# Dropbox vs S3 Client

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dropbox | S3 Client |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (900K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dropbox-cloud-storage-backup/id327630330/reviews) | [4.8 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s3-client-files-location/id6447647340/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **900K** | 54 |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | **79.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 228 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dropbox, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327630333) | [Anders Borum ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1629010537) |

## What reviewers say

### Dropbox

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Grossing · Productivity, #28 Top Free · Productivity, #31 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


### S3 Client

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s3-client-files-location/id6447647340)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| S3 Files Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Lifetime S3 Pro | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime S3 Pro | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Files renamed randomly
- High CPU usage
- Stopped working in iOS 26
- Can't set permissions
- Fails to load S3 buckets properly

**Requested features**

- 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


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