Comparison

Files vs OpenFile

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

Head to head
About

Files

This app provides a web browser to save documents for offline viewing on your device. It includes a robust file manager with viewers for various document types, a photo browser, PDF reader, and Dropbox integration.

Highlights
  • Web browser for offline viewing
  • Built-in file manager
  • Advanced PDF reader
  • Photo browser
  • Dropbox integration
  • File transfer via HTTP/FTP
  • Passcode lock
Features
Read full description

Files App (formerly known as Downloads Lite) features a Web browser that lets you save documents to your iPhone or iPod touch so that you can work with them offline. It has a built-in file manager, with robust viewer for all iOS supported document types, powerful photo browser, advanced PDF reader, full Dropbox support, and more. NOTE: This app does not support downloading of audio or video content. FEATURES √ Full portrait & landscape mode support √ Passcode lock √ Web browser - Provides a user experience very similar to Mobile Safari - Tabbed browsing - Tap and hold on an image to download it - Tap and hold to force download - Save web pages with images for offline viewing - Full screen mode - Bookmark manager - History support - Address bar auto-completion - HTTP basic authentication - Form-based authentication - Integrated Google or Yahoo! search - Ability to spoof browser's User-Agent string to display web pages like Firefox - Unified smart search field. Type a URL or search term in the unified smart search field, the browser automatically suggests the closest match to what you’re looking for. √ Download manager - Fast downloading speed - Supports resuming of interrupted downloads reliably - Live download progress bar and speed indicator - Active downloads badge number - Add arbitrary download link - Always download with correct filename √ File manager - Full screen document viewer that supports .pdf, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .txt, .html and .rtf file formats - Folders support - Move, rename and delete files - Search by file name - Extract RAR archives - Unzip ZIP files - Remember document scroll position - Attempt to open file of unrecognized format - Import photos from camera roll √ Dropbox integration - Upload, download and manage files - Sync what you want, keep files on your device √ Advanced PDF viewer - Huge PDF files work flawlessly - Text search - Tap PDF links to jump across the file √ Photo viewer - Tap or swipe to move between images in a folder - Zoom in and out with pinch gesture - Ability to save images to photo album - Thumbnails view √ File transfer - Supports HTTP and FTP protocols - Supports iTunes USB File Sharing - Transfer files to and from computer in Wi-Fi network - Send files as email attachments (size under 15MB) √ Mobile Safari Integration - Bookmarklet for Mobile Safari that lets you open any link in Files app √ Multitasking - Background downloading √ Inter-app document interchange - Other apps can save their files to Files app (e.g. Email app can save attachments to Files app) √ Recovery Mode - If the browser caught in an endless loop of pop-up alerts, go to the iOS built-in "Settings" app, find "Files App", turn on "Recovery Mode", then force-quit and relaunch the app. Terms of Use: https://downloadsapp.info/terms Privacy Policy: https://downloadsapp.info/privacy

About

OpenFile

Instantly preview over 100 file formats on your iPhone or iPad without uploads or accounts. Explore 3D models, code, documents, databases, and more with built-in developer tools for advanced file analysis. Prioritizes privacy with on-device processing.

Highlights
  • Preview 100+ file formats
  • On-device processing, no uploads
  • Interactive 3D model viewer
  • Syntax highlighting for code
  • Browse and query SQLite databases
  • Built-in developer tools (Hex Inspector, Compare Files)
  • Integrates with Files app and Share Sheet
Features
Read full description

Open, preview, and explore over 100 file formats — right on your iPhone or iPad. No uploads, no account, no setup. Just tap a file and see it instantly. RICH FORMAT PREVIEWS Every format gets a purpose-built viewer: • 3D Models — Rotate and zoom glTF, OBJ, STL, PLY, and more in an interactive viewer • Code — Syntax highlighting for Swift, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, Go, and 20+ languages • Databases — Browse SQLite tables, run SQL queries, and explore schema • Documents — Read PDFs, EPUB books, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files • Archives — Explore ZIP, RAR, 7-Zip, TAR, and ISO contents without extracting • Audio & Video — Play MP3, WAV, FLAC, MP4, MOV, MKV, and more • Data Formats — View JSON, YAML, XML, CSV, Parquet, and Jupyter notebooks • Geospatial — Visualize GeoJSON, GPX, and KML on interactive maps • Fonts — Preview OpenType and TrueType font files • Images — View JPEG, PNG, GIF, HEIC, WebP, PSD, and SVG BUILT-IN DEVELOPER TOOLS Go beyond viewing with 10 built-in tools: • Hex Inspector — View raw file bytes • Compare Files — Side-by-side diff • Checksum — Calculate MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 hashes • Extract Text — Pull text from any document • Export as PDF — Convert any preview to PDF • Base64 — Encode and decode • Pretty Print — Format JSON, XML, HTML, and CSS • Text Statistics — Word count, line count, reading time • File Identification — Detect the true file type from magic bytes PRIVACY FIRST All processing happens on your device. Files are never uploaded. No account is needed. No tracking. WORKS WITH YOUR WORKFLOW • Open files directly from the Files app or Share Sheet • Browse iCloud Drive • Track recently opened files and pin your favorites • Search your file history Works on iPhone and iPad. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Files4 screens
OpenFile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Files at 13K against OpenFile's 3. OpenFile's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Files sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and OpenFile sells 2 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

OpenFile holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Files has 13K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Files versus OpenFile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFilesOpenFile
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (13K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings13K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB113 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperHian Zin JongLife Utility Apps, LLC

Customer experience

Files

All ratings12,459 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews569 reviews
Positive55.2%
Neutral9.1%
Negative35.7%

OpenFile

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Files

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening images/videos
  • Download links not working
  • Restore purchases not functioning
  • App not opening on iOS 13+
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching tabs

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add equalizer
  • Improve search functionality
  • Enable background downloads
  • Integrate with native Files app
  • Add playlist management options
Show 1 more
  • Improve video playback controls

OpenFile

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Files

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$5.991 Year
One-time1
  • Full Version Upgrade$4.99
2 purchases

OpenFile

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$19.99

Questions

Is Files free?
Files is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenFile free?
OpenFile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Files or OpenFile?
OpenFile is rated higher. Files averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while OpenFile averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Files or OpenFile have ads?
Neither Files nor OpenFile shows ads.

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