11.991 Month
  • Dropbox Plus - Monthly1 Month trial$11.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Dropbox Plus - Monthly14 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Dropbox Professional - Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Dropbox Professional - Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Dropbox Family - Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Dropbox Plus - Annual2 variants$119.991 Year
  • Dropbox Plus - Annual1 Month trial$119.991 Year
3 purchases

S3 Client

Subscriptions1
  • S3 Files Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
One-time2
  • Lifetime S3 Pro$14.99
  • Lifetime S3 Pro$17.99

Questions

Is Dropbox free?
Dropbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is S3 Client free?
S3 Client is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dropbox or S3 Client?
Dropbox and S3 Client are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 900K and 54 ratings respectively.
Do Dropbox or S3 Client have ads?
Neither Dropbox nor S3 Client shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dropbox or S3 Client?
Dropbox ships an update every 2 weeks, and S3 Client every 9 days. Most recently, Dropbox was updated on September 24, 2026 and S3 Client on September 22, 2026.

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