Comparison

FileBrowser vs Google Chrome

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

Head to head
About

FileBrowser

Access and manage files across your home computers, network drives, and cloud storage. Upload, download, copy, and edit documents directly from your device, with built-in viewers for various file types and streaming capabilities.

Highlights
  • Connect to computers, NAS, and cloud storage
  • Upload, download, copy, and move files
  • Multi-tabbed browsing and split-screen support
  • Edit documents in-place
  • Built-in viewers for documents, photos, and media
  • Stream movies and music with AirPlay/Chromecast
  • Annotate PDFs and images
Read full description

Use your iPad or iPhone to connect to your home computers, network drives and cloud storage. Easily upload/download/copy files and folders from one location to another, and browse your content using a variety of built-in viewers. *** FileBrowser remains the best option if you're looking for a file manager that supports a variety of external connections and also integrates deeply with iOS - Federico Viticci - MacStories *** *** FileBrowser's setup varies for every device, and the automatic wizards work super-well. Charlie Sorrel - Cult of Mac *** Ultra-fast browsing of your computers. Faster than Windows Explorer or Mac Finder and our users agree! GET ORGANIZED FileBrowser gives you everything you need to keep your files effortlessly organized: Move, edit, delete, rename, copy, zip and unzip. Download files from the web and paste them wherever you choose. MULTI-TABBED BROWSING Our FileBrowser suite of apps are the first file management apps to support multiple tabs. Connect to many of your locations at once and switch between them with ease. Use iPadOS split-screen mode to drag & drop between multiple windows. CONNECT TO Windows, Mac, Linux, Time Capsule, NAS drives, portable WiFi drives, SMB, Samba. Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, WebDAV, FTP and SFTP. Link to the same cloud storage with multiple accounts, if you have more than one Dropbox account, for example. EXTEND THE FILES APP FileBrowser allows you to access all your connections from the iOS Files app and other apps that use this as their document chooser, bringing network access to those apps. EDIT IN-PLACE No more copying of documents between apps. Launch an app to edit a network document in-place, such as Word or Pages or any of the Office and Mac suite. Changes are saved to the original document automatically. BLAZINGLY FAST Create bookmarks to your favorite locations & folders. Use a single tap to connect and browse to a favorite folder. PHOTO VIEWER Browse your photos wherever they are stored and display them on your TV or projector using AirPlay or Chromecast. Easily flick through holiday snaps or use the built-in slideshow feature. STREAM YOUR MOVIES / MUSIC Stream movie files or listen to music, both with AirPlay™ and Chromecast support. Use our built-in viewers or stream video to other apps. DOCUMENT VIEWER View Microsoft Office, Apple Pages, Numbers, KeyNote, PDF, text files, source code, HTML, and many more using the built-in viewers. ANNOTATE PDFS AND IMAGES Use the built-in annotation tools for PDFs and images, or use the iOS annotation tools to add notes, drawings or highlight text. SECURITY AND ENCRYPTION FileBrowser securely stores your passwords in the iOS keychain and uses iOS encryption features to protect your local content. Protect local files using a password, TouchID or FaceID. CONNECT ANYWHERE Connect to your Mac or PC when away from home. See our website for details: https://www.stratospherix.com/setupvpn TOO MANY FEATURES TO LIST FileBrowser has many features that we would like to tell you about. Check out our website. You'll be amazed! https://www.stratospherix.com/products/filebrowser FIRST CLASS SUPPORT User manuals and help are available at stratospherix.com/support with how-to articles and videos. You can also email us for fast, friendly support.

About

Google Chrome

This web browser offers fast and secure internet access, integrating Google Search and Lens for quick information retrieval. It provides robust security features like enhanced protection and password management, and syncs your data across devices for seamless browsing.

Highlights
  • Fast and secure browsing
  • Google Search and Lens integration
  • Enhanced protection mode
  • Password manager
  • Cross-device sync
  • Tab groups
  • Autofill
Features
Read full description

Chrome helps you do what’s possible on the web. Download the fast, secure browser by Google. GET THE BEST OF GOOGLE IN CHROME • SEARCH WITH GOOGLE - Search and get answers on Google fast. Use your voice to search hands-free. • GOOGLE LENS - Search what you see on your screen or with your camera. • GOOGLE TRANSLATE - Explore the web in 130+ languages. Translate entire sites in one click. BROWSE WITH BEST-IN-CLASS SECURITY • ENHANCED PROTECTION MODE - Browse confidently with the highest level of Chrome’s security. • SAFETY CHECK - Get peace of mind with proactive safety alerts. • GOOGLE PASSWORD MANAGER - Securely generate and save passwords for fast sign-in, and get alerts if your passwords are at risk. ACCESS YOUR CHROME ACROSS DEVICES • SYNC ACROSS DEVICES - Save your things (like bookmarks, tabs, and passwords) and easily access them when you sign in to Chrome on your phone, computer or tablet. • TAB GROUPS - Create tab groups to stay organized across devices. • AUTOFILL - Save time typing by autofilling your saved payments, addresses and passwords. Feature availability varies by country and language. Compatibility varies. Check responses for accuracy.

Screenshots

FileBrowser4 screens
Google Chrome4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Google Chrome at Free against FileBrowser's $7.99. Google Chrome also leads on ratings volume (3.9M vs 5.6K) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). FileBrowser's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 25) and ads (none vs shown). On rating and device support 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

Google Chrome is free to download; FileBrowser costs $7.99 up front. Google Chrome sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. FileBrowser asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for FileBrowser against 4.7 for Google Chrome. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Chrome has 3.9M ratings behind it against 5.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of FileBrowser's written reviews are positive against 61% of Google Chrome's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FileBrowser ships an update every 5 weeks, Google Chrome weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
FileBrowser versus Google Chrome: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFileBrowserGoogle Chrome
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (5.6K ratings)4.7 (3.9M ratings)
Positive reviews82.1% of reviews — better60.8% of reviews
Number of ratings5.6K3.9M — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#2 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB410 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperStratospherix LtdGoogle

Customer experience

FileBrowser

All ratings5,642 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews1,157 reviews
Positive82.1%
Neutral6.1%
Negative11.8%

Google Chrome

All ratings3,860,939 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.8%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews7,441 reviews
Positive60.8%
Neutral5.2%
Negative34.0%

User reviews

FileBrowser

From 5.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great file manager
  • 🚀 Powerful and versatile
  • 🔒 Secure access to files
  • 💡 Excellent integration with iOS Files app
  • 👍 Reliable and stable

Room to improve

  • 🐛 SMB connection issues
  • 🐛 Misleading directory caching
  • 🐛 Video playback problems
  • 🐛 Buggy UI changes
  • 🐛 Inability to rename photos

Google Chrome

From 3.9M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 👍 Seamless syncing across devices
  • 🔒 Robust security features
  • 💡 Useful integration with other Google services

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Unreliable search results
  • 💤 Slow page loading
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns
  • 🤔 Counterintuitive UI changes

Bugs and requests

FileBrowser

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Copy and paste functionality broken after update
  • Inability to access iCloud files
  • Crashes when accessing large files
  • Thumbnails not generating properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for AV1 video codec
  • Improve audio playback controls
  • Implement a recycle bin/trash feature
  • Add option to loop video playback
  • Improve video scrubbing and seeking

Google Chrome

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Keyboard issues and lags
  • Inconsistent behavior when closing tabs
  • Unreliable bookmark syncing
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Customizable UI and layout options
  • Improved tab management and session recovery
  • Better support for extensions and add-ons
  • Enhanced password management and syncing

In-app purchases

None

FileBrowser

No in-app purchases

16 purchases

Google Chrome

Subscriptions16
  • 100 GB2 variants$1.991 Month
  • 100 GB1 Month trial2 variants$1.991 Month
  • 200 GB1 Month trial2 variants$2.991 Month
Show 13 more
  • 200 GB2 variants$2.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (400 GB)$4.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (2 TB)1 Month trial2 variants$9.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (2 TB)$9.991 Month
  • 100 GB2 variants$19.991 Year
  • 100 GB1 Year trial$19.991 Year
  • 100 GB1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • 5 TB$24.991 Month
  • 200 GB1 Year trial$29.991 Year
  • 2 TB1 Year trial$99.991 Year
  • 30 TB2 variants$149.991 Month
  • Google AI Ultra (30 TB)2 variants$249.991 Month
  • 5 TB$249.991 Year

Questions

Is FileBrowser free?
FileBrowser costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Google Chrome free?
Google Chrome is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FileBrowser or Google Chrome?
FileBrowser and Google Chrome are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5.6K and 3.9M ratings respectively.
Do FileBrowser or Google Chrome have ads?
Google Chrome shows ads; FileBrowser does not.
Which is updated more often, FileBrowser or Google Chrome?
FileBrowser ships an update every 5 weeks, and Google Chrome weekly. Most recently, FileBrowser was updated on September 24, 2026 and Google Chrome on September 24, 2026.

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