Comparison

iFiles vs Mental Note ๛

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

Head to head
About

iFiles

This app is an intuitive file manager for iOS, offering connectivity to numerous cloud services and protocols. It allows for file transfers, viewing various formats, voice recording, web downloading, and text editing.

Highlights
  • Cloud service connectivity
  • File transfer between computer/cloud
  • Multi-format file viewer
  • Web downloader
  • Voice recorder
  • Text file editor
  • ZIP/Extract functionality
Features
Read full description

iFiles 2 is now available, this application is here to support legacy users. iFiles is the most intuitive file manager for iOS with features like connectivity to many file cloud services, transferring files between computer or cloud services, ability to view many file formats (PDF viewer now supports annotations, search and more), voice recorder, web downloader, text file editor and more. Supported Online Cloud Services and Protocols: Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, Box.net, SkyDrive, SugarSync, AFP (Mac Shares), FTP/FTPS, SFTP, Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, Rackspace CloudFiles, CloudApp, PogoPlug, WebDav, Amazon S3, Ubuntu One Files, ownCloud, 4Shared, also using Amazon S3: DreamObjects and UltiCloud. Key Features: • WEB DOWNLOADER - Download files from the web using the build in Web Browser or Safari using iFiles Bookmarks. (HTML5 Videos are now supported) • EMAIL - Send documents as email attachments directly from iFiles using iPhones email accounts or links to files stored in the cloud. (given service supports this feature) • VOICE RECORDER - Use iFiles build-in voice recorder to create voice notes. • POPUP MENU - Tap and hold on file to display context popup menu with file operations. • PROPERTIES -View and change folder and files properties: color label, icon, and rename. For services with supported API you can edit: comments, description, tags/keywords, privacy, copy/generate links. • SHARE FILES - Share files with other iOS users of iFiles over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. • PDF VIEWER - Viewer now supports annotations, full-text search, bookmarks, highlighting, saving directly to a cloud service and more. • SECURE - If cloud services uses username and password they are stored using iOS Keychain, Remote access to your device can be secured with password, and device can be locked using passcode. (Your information is never send to any outside service) • FILE OPERATIONS - Move, Copy, Rename, Delete, and create New Folders (Operations are supported for all cloud services given that service API supports it) • ZIP/EXTRACT - Create archive files and unarchive many common archive formats: Zip, RAR, 7-zip, Tar, Gzip, and Bzip2. • TRANSFER MANAGER - Download, upload and transfer files directly between services without required to first download then upload files. Transfers support background mode and will resume if application is closed. • EASY UPLOAD - If your creating voice recording, importing photos or creating a text file, iFiles will automatically upload to the current location no matter if its local or remote. • CLIPBOARD PASTE - Paste text and photos/images directly to current folder. • OPEN IN - Open files in apps that support those file types. • PRINT - Print files using AirPrint. • TEXT FILES - Create and edit plain text files. (Locally or directly in the cloud) • PHOTO IMPORT - Take Photos, record movies or import from your Photo Library. (Multiple selection support is coming in next update) • MEDIA PLAYER - Playback audio and video files. • THUMBNAILS - Thumbnails are generated for local files: photos, videos and pdf files, thumbnails are displayed for cloud service if its supported. File Formats • iWorks (Pages, numbers, Keynote) ’08 and ’09 (with or without Preview) • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). • HTML web pages and Web archives (web pages downloaded by Safari) • PDF Documents. • RTF (Rich Text Format) and RTFD. • Plain text with auto-detection of character encoding. Text files can also be edited. • Movies (supported file formats by iPhone: MP4, MOV, MPV, 3GP, M4V) • Audio (WAV, MP3, M4A, CAF, AIF, AIFF, ACC) • Images (JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF, TIFF, ICO, CUR, XBM) Requirements A Wi-Fi connection is required to transfer files between home computer. ------------------ We're always excited to hear form you! If you have any feedback. questions, or concerns, please emails us at: support@imagam.com or visit http://www.ifilesapp.com or follow us on twitter: @ifilesapp

About

Mental Note ๛

This app offers a versatile digital notepad experience, allowing users to combine text, photos, voice recordings, and drawings on a single page. Capture ideas in any format, organize them with tags, and share them easily.

Highlights
  • Combine text, photos, audio, and drawings
  • Finger drawing with multiple colors
  • Add photos from album or camera
  • Record audio while editing notes
  • Organize notes with tags
  • Password protect private notes
  • Export notes in various formats (PDF, text)
Read full description

"...a true notepad experience that may help you make a clean break from the pencil-and-paper era." -New York Times. Users describe Mental Note as "the only notepad app... that's actually better than, and as simple as, a pen and paper." It's "the future of note taking", and "a big sketchpad... [to] free associate and put stuff down in any format". Turn your iPhone into a digital notepad. Combine photographs, voice recordings, drawings and text - all on the same page, in any order you choose. An idea... a flash - a moment of genius. When a thought hits, and you have to remember it, why limit how you record it? The more context and sensory details you can capture, the clearer the idea can be put down. Use photographs, audio, sketching and text together on the same page... a digital page that can be shared with anyone. Mental Note allows you to capture ideas as they happen: use photographs, dictate, add text, sketch on anything. Ideas clarified. Creativity captured. FEATURES - Draw with your finger using multiple colours and widths on top of photographs, text, or anywhere else on the page. Zoom in to sketch fine details. - Take a photo or choose one from your album and add it to the page. - Add audio to the page by recording with your microphone. Continue to edit your note while recording. - Organize your notes using tags. - Password protect your private notes and flag your important ones. - Attach Calendar events to your notes. - Undo, redo anything in the note by shaking the device. - Delete note sections using the toolbar button or by swiping any note section. - Move a note section by swiping and then dragging it to its new location. - Length of a note is limited only by device memory. - Export in a variety of formats including PDF, text, Mental Note format, and more. Send using email, iCloud, Dropbox, and more. * Send a note in Mental Note format so the note may be imported into another person's Mental Note app. * Using email, export a complete note directly from Mental Note as either a PDF document or a picture (each audio recording is attached to the email as a separate file). You can also email just the text from your note. - Export your notes and backups to your iCloud and/or Dropbox account. - Share a note with your friends using most installed apps. - Map the location a note was created at (if location services are enabled). - Change the size and font of the text in your notes. - Change the color and background of your notes. - Numerous other configuration options. THIS VERSION IS OPTIMIZED FOR iPhone. FOR iPad, PLEASE SEE Mental Note for iPad. Read more: www.zymbiotic.com X @zymbiotic facebook.com/zymbiotic

Screenshots

iFiles4 screens
Mental Note ๛4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mental Note ๛ at 4.0 against iFiles's 3.2. iFiles's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

iFiles costs $3.99 and Mental Note ๛ $4.99 up front. Mental Note ๛ sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. iFiles asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mental Note ๛ holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iFiles has 75 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of iFiles's written reviews are positive against 63% of Mental Note ๛'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iFiles ships an update every 6 weeks, Mental Note ๛ every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iFiles versus Mental Note ๛: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriFilesMental Note ๛
Price$3.99 — better$4.99
Rating3.2 (75 ratings)4.0 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.9% of reviews63.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings75 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB10 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperImagam.comZymbiotic Technologies

Customer experience

iFiles

All ratings75 ratings
Positive49.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative44.0%
Written reviews366 reviews
Positive57.9%
Neutral11.2%
Negative30.9%

Mental Note ๛

All ratings15 ratings
Positive73.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews201 reviews
Positive63.2%
Neutral17.9%
Negative18.9%

User reviews

iFiles

From 75 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great file management
  • 🔒 Secure file storage
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Excellent integration with cloud services
  • 🚀 Fast file transfers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🐛 Buggy web browser and download features
  • 🐛 Inconsistent file handling and viewing
  • 🐛 Unreliable cloud service integration

Mental Note ๛

From 15 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app with many features
  • 👍 Easy to use and organize notes
  • 🎨 Ability to add photos, audio, and drawings
  • 💯 Excellent customer support
  • 🗂️ Helpful for business, work, and personal use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔒 Password protection issues
  • 🔍 Lack of search functionality
  • 📁 No syncing or backup options
  • 🖍️ Drawing tools could be improved

Bugs and requests

iFiles

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening certain file types
  • Inability to access device's native file system
  • Sync issues with cloud storage providers
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • Unreliable web browser and download features

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for more cloud storage services
  • Improve search functionality
  • Implement better file organization and management tools
  • Add ability to edit and annotate files
  • Improve video playback and streaming capabilities

Mental Note ๛

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Notes sometimes disappear or get deleted unexpectedly
  • Audio recording feature not working properly
  • Keyboard issues causing loss of typed text
  • Location services not accurately detecting user's location

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add iCloud or Dropbox sync
  • Implement copy/paste and text formatting options
  • Improve drawing tools with more customization
  • Introduce a task/to-do list feature
  • Add video recording capability
Show 1 more
  • Provide more font and color options

In-app purchases

None

iFiles

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Mental Note ๛

One-time3
  • Paper Customization feature$2.99
  • Straight Line Drawing feature$3.99
  • Dark Mode Override feature$3.99

Questions

Is iFiles free?
iFiles costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mental Note ๛ free?
Mental Note ๛ costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iFiles or Mental Note ๛?
Mental Note ๛ is rated higher. iFiles averages 3.2 out of 5 from 75 ratings, while Mental Note ๛ averages 4.0 from 15 ratings.
Do iFiles or Mental Note ๛ have ads?
Neither iFiles nor Mental Note ๛ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iFiles or Mental Note ๛?
iFiles ships an update every 6 weeks, and Mental Note ๛ every 5 months. Most recently, iFiles was updated on October 13, 2026 and Mental Note ๛ on October 13, 2026.

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