# Wake vs File Explorer & Player [Pro]

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wake | File Explorer & Player [Pro] |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wake/id396566137/reviews) | **[4.6 (832 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-explorer-and-player-pro/id1095142462/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **832** |
| Positive reviews | 62.4% of reviews | **83.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 1 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dave Thompson](https://appshunter.io/developer/396566140) | [Remote Sunrise LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/619088610) |

## What reviewers say

### Wake

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wake/id396566137)

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.

**Highlights:** Remote PC, Mac, and server startup, Wake On Lan support, Machine status indicator, Automatic computer detection, Shake to wake functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Medium/large network AddOn | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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)

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### File Explorer & Player [Pro]

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-explorer-and-player-pro/id1095142462)

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.

**Highlights:** Stream video from Mac, View photos and documents, Transfer files, Store files on iOS device, Mount iOS device as drive, Wireless Mac file access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Invaluable app
- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 🚀 My go to app to access my media on my MacBook
- 🚀 Super
- 🚀 Fantastic File Explorer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Meeds
- 🐛 Reliable app, but annoying placement of subtitles button. Could benefit from a couple features.
- 🐛 Connection
- 🐛 Can't move files?

**Reported bugs**

- Video playback buggy
- Pause button starts videos over
- Seized all connections

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wake free?

Wake costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is File Explorer & Player [Pro] free?

File Explorer & Player [Pro] costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Wake or File Explorer & Player [Pro]?

File Explorer & Player [Pro] is rated higher. Wake averages 3.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while File Explorer & Player [Pro] averages 4.6 from 832 ratings.

### Do Wake or File Explorer & Player [Pro] have ads?

Neither Wake nor File Explorer & Player [Pro] shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Wake or File Explorer & Player [Pro]?

Wake ships an update monthly, and File Explorer & Player [Pro] every 2 weeks. Most recently, Wake was updated on September 23, 2026 and File Explorer & Player [Pro] on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*