Wake vs File Explorer & Player [Pro]
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Wake
Remotely power on PCs, Macs, and servers with this networking tool. It supports Wake On Lan devices and provides a status indicator to show if machines are online or offline. Ideal for managing multiple computers or accessing them from afar.
- Remote PC, Mac, and server startup
- Wake On Lan support
- Machine status indicator
- Automatic computer detection
- Shake to wake functionality
Read full descriptionHide full description
Wake is a professional networking tool that lets you start up PCs, Macs and Servers remotely. Compatible with all 'Wake On Lan' capable devices, Wake even gives you a status indicator to tell you whether each machine is on or off. Features: * Wake button sends 'Wake On Lan' magic packet to start up a machine. * Works over wifi or cellular data network. * Status indicator glows to tell you whether each machine is on or off. * Automatically detects your computers for easy setup. * Shake'n'wake - shake the device to wake all computers! Typical Uses: * Start up a machine remotely, then use VNC or other remote access service to view files. * Monitor a list of business critical servers. * Start up a classroom full of PCs from your desk. For troubleshooting, go to davet.org/wake/support.html
File Explorer & Player [Pro]
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a wireless drive for your Mac, enabling you to stream videos, view photos, and access documents remotely. Transfer files, store content on your iOS device, and even mount it as a drive on your computer.
- Stream video from Mac
- View photos and documents
- Transfer files
- Store files on iOS device
- Mount iOS device as drive
- Wireless Mac file access
Read full descriptionHide full description
Turn your iPhone or iPad into the wireless flash drive for your Mac. Have full access to your Mac files – use your iOS device to stream videos, view photos and documents, from anywhere within your home. AT A GLANCE - Stream any video directly from your Mac; - View photos or documents stored on your Mac; - Transfer files between your Mac and your iOS device; - Store anything on your iOS device and take it with you on the go; - Mount your iOS device as drive on your Mac or Windows machine using WebDAV; - Use the Personal Hotspot of your iOS device to control your Mac when you don’t have access to other networks. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - Mac with macOS 10.10 or above and Helper app installed; - iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 11 or above; - Shared wireless network connection between your computer and iOS device. TERMS OF USE https://cherpake.com/tos Ratings are like gold for indie developers like me, please give the app a quick rating on the App Store.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: File Explorer & Player [Pro] at 4.6 against Wake's 3.3. File Explorer & Player [Pro] also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (832 vs 4). Wake's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On update cadence, ads 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
Wake costs $0.99 and File Explorer & Player [Pro] $9.99 up front. Wake sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. File Explorer & Player [Pro] asks for nothing beyond the download.
File Explorer & Player [Pro] holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: File Explorer & Player [Pro] has 832 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Wake's written reviews are positive against 83% of File Explorer & Player [Pro]'s.
Wake ships an update monthly, File Explorer & Player [Pro] every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Wake | File Explorer & Player [Pro] |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 3.3 (4 ratings) | 4.6 (832 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 62.4% of reviews | 83.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 832 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dave Thompson | Remote Sunrise LTD |
Customer experience
Wake
File Explorer & Player [Pro]
User reviews
Wake
From 4 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✅ Simple and intuitive interface
- 🎯 Reliable wake-on-LAN functionality when properly configured
- 🔧 Auto-detection feature for discovering devices on network
- 💰 Free or affordable pricing
- ⚡ Fast and effective once set up
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes when selecting IP address
- ❌ Doesn't work over cellular/3G networks reliably
- ⚠️ Limited to wired Ethernet connections, not WiFi
- 📚 Poor documentation and unclear setup requirements
- 🔌 Requires complex network configuration (port forwarding, static IPs)
File Explorer & Player [Pro]
From 832 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Invaluable app
- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 🚀 My go to app to access my media on my MacBook
- 🚀 Super
- 🚀 Fantastic File Explorer
Room to improve
- 🐛 Meeds
- 🐛 Reliable app, but annoying placement of subtitles button. Could benefit from a couple features.
- 🐛 Connection
- 🐛 Can't move files?
Bugs and requests
Wake
Reported bugs
9 issues- App freezes when pressing '+' button
- Crashes when selecting IP address
- Auto-detection not finding devices consistently
- Doesn't work on iPad 2
- Buttons ('+' and edit) do nothing in some cases
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Persistent rating prompt notification
- Device list appears empty despite devices on network
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Help website unavailable
Requested features
11 requests- Support for WiFi-connected devices
- Remote wake-on-LAN over cellular networks
- Configurable port settings for multiple devices
- Support for domain names instead of IP addresses
- NetBIOS name display in device list
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Automatic setup wizard
- Better support for modern network configurations
- Wake-on-demand functionality like Snow Leopard
- Support for Apple TV integration
- Shake and wake function with device selection
- Power status monitoring over remote connections
File Explorer & Player [Pro]
Reported bugs
3 issues- Video playback buggy
- Pause button starts videos over
- Seized all connections
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Ability to sync entire photo libraries directly to the computer
- Ability to move and delete files from the app
- Ability to rename files stored on the iPhone and Mac from the app
In-app purchases
Wake
- Medium/large network AddOn$0.99
File Explorer & Player [Pro]
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Wake free?
Is File Explorer & Player [Pro] free?
Which has better reviews, Wake or File Explorer & Player [Pro]?
Do Wake or File Explorer & Player [Pro] have ads?
Which is updated more often, Wake or File Explorer & Player [Pro]?
Other comparisons








![File Explorer & Player [Pro] File Explorer & Player [Pro]](https://cdn3.appshunter.io/i/Purple221/1239275c7f6b5de7a32f02ae938f116f/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007emarketing-0-8-0-85-220.png/512x0w.png)

![File Explorer & Player [Pro] File Explorer & Player [Pro]](https://cdn3.appshunter.io/i/Purple221/1239275c7f6b5de7a32f02ae938f116f/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007emarketing-0-8-0-85-220.png/512x0w.png)

![File Explorer & Player [Pro] File Explorer & Player [Pro]](https://cdn3.appshunter.io/i/Purple221/1239275c7f6b5de7a32f02ae938f116f/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007emarketing-0-8-0-85-220.png/512x0w.png)

![File Explorer & Player [Pro] File Explorer & Player [Pro]](https://cdn3.appshunter.io/i/Purple221/1239275c7f6b5de7a32f02ae938f116f/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007emarketing-0-8-0-85-220.png/512x0w.png)
