Files vs OpenFile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Web browser for offline viewing
- Built-in file manager
- Advanced PDF reader
- Photo browser
- Dropbox integration
- File transfer via HTTP/FTP
- Passcode lock
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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
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | Files | OpenFile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (13K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 113 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hian Zin Jong | Life Utility Apps, LLC |
Customer experience
Files
OpenFile
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
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- Improve video playback controls
OpenFile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Files
- Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
- Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$5.991 Year
- Full Version Upgrade$4.99
OpenFile
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Lifetime Access$19.99









